National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section Records, 1897-2010,, bulk bulk 1920-2010

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Summary

Title:
National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section records
Dates:
1897-2010,, bulk bulk 1920-2010
Creators:
National Council of Jewish Women. San Francisco Section
Abstract:
The National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section records document over a century of pioneering social welfare work for the betterment of women, children, and families.
Extent:
Number of containers: 10 cartons, 13 oversize boxes, 1 oversize folder Linear feet: 18.2 linear feet
Language:
Collection materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section Records, BANC MSS 2010/780, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

The National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section records consist primarily of organizational and administrative records, as well as various publications and public relations materials. The records are divided into two series:

  • Series I: Administrative Files
  • Series II: Publicity and Publications

The administrative files consist of materials documenting the administrative and organizational functions of the National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section. Administrative files include: constitutions, by-laws, board of directors' meeting minutes, and annual meeting proceedings. The series also contains records pertaining to various social welfare programs in which the group was engaged - including work with immigrants, services for seniors, work with the deaf, and a multitude of other assistance programs for women and children.

Records for the publicity and publications series consist of materials, such as event brochures and flyers; programs and announcements; and photographs and publications relating to various social welfare programs and events associated with the National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section. The series also contains newsletters from the Section, as well as news clippings; awards and certificates; and various chronological and event-based scrapbooks.

Biographical / historical:

In 1893, Hannah Solomon founded the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), a volunteer philanthropic, civic, and educational organization. For over a century, the NCJW has been at the forefront of social change - championing the needs of women, children, and families.

In 1900, Hattie Hecht Sloss, spearheaded the formation of the San Francisco Section of the Council and became the Section's first president. The San Francisco Section of the NCJW was and remains dedicated to the promotion of social betterment of women and families through work in the fields of social legislation, social service, religion, education, and aid to immigrants.

Over the decades, the San Francisco Council has engaged in many social welfare activities. In 1912, it organized an Americanization program for Jewish families who had been forced to relocate to San Francisco's San Bruno District after the 1906 earthquake and fire. During the Great Depression, the San Francisco Section ran an "Opportunity Shop" where needy women sold homemade products. In the 1930s, it helped locate American relatives of German and Austrian Jews; and, during World War II, the Council sponsored a canteen for service men and women with the Jewish Welfare Board.

Other programs of the Council included: aid for immigrant farm workers and disadvantaged women; the establishment of women's clubs; and an advocacy for the liberalization of birth control laws. Over the years, the Council has also focused efforts on insuring clean milk for underprivileged children; opening school playgrounds; helping establish the first kindergartens in San Francisco's public schools; establishing a children's clinic and gymnasium with the help of the Rotary Club; and teaching sewing to Jewish orphans at Homewood Terrace. Other activities included: doing educational work with the handicapped on a nonsectarian basis; testing children's hearing; providing hearing aids in public buildings; sponsoring a Girl Scout troop for the deaf; and aiding the blind through various programs.

The National Council of Jewish Women remains the oldest volunteer Jewish women's organization in the United States. As it has for over one hundred years, the Council remains dedicated to the improvement of the lives of women and children, as well as the lives of all peoples.

Acquisition information:
The National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section records were transferred to The Bancroft Library from the Judah L. Magnes Museum in 2010.
Processing information:

Processed by Jeffrey Sahaida in 2014.

Arrangement:

Arranged to the folder level.

Accruals:

No additions are expected.

Physical location:
Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding Aid written by Jeffrey P. Sahaida
Date Prepared:
© 2007
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid generated by Finding Aid author(s) via EAD XPress; markup validated by The Bancroft Library staff using OAC validation tools; Date of source: February 2014

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], National Council of Jewish Women, San Francisco Section Records, BANC MSS 2010/780, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
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