Aarons-Jung-Sheuerman family
Papers, 1850-1992. UWM Manuscript Collection 44

Papers of three related Jewish families, with some information on other relatives, mostly from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The papers were compiled by Matilda Jung. Includes family correspondence, usually discussing personal affairs, of Judge Charles Aarons, Lehman (Buz) Aarons, Louise Aarons Blosten, Matilda Jung, and other relatives; scrapbooks documenting the life of Matilda Aarons Jung and Rose Sheuerman Aarons; family histories for the Aarons, Frankel, Jung, Schram, and Sheuerman families; and photographs and photograph albums of the Aarons and Jung families. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Ahavas Scholem Congregation (Sheboygan, Wis.).
Records, 1903-1952.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DH and Milwaukee Micro Collection 13
Photostats of a minute book and miscellaneous records; financial records (1908-1937) are on microfilm. Some records are in Yiddish.

Alpert, Joel E.
The Naividel Krelitz Ellis Feinberg Rose Craine family book, 1995.
Milwaukee Small Collection 188
A near-print family history compiled by Joel Alpert concerning "an interrelated family originally from Yurberik (Yurberg), Lithuania with many descendants in Milwaukee [Wisconsin]," and identifies Hillel Naividel as the earliest member. Sections include family background about the family in Lithuania, immigration to America, Israel, and Mexico, and the family today; descendant charts; individual histories of Harry Ellis, Sam Ellis, Leah Golda Ellis Alpert, George Cecil Ellis, Max Zarnitsky, and Bernard Laden; family group records; family mysteries; names and histories of family members who were Holocaust victims; information about contributing to the ongoing compilation; and photocopies of photographs.

American Jewish Tercentenary Committee of Wisconsin.
Records, 1953-1982.
UWM Manuscript Collection 62
Miscellaneous records documenting the formation of the American Jewish Tercentenary Committee of Wisconsin. The collection documents the 1954 Tercentenary celebration, annual meetings, as well as the committee's continuing heritage through the Wisconsin Society for Jewish Learning. Included are statewide and national correspondence; meeting notes documenting the formation of the committee; national directives and correspondence from the American Jewish Tercentenary, with recommendations on the scope, tone and spirit of the tercentenary celebration; and publications and newsletters containing the national directives. Programs, photographs, press releases and letters pertaining to the celebration are found in the collection. The collection also contains publications and photographs from the Wisconsin Society for Jewish Learning, which was an outcome of the original group. Finding aid available in the Archives.

August, Thomas G., 1950-  .
Rabbi Joseph L. Baron manuscript, 1998.
UWM Manuscript Collection 207
The collection contains Thomas August's unpublished biography of Milwaukee Rabbi Joseph L. Baron, "The Making of an American Rabbi."  The work covers Joseph Baron's life from birth to death, with emphasis on his early education, his impact on Milwaukee's Jewish community, and his views and contributions to Zionism, Jewish education, liberal Judaism, and interfaith cooperation.  The manuscript was completed in 1998. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Baer, Myrtle, 1880- .
Family papers, 1854-1963.
Milwaukee Small Collection 63
A 1963 interview with Myrtle Baer (b. 1880) regarding her volunteer social work in Milwaukee and with its Jewish community; passports and citizenship papers of her father, William (1854-1866); the marriage license and a clipping about her parents' wedding (1867); and letters from her mother's brother (1867-1873). Some materials are in German.

Baras, Lucy.
Twentieth century caveman.
Milwaukee Small Collection 202
A memoir by Lucy Rothstein Baras of Sheboygan, Wisconsin about her experiences living in a Jewish settlement in eastern Poland during World War II. Written in novelistic form, Baras describes Jewish life and culture in the village of Skalat; the invasion of first, the Red Army in 1939 and then the Germans; conditions under the occupation; her parents, home, and work; pogroms and other brutality suffered at the hands of the Germans and Ukranians; conditions in a labor camp near the village and her work as a seamstress for the family of a high-ranking German army official; hiding out in the forest for several months at the end of the war; and finally, liberation by the Soviet Army. There is a brief postscript which describes the fate of various family members and friends. This collection is restricted. Copyright is owned by Lucy Baras until January 1, 2005.

