Young Men’s Hebrew Association and Young Women’s Hebrew Association (New Bedford, Mass.) records

The Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) was first organized in Baltimore in 1854; the Young Women’s Hebrew Association (YWHA) was organized as an annex to the New York YMHA in 1888. These associations began with the mission to provide assistance to Jewish immigrants, along with cultural, educational, and social activities. On a national level, in 1917, the YMHA and the YWHA merged and became known as the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB). The JWB chapters were later renamed as Jewish Community Centers, though some retained the YMHA/YWHA designation. The exact beginnings of the New Bedford chapter of the YMHA are not known, though in 1911, the New England chapter of YMHA formed and by 1922 consisted of 50 local organizations throughout the area, including the New Bedford chapter. The New Bedford chapter of the YWHA got its start in 1909, when twelve girls banded together and called themselves The Clover Leaf Club. The club grew in size and eventually became affiliated with the New England chapter of YWHA, which had been formed in 1913.