Hebrew Sunday School Society of Philadelphia (Pa.) Records

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Hebrew Sunday School Society of Philadelphia (Pa.) Records

1802-2002, bulk 1888-1980

https://library.temple.edu/finding_aids/hebrew-sunday-school-society-of-philadelphia-pa-records-collection-overview

In 1838, Rebecca Gratz (a Jewish philanthropist in Philadelphia), along with the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society, founded a Sunday School in Philadelphia that was open to all Jewish children regardless of parental financial standing or synagogue affiliation. Founded in 1819, the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society was the first Jewish charitable organization in Philadelphia, and the first such organization in the United States to offer free basic Jewish religious education. In the first year of operation, attendance at the school grew to 80 students, a number which represented nearly 90 percent of the Jewish children in Philadelphia at the time. The Female Hebrew Benevolent Society operated the Sunday School until 1858 when it was incorporated as the Hebrew Sunday School Society (HSSS). Rebecca Gratz served as president of the organization until she was 80 years of age. The Hebrew Sunday School Society records house the organizational records of HSSS. This collection, which dates from 1802 to 2002, consists of minutes, reports, correspondence, budgets and financial statements, staff and student lists, event programs, clippings, books and research materials, photographs, lantern slides, pins, plaques, and other memorabilia. These records and materials document the history and evolution of HSSS and evidence an organization concerned with the betterment of Jewish children through religious education, including those with special needs. The collection is a unique and rich example of the growth and establishment of the first Hebrew Sunday schools that existed outside of any synagogue, with records that provide a look into how decisions were made over the course of the Society’s existence regarding what and how to teach, as well as a look into Jewish life in Philadelphia.

35 linear feet (98 boxes)

eng, Latn

heb, Hebr

Temple University Libraries Special Collections Research Center

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 11665661

Related Entities

There are 2 Entities related to this resource.

Gratz, Rebecca, 1781-1869

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h52fkz (person)

Rebecca Gratz was born on March 4, 1781, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1801, at the age of 20, Rebecca Gratz helped establish the Female Association for the Relief of Women and Children in Reduced Circumstances, which helped women whose families were suffering after the American Revolutionary War. In 1815, after seeing the need for an institution for orphans in Philadelphia, she was among those instrumental in founding the Philadelphia Orphan Asylum. Under Gratz' auspices, a Hebrew Sunday Scho...

Congregation Mikveh Israel (Philadelphia, Pa.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gg1m6h (corporateBody)

Congregation Mikveh Israel (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) traces its history to September 25, 1740 when the Province of Pennsylvania and Thomas Penn authorized a permanent burial ground for the entire Jewish community of Philadelphia. Jews in Philadelphia in the 1740s and 1750s organized themselves informally for services. In 1761 they acquired a Torah scroll and met in a private residence on Sterling Alley, then between Cherry and Race Streets and Third and Fourth Streets. The congregation moved ...