Barnett family.
Family and business papers, 1906-1971.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 21
Family and business records from three generations of a Milwaukee Jewish family, including correspondence with a European cousin who survived a Nazi concentration camp and was trying to emigrate to America; a scrapbook on family religious occasions; and family genealogical information. Also contains records of the family-owned Barnett Woolen Mills, especially on its bankruptcy and reorganization in 1938; and the Muskego Company. Some family correspondence is in Yiddish. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Baron, Joseph L., 1894-1960.
Papers, 1910-1960.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 173 and Milwaukee Micro Collection 45

Papers of a Wisconsin Reform rabbi who served at Milwaukee's Temple Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun, documenting his education, publications and speeches, and his role in the establishment of several synagogues and many Jewish organizations and programs. Included is information on the establishment of synagogues in Madison and Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and the establishment of the Milwaukee Round Table of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Jewish Council, the Wisconsin Society for Jewish Learning, the Wisconsin Jewish Archives, and the Department of Hebrew Studies at the University of Wisconsin--Madison. The collection also contains correspondence between Baron and several prominent literary and religious leaders. Some of the materials are in Yiddish, Hebrew, German, French, and Polish. There are restrictions on access to the collection; consult an archivist for details. Finding aid available in the Archives.

B'nai B'rith. Waukesha Chapter 156 (Wis.).
Records, 1947-1966.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 138
Records of a Jewish women's civic, social, and philanthropic organization formed in 1943. Included are membership lists, minutes of executive board meetings, minutes of meetings held jointly with the Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood, newsletters (1963-1964), Temple Emanu-El dedication booklets (1960, 1963), and clippings. In addition to documenting the activities of the B'nai B'rith and Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood, the files reflect the leading role of the group's president, Nettie (Mrs. Hyman) Israel, in Anti-Defamation League, interfaith, and human relations activities. Forms part of the Wisconsin Jewish Archives.Finding aid available in the Archives.

Bragarnick, Harry, 1879-1960.
Papers, 1930-1960.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 140
Papers of a dry goods retailer and freelance arbitrator who immigrated from the Ukraine in 1878 and resided in Milwaukee from 1913 to 1960. The collection consists of clippings, correspondence, and miscellaneous legal records which document Bragarnick's role in settling labor disputes, especially during the milk strikes of 1933, and in the hosiery and garment industries during the 1930s and 1940s. Also documented are his philanthropic activities in Milwaukee and efforts to mediate civil cases such as divorce and property disputes. The photocopies of photographs include images of Harry Bragarnick and Elizabeth Bragarnick; Harry Bragarnick with labor leaders; Harry Bragarnick's seventieth birthday celebration, May 9, 1948; and an exterior view of his dry goods store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ca. 1930. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Bruce, William George, 1856-1949.
Papers, 1843-1960.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection CU and Milwaukee Micro Collection 60
Papers of a Milwaukee businessman primarily documenting the many civic involvements of his retirement years (1918-1949), especially his general interests in education, the Catholic, Milwaukee history, and Milwaukee business conditions. Included are correspondence; subject files concerning specific involvements such as the Milwaukee Board of Harbor Commissioners, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the 1948 Corporation; minutes; reports; numerous biographical clipping scrapbooks (available only on microfilm), testimonials, and other biographical information; writings and speeches; and photographs. The large file of writings and books by Bruce includes works on education and commercial organizations and draft chapters of an unpublished book on the Jewish question in the United States. Bruce's autobiography and other published writings are held by the SHSW Library. Pertaining to the early history of the Bruce Publishing Company are financial ledgers and journals and examples of advertising materials. Later operations of the firm are documented by religious manuscripts published by the company (some by Fulton J. Sheen) and runs of the Bruce Buzzer and the Bruce Cooperator, employee newsletters, in the SHSW Library. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Bureau of Jewish Education (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1939-1949.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 134
Records of an organization formed in 1944 to promote and coordinate Jewish education in Milwaukee, and of its predecessors, the Joint Committee on Jewish Education and the Milwaukee Talmud Torah Association. The files are those of George Laikin and contain articles of incorporation, by-laws, correspondence, minutes, and reports. Records document the origins of the bureau and the 1947 consolidations of its affiliated schools: the Beth Israel and United Hebrew Schools, and the Milwaukee Talmud Torah and the Yiddish Folk Shule. Also included is a comprehensive survey and evaluation of Jewish education in Milwaukee conducted in 1941 by the Chicago Board of Jewish Education. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Chester, Hyman, d. 1976.
Papers, 1933-1976.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 139
Papers, mainly 1952-1969, of an officer of the Wisconsin Department of the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., and an editor and columnist for the Milwaukee Journal. The bulk of the collection is comprised of correspondence, membership lists, minutes, photographs, press clippings, and printed materials pertaining to the Jewish War Veterans. Other materials include articles and professional correspondence; a personal scrapbook; and certificates and awards. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Congregation Adas Israel (Sheboygan, Wis.).
Records, [ca. 1900]-1931.
Milwaukee Micro Collection 14
Minutes and financial records in Hebrew or Yiddish of a Sheboygan Jewish congregation.

