National Jewish Welfare Board, New England Section records

Collection

Identifier: MC-066

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of a ledger, correspondence, pamphlets, and other records of organizations dedicated to the cause of Jewish War Relief in New Bedford during the period of 1918 - 1924. The collection also contains records of local activity of the National Jewish Welfare Board and the United Service Organizations (USO) from the period of 1940 – 1946, and a card index of 425 local World War II Jewish servicemen and newspaper clippings on their activities and service during World War II.

Dates

1918-1946

Creator

National Jewish Welfare Board. New England Section (Organization)

Language of Materials

Materials entirely in English

Conditions Governing Access

Unrestricted

Biographical / Historical

Jewish War Relief was a humanitarian campaign to raise funds for Jewish refugees and victims of pogroms in the wake of World War I. The National Jewish Welfare Board was formed in 1917, three days after the United States declared war on Germany. The organization organized religious services at military bases, as well as recruited and trained rabbis for military service. In 1941, the Board and five other private organizations, including the YMCA and the Salvation Army, pooled their resources to form the United Service Organizations (USO) in order to boost morale and provide for recreation of members of the military. At the end of World War II, the National Jewish Welfare Board culled war records across the country to create an Honor Roll of Jewish servicemen and the awards they received. For many years, Judge Samuel Barnet of New Bedford was the chairman of the local chapter of the Jewish Welfare Board, the New England Section.