Metadata: Archives of Jewish clubs and associations in Helsinki
Collection
- Country:
- Finland
- Holding institution:
- National Archives of Finland
- Holding institution (official language):
- Kansallisarkisto
- Postal address:
- Rauhankatu 17, 00171 Helsinki
- Phone number:
- +358 29 533 7000
- Web address:
- https://arkisto.fi/
- Reference number:
- 630:114
- Title:
- Archives of Jewish clubs and associations in Helsinki
- Title (official language):
- Kerhojen ja yhdistysten asiakirjat
- Creator/accumulator:
- Jewish Community of Helsinki
- Date(s):
- 1906/2004
- Language:
- Finnish
- Swedish
- Yiddish
- Hebrew
- Extent:
- 22 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains the records of Jewish cultural associations and clubs aimed at entertainment in Helsinki from the beginning to the end of the 20th century. The collection is part of the Finnish Jewish Archives (Suomen juutalaisten arkisto; 630:114). The records contain the following associations and clubs: the Talmud Association (Hevra Shas), the Jewish Literature Club (Judisher literarer klub), the Jewish Amateur Orchestra (Judiska amatörorkestern), the Jewish Drama Society (Idishe dramatishe gezelshaft), the Jewish Literature Society Hatchijo (Yudishe literaturfereyn Hatkhiyo), the Hebrew Club (Chug haivri), the Jewish Bridge Club, the Jewish Chess Club, the Jewish Choir (Judiska sångföreninen r.f.), the Jewish Business Mens’ Club (Judiska köpmannaklubben), the Jewish Academic Club (Judiska akademiska klubben), The Nine and the Judaica Circle (Judaika piiri). The records cover major segments of the activity of the societies, including statutes, minutes, correspondence, lists of members, plays, sheet music and literary works.
The records of the Talmud Association (file 456) include a list of members (1915), minutes (1916–1919), and a volume of Talmud signed by rabbi Schmuel Noson Bukanz.
The records of the Jewish Literature Club (file 457), covering 1907-1916, include minutes, library loans accounting, a Yiddish play by Jac Weinstein (1883–1976), a Yiddish song book, and Moses Pergament’s choral compositions.
The records of the Jewish Amateur Orchestra (file 458), contain hand written and printed musical scores.
The records of the Jewish Drama Society (files 459-461) include statutes, correspondence (1927–1933), program booklets and posters (1925–1933), Jac Weinstein’s manuscripts of plays in Yiddish and Swedish, sketches and cabaret songs, transliterations of Yiddish plays by other authors, plays in German, Swedish and Finnish, and printed plays in Yiddish.
The records of the Jewish Literature Society Hatchijo (file 382) include list of members (1921), minutes (1921–1922), library’s annual report (1923), and Swedish and Yiddish language Hatchijo journal (1922–1925).
The records of the Hebrew Club (file 382) include a list of members, correspondence and accounting records.
The records of the Jewish Bridge Club (file 462) include a general journal (1950–1960), annual report (1960) and a lottery petition.
The records of the Jewish Chess Club (file 382) include a list of members, a cash book, and bulletin Veckans Shack (1941-1942).
The records of the Jewish Choir (files 382, 463-473) include statutes (1920 and 1947), minutes (1979–1989), correspondence, newspaper clippings, list of members (1920 and 1947), congratulations cards on the 40th and 50th anniversaries, program booklets and posters (1920–2004), scrapbooks (1919–1957 and 1980–1987), manuscript and printed scores of Yiddish and Hebrew songs by Moses Pergament (1893–1977), Simon Pergament-Parmet (1897–1967), Matti Rubinstein (1888–1966) and Samuel Rubinstein (1886–1962), songs, scores of songs in different languages, Fiddler on the Roof musical, revue performance Alzamiira Show, printed scores in Yiddish, Hebrew, German, Finnish and Swedish, scores for choir and orchestra.
The records of the Jewish Business Mens’ Club (file 382) include membership applications and an annual report.
The records of the Jewish Academic Club (file 383), covering 1932–1968, include minutes, annual reports, rules and regulations, programs, and an account book.
sThe records of The Nine (file 382), covering 1941–1959, include a list of members, minutes, account books, and a guest book.
The records of the Judaica Circle (file 474) include circulars (1979–1989).
- Archival history:
- The records were kept in the Jewish Community of Helsinki until the mid-1990s, when they were deposited in the National Archives of Finland. There the collection was sorted and catalogued and opened to the public in 1998. Further additions to the collection were made in 2005–2006.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The associations and clubs were founded by the members of the Jewish Community of Helsinki and formed a core part of the cultural activity of the community during the 20th century. Some of the associations were founded to cultivate and promote Yiddish and Hebrew language culture, while others aimed at entertainment and did not have a cultural-political agenda. The Talmud Association Hevra Shas was established in 1915, the Jewish Literature Club in 1906, the Jewish Amateur Orchestra in 1938, the Jewish Drama Society in 1922, the Jewish Literature Society Hatchijo in 1921, the Hebrew Club in 1929, the Jewish Bridge Club in the 1950s, the Jewish Chess Club during the Second World War, the Jewish Choir in 1917, the Jewish Business Mens’ Club in the 1930s, the Jewish Academic Club in 1932, The Nine during the Second World War and the Judaica Circle in the 1970s. The activity of these associations and clubs spanned from a couple of years to several decades. The Jewish Choir, which is an officially registered association, and the Judaica Circle are still active.
- Access points: persons/families:
- Pergament-Parmet, Simon
- Pergament, Moses
- Rubinstein, Matti
- Rubinstein, Samuel
- Weinstein, Jac
- Access, restrictions:
- Use with permission from the Director-General of the National Archives. File 387 contains contains confidential information, access to which requires additional permission from the Jewish Community of Helsinki (50/100 years, Population Information Act, 661/2009, §28).
- Yerusha Network member:
- National Archives of Finland