Congregation Anshe Sfard (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1948-1970.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection EG
Records of an Orthodox Milwaukee Jewish congregation founded in 1893, containing constitutions of the congregation and its men's club; burial, death, and family information; contracts for using the synagogue's facilities; and financial records. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Congregation Beth Israel (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1900-1956, 1966.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection CY
Scattered records, some in Hebrew and Yiddish, of a Milwaukee Jewish congregation, containing annual reports (1921-1946); financial records, including a general ledger(1944-1947), cashbooks (1922-1947), membership and contribution books (1920-1944); and a brief subject file. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Congregation Sinai (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1955-1962.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 137
Records of a Reform Jewish temple founded in 1955. Included are minutes, constitutions of the congregation and the Sinai Brotherhood, correspondence and clippings concerning their formation, and a copy of the Constitution Committee's 1962 report outlining Temple policies on such issues as mixed-faith marriages and rabbis' honoraria.

Emanu-el B'ne Jeshurun Congregation (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1856-1980.
Milwaukee Small Collection 178 and Milwaukee Micro Collection 15
Records, mainly 1869-1935, of a Jewish reform congregation formed in 1927 and its predecessors. Includes minutes (1869-1927) and constitution of Emanu-el Congregation; minutes (1875-1927) and constitution of B'ne Jeshurun Congregation; minutes, (1927-1935) of Emanu-el B'ne Jeshurun Congregation; constitution of Temple Anshe Emmeth (1856); and a 125th anniversary booklet which contains a history of the congregation from 1856 to 1980.

Erlebacher, Rosa.
Rosa and Alfred Erlebacher papers, 1937-1954.
Milwaukee Small Collection 59
Letters, in German, written between 1938-1942 by Mrs. Lena Wertheimer, to her daughter and son-in-law, Rosa and Alfred Erlebacher, residing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Wertheimers lived in Laupheim, Germany until they were deported to the concentration camp at Theresienstadt (Czechoslovakia) in late 1942. Most of the letters describe only family matters and personal affairs and do not comment directly on the conditions of Jews in Germany. There are also letters (1938-1950s) to Mrs. Erlebacher from her siblings in Palestine and South Africa.

Federation of Jewish Women's Organizations of Milwaukee.
Records, 1929-1981.
Milwaukee Micro Collection 52
Records (mostly 1950-1969) of an organization founded in 1925 that coordinated the activities of philanthropic and cultural Jewish women's organizations in Milwaukee. Includes constitutions, correspondence, publications, directories of organizations and events, and a scrapbook. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Fishman, Meyer, 1914-1976.
Photographs, 1946-1972.
UWM Manuscript Collection 52
The collection is largely made up of photographs depicting the "human chess games," organized by Meyer Fishman after his release from the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen, which entertained fellow Holocaust survivors awaiting resettlement. Other photographs are of Meyers' Food Bulk Store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Also contains negatives of all the prints found in the collection. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Freschl, Max A.
Correspondence, 1931-1941.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DF
Correspondence of a Milwaukee Jew concerning his philanthropic work, including Mt. Sinai Hospital in Milwaukee and other Milwaukee Jewish charities, and the National Jewish Hospital in Denver; plus correspondence concerning the Citizens' Committee for Judge Aarons and the estate of his mother.

Friebert, Edward, 1875- .
Autobiography, 1943-1945.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 171
A photocopied handwritten autobiography of Friebert, probably dictated to his daughter-in-law, Betsy. It deals primarily with his childhood in Hungary, training as a tailor, service in the Hungarian infantry, employment in Berlin and London, and emigration to New York state and later to Milwaukee. Before ending abruptly, it recounts his work as a tailor and affiliation with a tailors’ union (Local 86) in Milwaukee, 1916 and 1928 strikes at two clothing manufacturers, rejection of his Jewish religion and subsequent adoption of socialist ideas, and his attempts to set up tailors’ cooperatives. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Friedman, Zalman, 1914- .
Papers, 1941-1978.
Milwaukee Small Collection 179
Miscellaneous collection of papers of a Jewish Lithuanian who emigrated to Milwaukee in 1938 and served in both the Lithuanian and United States Army and established a men's clothing shop in Milwaukee. Collection includes a vitae, an autobiographical paper, newsclippings and five photocopies of photographs of Nazi atrocities committed during World War II.

Gerard R. Wolfe audiovisual collection, 1981-1997.
UWM Manuscript Collection 134
Collection contains video and audio cassettes assembled by Gerard R. Wolfe through his affiliation as the director of the Outreach and Continuing Education Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The videocassettes include a four set series dealing with the history of mass transit in metropolitan Milwaukee as well as a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee extension program on the 50th anniversary of the 1947 Milwaukee Blizzard. The audio cassettes consist of oral history interviews dealing with the Jewish farming community in Arpin, Wisconsin, as well as speeches given by former Milwaukee mayor Frank P. Zeidler on technology and society and his remembrances of Milwaukee in the 1940s. Users should note that much of Part 1 of Milwaukees' Great Blizzard of 1947 video cassette has poor sound quality.

