"Community Bulletin" (New Bedford, Mass.)

A Jewish community bulletin has been published in New Bedford since the early 1920s. Originally a monthly periodical, the Community Bulletin was issued several years before the founding of the Tifereth Israel Synagogue through the joint efforts of the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Associations. Its major purpose, according to Kolman Shapira, writing in the November 15, 1923 issue, was to “effect a closer relationship and understanding among the Jews who are scattered over all parts of the city.” At that time the Jewish neighborhoods in the South End in the vicinity of Water and Howland Streets, and in the North End around Coggeshall and Kenyon Streets, were beginning to lose their cohesiveness as some residents moved to the West End of the city, and as a new Conservative Jewish congregation was about to be formed. The bulletin helped the New Bedford Jewish community to be knowledgeable about local, national and international issues. At the beginning of 1928 the Community Bulletin was still sponsored by the YMHA and YWHA, but by the second issue it to no longer appears to be, and becomes a publication sponsored by Tifereth Israel. Regardless, Philip Barnet is editor in chief through the early years. For many years it remained a monthly publication, until the 1950s when it became annual. From 2010 it was published in conjunction with the Tifereth Israel member directory, therefore after 2010 it is housed with Tifereth Israel records, MC 26. – Barbara Kaplan, 1991.