Jewish Family and Children's Services (Milwaukee, Wis.).

Also in the collection are records of the United Hebrew Charities and the Federated Jewish Charities, two Milwaukee organizations with which the Hebrew Relief Association and the Jewish Social Service Association were associated. Minutes of the meetings of the United Hebrew Charities span the years 1893-1914. Annual reports and annual statements of the Federated Jewish Charities, along with that organization's articles of organization, by-laws, and rules of order, cover the years 1902-1925. Also included are a few items from the Conference of Jewish Women's Organizations of Milwaukee and the National Conference of Jewish Social Service.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: Although the records cover the years 1867 to 1973, most of the materials date from 1919 through early 1960s, with only scattered items after 1964. The collection is divided into three series: Historical Materials, Administrative and Operational Materials, and Affiliated Organizations.

The series of Historical Materials begins with the articles of incorporation of the Hebrew Relief Association, followed by a group of miscellaneous historical materials including four organizational histories. Scrapbooks in this series provide a good overview of the organization's activities from 1933 to 1964.

Administrative and Operational Materials begin with a bound volume of case records from the 1890s, which lists the names of those who received aid and the amounts of money and types of services provided. The organization's printed annual reports are represented in this series by only three examples, but the board meeting minutes span the years from the founding of the Hebrew Relief Society in 1867 to 1962. Missing is the minutes dating from 1899 to 1913. Minutes prior to 1879 are mostly in German. Although some financial information can be found in the board meeting minutes, the bulk of the organization's financial records is represented by Income and Expense Reports, 1932 to 1955.

Affiliated Organizations includes the records of two Milwaukee organizations with which the Hebrew Relief Association and the Jewish Social Service Association became affiliated: the United Hebrew Charities and the Federated Jewish Charities. The Federated Jewish Charities are represented by a collection of booklets containing the annual reports and annual statements, spanning the years 1904 to 1925, and by a booklet presenting this organization's articles of organization, by laws, and rules of order. Finally, the collection includes two yearbooks from the Conference of Jewish Women's Organizations of Milwaukee, dating from the 1930s; and an official program and guide for the National Conference of Jewish Social Service, held in Milwaukee in 1921.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY NOTE: The Jewish Family and Children's Service of Milwaukee has been known by various names throughout its 116 year history. It began as the Hebrew Relief Society in 1867, incorporated as the Hebrew Relief Association in 1889, renamed itself the Jewish Social Service Association in 1921 and, after a merger with the Milwaukee Jewish Children's Service in 1948. The Hebrew Relief Association affiliated itself with the newly formed United Hebrew Charities in 1893, and joined the Federated Jewish charities of Milwaukee when that organization began in 1902.

Founded after a general meeting of Milwaukee's Jews, called by a committee of three on 1 August 1867, the Hebrew Relief Society was open to anyone willing to contribute the requisite five dollars. German Jews dominated the membership, as they did the city's Jewish community as a whole, and Society secretaries kept the minutes of meetings in German until 1879. A board of three trustees and various officers carried out the routine business, and the membership met in a general meeting once each year. The Society gave needy persons financial assistance for purchasing fuel, food, transportation, and medical services. Funds came from door-to-door canvassing, charity balls, and voluntary contributions.

A great new influx of Jewish immigrants in the late 19th century helped draw together the various Jewish charitable organizations of Milwaukee. In 1880, the Hebrew Relief Society led a movement to form a United Hebrew Relief Organization. In 1892 and 1893 the Society cooperated with the Russian Refugee Relief Organization, helping to set up a temporary shelter on Water Street. The Hebrew Relief Association helped to form the United Hebrew Charities of Milwaukee in 1893. Other groups that belonged to this united organization were the Widows' and Orphans' Association, the Ladies' Relief Sewing Society, and the Sisterhood of Personal Service.

In May of 1889, the Hebrew Relief Society incorporated itself as the Hebrew Relief Association. Paying annual dues of two dollars, the membership numbered about 170 at that time. The Hebrew Relief Association followed the national trend of professionalization of charity. Originally, funds had been distributed and collected personally by members of the organization. But toward the end of the 19th century, as massive numbers of European Jews crowded into the cities of America, the pressures on local relief organizations made this personal form of operation obsolete. In 1905 the Association jointed with the Federated Jewish charities, which had replaced the United Hebrew Charities in 1902, and hired a professional director -- Jacob Billikopf, a trained social worker. From then on a professional superintendent or Executive Director supervised the day-to-day operations of the organization. The activities of the organization steadily diversified. Beginning as a dispenser of alms, the organization began to operate more as a social service agency in the first decades of the twentieth century. Acknowledging this new role, the Association changed its name to the Jewish Social Service Association in 1921. Staff members often visited homes of aid recipients and began to perform the functions later handled by professional social service caseworkers.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, funds for aid were in such great demand that the federated Jewish charities could not adequately handle the added burden. During this period the Jewish Social Service Association became a recipient of the Community Fund. A vocational department was set up in June 1938, which later became a separate organization called the Jewish Vocational Service. Also in 1938, the association formed an immigration department, helping to settle a new wave of immigrants from Europe.

Following World War II, the association concerned itself primarily with settling refugees from the holocaust, and it collected funds to aid the remnants of Europe's Jewish community. The association distinguished itself in the effort to secure homes for orphaned children rescued from Nazi concentration camps. Its immigration department handled more than 1,000 cases in the year 1946 alone.

In January of 1948, the Jewish Social Service Association merged with the Milwaukee Jewish Children's Home, becoming the Jewish Family and Children's Service. In 1949, the Service became part of a national network, the Family Service Association of America. In May of 1951, The Child Welfare League of America granted membership to the Service. During the 1950's the organization entered a new area of community service: Counseling. The Service helped initiate the Family Life Education Program in 1960, and became increasingly concerned with the care and treatment of emotionally disturbed children in the following decade. Drawing on funds provided by the Jewish Welfare Fund of Milwaukee, the Service opened a residential treatment center for adolescent boys in 1964.

Among a long line of presidents of the organization, Charles Friend served the longest term, from 1908 to 1941. He helped change the organization into a more scientific and professional operation. Miss Rebecca B. Tennebaum made an important contribution to the organization, serving as executive director from 1933 to 1965. The current director of the Jewish Family and Children's Service is Ralph Sherman, and its current president is Joseph Bernstein. The offices of the organization are presently located at 1360 North Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Jewish Family and Children's Services (Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1867-1973. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 87. State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Milwaukee Area Research Center. Golda Meir Library. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

ACQUISITION: Gift of the Jewish Family and Children's Service via Executive Director Ralph Sherman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1979 (accession number M79-373).

PROCESSING: Processed by Geoffrey Wexler under the supervision of Joanne Hohler in October 1983.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

• Community organization--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Jews--Wisconsin--Milwaukee--History.
• Social Service--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Social Settlements--Wisconsin--Milwaukee--Sources.
• Milwaukee (Wis.)--History--Sources.
• Hebrew Relief Society (Milwaukee, Wis.).
• Jewish Social Service Association (Milwaukee, Wis.).
• United Hebrew Charities.
• Federated Jewish Charities of Milwaukee.

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Last edited on Wednesday, June 6, 2001.
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