Finding aid for the Rena Blumberg Family Papers

Biography of the Rena Blumberg Family

Rena Blumberg (b. 1934) was a community relations director and radio interviewer for the Cleveland, Ohio, stations WDOK-FM/WRMR-AM from 1972-2000. In addition, she won recognition as an author, lecturer, community activist, and business consultant.

Blumberg's parents were Ezra Z. and Sylvia Lamport Shapiro, important leaders of the Cleveland Jewish community. Ezra Shapiro (1903-1977) was an attorney, one-time Cleveland law director, a Jewish community leader, and an international Zionist figure. Sylvia Shapiro (1910-1989) served in the leadership of the Cleveland, central states region, and national Hadassah, and chaired the Women's Division of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. In 1970 the Shapiros immigrated to Israel. Ezra served as world chairman of Keren Ha'yesod [United Israel Appeal] until his death; Sylvia worked in the Hadassah public relations department and in 1981 was appointed chair of the Hadassah Israel Council.

A graduate of Brandeis University, Blumberg married Barry Newman in 1955, and gave birth to two children, Cathy and David, respectively, in 1957 and 1959. Divorced in 1962, she married Michael Blumberg two years later. Three years following the birth of her third child, Stuart, in 1969, she began her broadcasting career.

Her 1982 book, Headstrong: A Story of Conquest and Celebrations...Living Through Chemotherapy, documented her half-decade battle with breast cancer. The book brought her national attention, both through the media and on the lecture circuit.

Blumberg was also active in community service organizations involved with civic, cultural, philanthropic, health, Jewish, and women's issues. She was instrumental in the creation and organization of the three-day international opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1995) and the year-long events for the bicentennial of the city of Cleveland (1996). She was the first woman to serve on the City Club of Cleveland Forum Foundation (1979-1994), and for seventeen years chaired the fund-raising events for Providence House, a crisis nursery for abused and abandoned children.

In 1996 the Blumbergs divorced. Three years later Blumberg married Bernard Olshansky of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He had served in Jewish federations both in Cleveland and Boston. The couple currently makes their home in Chestnut Hill.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Ezra Shapiro

Scope and Content

The Rena Blumberg Family Papers, 1880-2001, consist of certificates, biographical materials, genealogical materials, newspaper and magazine clippings, oral history transcript, correspondence, and scrapbooks.

This collection is of value to researchers investigating Jewish women in general, and in the Cleveland, Ohio, metropolitan area in particular. It is also of interest to those investigating Ezra Z. Shapiro (1903-1977), Sylvia Lamport Shapiro (1910-1989), Bernard Olshansky (b. 1927), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Bicentennial, breast cancer, Providence House, and the Zionist movement. Genealogists seeking material about the Brudno and Shapiro families will also find relevant information.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

Researchers should also consult MS 3794 Ezra Z. Shapiro Papers; and PG 520 Rena Blumberg Family Photographs.

All photographs have been removed to PG 520 Rena Blumberg FAmily Photographs. Audiotapes and compact discs have been removed to the audio-visual collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4866 Rena Blumberg Family Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Rena Blumberg, 1999 and 2001

Processing Information

Processed by Louis Rosenblum in 2002

Detailed Description of The Collection