Jewish collection

Collection description

Collection

Country:: Belgium

Holding institution:: Erasmus House

Holding institution (official language):: Maison d’Érasme

Postal address:: Rue du Chapitre 31 / Kapittelstraat 31, 1070 Brussel (Anderlecht)

Phone number:: + 32 (0)2 521 13 83

Web address:: http://www.erasmushouse.museum/

Email:: info@erasmushouse.museum

Reference number:: ErasmHouse-Brussels-Collection juive

Title:: Jewish collection

Title (official language):: Collection juive

Creator/accumulator:: Maison d’Érasme; Erasmushuis

Date(s):: 1900/1985

Language:: French; Dutch; Flemish; Yiddish; Polish; Hungarian

Extent:: 2 linear metres

Scope and content:: This collection is very rich in material. It consists of several hundreds of items. The majority of the documents date from the interwar period. They were produced/published by cultural, political and social Jewish associations such as Shul un Dertziung, Peretz Shul, Medem Club, Tzukunft, the Communauté israélite orthodoxe de Bruxelles (CIOB), Foyer Israélite, Fondation Franz Philippson, the Jesode Hatora school in Brussels, Yiddishe Folksbibliotheek, Yiddisher Folks Club, Prokor, the synagogue Ahavat Israël, Amanouth (Association Culturelle et Artistique à Bruxelles), YIVO, les Amis de l’Institut Scientifique Juif YWO (YIVO), the Tachkemoni school in Antwerp, VEVA in Antwerp, Verbond van Poolsche Joden van Antwerpen, Association des Juifs Polonais in Brussels, Association des Anciens Combattants et Invalides Juifs pour l’Indépendance de la Pologne Brussels section, Joodsche Vereeniging van Lodz en omgeving, Fédération mondiale des Juifs polonais à l’étranger, Bund, Ahdut Israël, Conseil des Associations juives de Belgique, Ikouf, Keren Kayemet Leisrael in Belgium, Association des amis de l’école complémentaire juive de Bruxelles, Mizrachi, Bloc pour la Palestine ouvrière, Ligue pour la Palestine ouvrière, Vaad Ironi des Sionistes de Bruxelles, Yidisher Hantverker Farband, Joodsche Ambachtslieden Vereeniging, Vereeniging van Joodsch-Hebreeuwsche Volks-Scholen, Association des marchands juifs d’Anvers, Vereeniging van Joodsche Marktkramers van Antwerpen, Association des marchands juifs de Bruxelles, Association des marchands et colporteurs juifs, Syndicat des Industries diverses, Einheit, Ligue Belge contre le Racisme et l’Antisémitisme, Poale Zion-Zeire Zion, Comité d’Action pour la défense des Juifs en Allemagne, Tribune juive, Betar Yugent, Kinderfreund, Arbeter Ring, Hashomer Hatzair, Dror, Hanoar Hatzioni, Union sioniste de Bruxelles, Fédération sioniste de Belgique, Farband fun Zionisten-Revizionisten in Belgyie (Ligue Révisioniste-Sioniste).

We also note material by sport clubs such as Maccabi, Hammer, Aurore – Morgenstern, DISK, Joodsche Arbeiders Sportclub "JASK" and Sztern.

This collection contains many items related to theatre – we find leaflets and invitations of the Vrije Joodsche Tooneel of Antwerp, Yiddishe Dramatische Studye, Theater El-Bardo in Antwerp, Théâtre Folks-Bine in Antwerp, Yiddish Yugend Theater in Antwerp, Yiddish Theater of Brussels, Cercle Dramatique Ouvrier Juif "Chafte" in Charleroi.

The collection consists of various types of documents, such as announcements of balls, theatre performances, concerts, membership forms, invitations, announcements for cultural events (literary soirees, academic sessions, film screenings, lectures), library cards of Prokor, entry cards for the synagogue of the Communauté israélite Orthodoxe de Bruxelles, donation boxes, religious calendars, announcements of the Bazar-Expo Palestinienne, brochures, school reports, etc.

We also note a folder containing religious certificates of marriages, engagements and divorces, as well as a Kabbalistic talisman.

The collection furthermore includes other types of documents, such as photographs. Not all of them are identified, in particular those related to the Athénée Maïmonide, dating from the 1980s.

We point out the presence of brochures and periodicals from the 1940s-1950s of youth movements such as Alon Hechalutz, Hashomer Hatzair, and Gordonia-Maccabi-Hatzair.

Lastly, we want to mention another type of document, namely the posters. We note posters of Hashomer Hatzair (1950) and the Union des Déportés juifs et Ayants-Droit en Belgique (1960).

In this fonds we also find a file concerning antisemitism, including antisemitic leaflets from the second half of the 1930s originating from the Légion Nationale and the VBJO in Antwerp.

Finally, we point out the file about the creation of a Jewish department at the Musée de la Maison d’Érasme in Anderlecht related to the Jewish population in Anderlecht (titled “Musée d’archéologie juive”) and primarily containing correspondence with D. Van Damme, curator of the Museum of Anderlecht.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Musée d’Art, d’Histoire et de Folklore d’Anderlecht, commonly known as the Maison d’Érasme (Erasmus House) originated in 1932. It was located in Anderlecht (Brussels), in a historical building in which Erasmus had lived from 1517 to 1521. The curator considered, from the outset, that a section devoted to Jewish folklore and history should form an integral part of the future museum; not a trace of this section, however, was found in the documents regarding the first exhibitions of the institution. There were plans to open a section related to Hebrew archaeology and Jewish folklore, in order to enrich the knowledge of the visitors on Judaism and in particular to help them discover the history of the Jewish communities established in Anderlecht. Despite numerous contacts with several museums and Jewish personalities, the financial resources and available space remained limited. The project did not materialise. It was completely abandoned during and after the Second World War. Nevertheless, a showcase dedicated to Judaism was exhibited at the Museum until 1954. To this day the Museum still preserves a “Jewish collection”, consisting of hundreds of archival documents dating mainly from the interwar period, but also of Judaica, ritual objects and prayer books. (Z. Seewald, "Une première ébauche de musée juif à Bruxelles : la collection juive de la Maison d’Érasme", in Les Cahiers de la Mémoire contemporaine-Bijdragen tot de eigentijdse Herinnering, no. 4, 2002, pp. 245-254.)

Access points: locations:: Belgium

Subject terms:: Aid and relief; Aid and relief--Philanthropy and charity; Antisemitism; Antisemitism--Antisemitic publications; Bund movement; Children; Jewish community; Jewish languages; Jewish languages--Yiddish; Jewish political activity; Jewish press; Jewish self-defence and resistance; Labour unions; Literature; Marriage and divorce; Migration; Migration--Immigration; Museums; Music; Orthodox Judaism; Photographs; Posters; Refugees; Socialism; Socialism--Socialist parties and organisations; Sports; Sports--Sports clubs; Synagogues; Theatre; Vital records; Vital records--Marriage records; War veterans; Zionism; Zionism--Revisionist Zionism; Zionism--Zionist organisations and parties; Zionism--Zionist youth movements

System of arrangement:: The files are arranged thematically. The items have been ordered, identified, and their subject translated to French by Z. Seewald.

Yerusha Network member:: State Archives of Belgium

fullscreen: Jewish collection

Collection

Downloads

Full record

Image fragment

Formats and links

Formats