Golda Meir collection, 1904-1987.
UWM Manuscript Collection 21

Collection largely consists of reproduced correspondence, press releases, photographs, and speeches pertaining to Golda Meir's political life, primarily from 1955-1974. The correspondence is usually with friends and admirers, thanking Meir and communicating their support for her. There are two folders of photocopied materials originally created by Ms. Lou Kadar, Meir's secretary, containing supportive letrs to Meir and recollections of her life. Contains newsclippings, many in Hebrew, from the Jerusalem Post (1957-1983), and the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle (1973-1974) and numerous other papers (1947-1984) about Meir. The photographs are of Meir throughout her life; historic Jewish individuals; and the Milwaukee Jewish community. Also contains oral history interviews with persons who knew Meir, including Yitzhak Rabin and Lou Kadar. Most of the interviewees did not sign release forms, so they remain the holders of copyright. Finding aid available in the Archives

Gordon, Myron L.
Papers, 1967, 1971
Milwaukee Small Collection 180
Papers of a U.S. District Court judge in Milwaukee consisting of clippings regarding his 1967 nomination, and commentary on the ethnic composition of the federal courts and the role of his religion (Judaism) in the nomination. Also included are congratulatory letters, a transcript of the induction proceedings, and a 1971 testimonial. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Greenthal, Alex.
Alex and Irma Greenthal papers, 1894-1978.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 144 Miscellaneous biographical and family materials including two brief diaries (1903-1909), a 1904 record book of the "O.L.J. Club," certificates, clippings, letters, and invitations. Travel and family photographs (ca. 1885, 1904-1966) depict the Greenthal and Wetzler families, including Lizzie B. Kander, maternal aunt of Irma Greenthal. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Horwitz family. Papers, 1911-1955. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DI Papers, many in Yiddish and Hebrew, of the Milwaukee family of Isadore Horwitz, publisher of the Jewish Daily Press and the Milwaukee Wochenblat (an English and Yiddish newspaper). Most of the letters were written to Isadore and Mae Horwitz by their children, mainly from Hayim Horwitz. Also includes a scrapbook, photographs, and greeting cards kept by a daughter, Rita. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Independent Fruit Dealer's Union Mutual Loan Association (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1916, 1951-1970.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 143
Records of a mutual aid society including a 1916 certificate of incorporation, a list of shareholders, a ledger recording receipts, disbursements, and loans (1951-1958, 1966-1967), promissory notes (1961-1970), and several member account booklets (1959-1965).  Finding aid available in the Archives.

Jewish Community Center of Milwaukee.
Records, 1929-1977.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DG and Milwaukee Micro Collection 18
Includes articles of incorporation, by-laws, policy statements, minutes, a study of group needs of the Jewish community (1960-1961), and scrapbooks (1931-1944) of newspaper clippings from Milwaukee newspapers and programs about Center activities. The collection also contains materials related to Mrs. Simon (Lizzie Black) Kander, called by many "the Jane Addams of Milwaukee." Milwaukee Micro Collection 18 contains minutes of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee (1929) and of the annual meetings (1932-1977). Finding aid available in the Archives.

Jewish Family and Children's Service (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1867-1973.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 87
Records of a social welfare organization which originally collected money and distributed it to the city's needy Jews, but expanded to include social work, job training, medical and dental services, immigrant resettlement, counseling, and care for emotionally disturbed children. Includes minutes, clippings, financial reports, case records, and organization histories; plus minutes (1893-1914) of the United Hebrew Charities; and annual reports, articles of organization, by-laws, and rules of order (1902-1925) of the Federated Jewish Charities of Milwaukee. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Kander, Simon, Mrs.
Papers, 1875-1960.
Milwaukee Manuscript DN
Papers of Lizzie Black Kander, whose social work among immigrant Russian Jews in Milwaukee earned her the sobriquet "the Jane Addams of Milwaukee." Contains reports, correspondence, promotional brochures, clippings, materials used in publishing a cookbook used for fund raising purposes, and minutes relating to her founding and operation of the settlement house which ultimately became the Jewish Community Center of Milwaukee. The correspondence after her death is that of her niece, Irma Greenthal, and deals mainly with the 1948 dedication of the Kander Auditorium and biographical information about Kander. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Labor Zionist Alliance (U.S). Atzmaut Chapter (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1970-1978.
Milwaukee Small Collection 164
Photocopies of meeting notices and monthly newsletters of an educational and social group formed in 1970.

Jewish Americans, M-Z

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