Although the records cover the years 1867 to 1973, most of the materials date from 1919 through early 1960s, with only scattered items after 1964. The collection is divided into three series: Historical Materials, Administrative and Operational Materials, and Affiliated Organizations.
The series of HISTORICAL MATERIALS begins with the articles of incorporation of the Hebrew Relief Association, followed by a group of miscellaneous historical materials including four organizational histories. Scrapbooks in this series provide a good overview of the organization's activities from 1933 to 1964.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL MATERIALS begin with a bound volume of case records from the 1890s, which lists the names of those who received aid and the amounts of money and types of services provided. The organization's printed annual reports are represented in this series by only three examples, but the board meeting minutes span the years from the founding of the Hebrew Relief Society in 1867 to 1962. Missing is the minutes dating from 1899 to 1913. Minutes prior to 1879 are mostly in German. Although some financial information can be found in the board meeting minutes, the bulk of the organization's financial records is represented by Income and Expense Reports, 1932 to 1955.
AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS includes the records of two Milwaukee organizations with which the Hebrew Relief Association and the Jewish Social Service Association became affiliated: the United Hebrew Charities and the Federated Jewish Charities. The Federated Jewish Charities are represented by a collection of booklets containing the annual reports and annual statements, spanning the years 1904 to 1925, and by a booklet presenting this organization's articles of organization, by laws, and rules of order. Finally, the collection includes two yearbooks from the Conference of Jewish Women's Organizations of Milwaukee, dating from the 1930s; and an official program and guide for the National Conference of Jewish Social Service, held in Milwaukee in 1921.
