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Title: |
Arthur J. Lelyveld Papers, Series II |
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Repository: |
Western Reserve Historical Society
Phone: 216-721-5722 http://www.wrhs.org |
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Creator: |
Lelyveld, Arthur J. |
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Dates: |
1884-1999 |
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Quantity: |
4.01 linear feet (4 containers and 1 oversize folder) |
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Abstract: |
Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld served as senior rabbi of Anshe Chesed Congregation (Fairmount Temple) in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, from 1958-1986. Throughout his career he played key roles in national and local Jewish organizations and actively fought for civil rights. A native of New York City, Lelyveld received a B.A. from Columbia University in 1933, and was ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1939. From 1939-1944, he served congregations in Hamilton, Ohio, and Omaha, Nebraska. From 1944-1946 he was Executive Director of the Committee on Unity for Palestine, and from 1946-1956 served as Associate National Director, and then National Director, of B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations. He also played leadership roles in a number of other national Jewish organizations, including American Jewish Congress, Central Conference of American Rabbis, and the Synagogue Council of America. On the local Cleveland level, he served in various capacities on the Cleveland Jewish Welfare Fund, the Jewish Community Federation, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Cleveland Chapter, and the Cleveland Board of Rabbis. Lelyveld was also the author of Atheism is Dead and of numerous monographs and articles. He was active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, participating with other Cleveland clergy in voter registration efforts in Mississippi and serving as a minister-counselor to the Council of Federated Organizations under the auspices of the Commission on Race and Religion of the National Council of Churches. While serving in this capacity, Lelyveld was severely beaten. He also delivered the eulogy at the funeral of slain civil rights worker Andrew Goodman in 1964. The collection consists of correspondence, sermons, speeches, writings, and family material. |
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Identification: |
MS 4806 |
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Language: |
The records are in English |
Rabbi Arthur Joseph Lelyveld (1913-1977), Senior Rabbi Emeritus of Anshe Chesed Congregation (Fairmount Temple) in Beachwood, Ohio, served that congregation as Senior Rabbi from 1958 to 1986. Throughout his career he has played key roles in national and local Jewish organizations and has actively fought for civil rights.
Born in New York City, Lelyveld received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1933, and was ordained at Hebrew Union College (Cincinnati) in 1939. He served as rabbi of Congregation B'nai Israel, Hamilton, Ohio, from 1939-1941, and as rabbi of Temple Israel, Omaha, Nebraska, from 1941-1944. From 1944- 1946 Lelyveld was Executive Director of the Committee on Unity for Palestine, from 1946-1947 and 1948-1956, respectively, he served as Associate National Director, and National Director, of B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations. From 1956-1958 he served as Executive Vice Chairman of the America Israel Cultural Foundation. While serving as rabbi of Fairmount Temple, Lelyveld played leadership roles in a number of national organizations. Among these were: American Jewish Congress (national president, 1966-1972), the Central Conference of American Rabbis (executive board, national vice president, 1973- 1975, president, 1975-1977), and the Synagogue Council of America (national vice president, 1975- 1979, national president, 1979-ca.1981).
Among the positions that Rabbi Lelyveld has held on the local level are the following: General Chairman of the 1963 Cleveland Jewish Welfare Fund Campaign, Board of Trustees of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, (1960s), Executive Committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Cleveland Chapter (1960s), and second president of the Cleveland Board of Rabbis.
Rabbi Lelyveld is the author of Atheism is Dead (1968, 1970, 1985), and of numerous monographs. He has contributed articles to numerous books including: The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia (1939-1941), Religion and the State University (1958), and Retrospect and Prospect: Position of the Jew in the Modern World (1964). In addition, he has contributed articles and reviews to numerous journals including: American Jewish Archives, Jewish Book Annual, Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Journal of Higher Education, Journal of Jewish Communal Service, Journal of Reform Judaism, Judaism, and The Reconstructionist. Throughout his career Rabbi Lelyveld has been active in the civil rights movement. Following the lynching in Mississippi of civil rights worker Andrew Goodman, the son of friends, Lelyveld joined other Cleveland clergy on a voter registration drive in Hattiesburg, Mississipi. On this trip, in the summer of 1964, Lelyveld served as a minister counselor to the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) under the auspices of the Commission on Race and Religion of the National Council of Churches. While serving in this capacity Lelyveld was severely beaten by segregationists.
Additional biographical compilations about Rabbi Lelyveld (including honorary degrees, awards, more complete publications listings, articles about Lelyveld, and more up to date listing of activities) are located in this collection in Container 12, Folder 243, as well as in Who's Who in America.
The Arthur J. Lelyveld Papers, Series II, 1884-1997, consist primarily of correspondence, sermons, speeches, writings, and family material.
The collection is of value to researchers studying the history of Judaism in America. As a rabbi of one of the largest Reform Jewish congregations in America and as a leader of key national Jewish organizations, Lelyveld's sermons, writings, and correspondence provide important documentation relating to the history of Judaism, Zionism, and civil rights in the second half of twentieth century America. These papers are also a significant addition to materials that document the history of Jewish congregational leadership in the greater Cleveland, Ohio, area. Of special note is the correspondence between Lelyveld and historian Abraham Sachar, who was also the president of Brandeis University. In the correspondence are rich discussions of the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation, Reform Judaism, and Brandeis University. Also of note is the personal correspondence between Lelyveld and his children which reflects a strong relationship between parent and child.
None.
Related Material: Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 4639 Arthur J. Lelyveld Papers; MS 5020 Arthur J. Lelyveld Papers, Series III; MS 5130 Arthur J. Lelyveld Papers, Series IV; MS 3941 Anshe Chesed Congregation Records; PG 506 Arthur J. Lelyveld Photographs; and PG 584 Arthur J. Lelyveld Photographs, Series II.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4806 Arthur J. Lelyveld Papers, Series II, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Teela S. Lelyveld, 1997, 1998, and 1999
Processed by Stanley Lasky in 1999