Metadata: Correspondence collection
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Archives of The Central Organisation of Jewish Social Works
- Holding institution (official language):
- La Centrale d’œuvres sociales juives
- Postal address:
- Avenue Henri Jaspar 91 boîte 11 / Henri Jasparlaan 91 bus 11, 1060 Bruxelles (Saint-Gilles)
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 538 80 36
- Email:
- lacentrale@swing.be
- Reference number:
- JSW-SGilles-Fonds Correspondance
- Title:
- Correspondence collection
- Title (official language):
- Fonds Correspondance
- Creator/accumulator:
- La Centrale d’œuvres sociales juives
- Date(s):
- 1952/2016
- Date note:
- Material continues to be added to this collection.
- Language:
- French
- German
- English
- Extent:
- 10 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- This fonds consists of the correspondence of La Centrale with Belgian authorities, with numerous Jewish institutions, affiliated (or formerly affiliated) with the organisation, such as the Jewish schools École israélite – Maïmonide, Ganenou and Beth Aviv, Maccabi, CCLJ, the Cercle Ben Gourion, Beth Lechem, the Service Social Juif, l’UEJB, the Fonds des Prêts d’Études, the Fédération de la Jeunesse juive de Belgique, the Centre des Jeunes, the Institut Martin Buber – Institut d’Études du Judaïsme, the home for the elderly Heureux Séjour, the Colonie Amitié, les Amis de l’enfant juif, Comité israélite des Réfugiés victimes des lois raciales, the Union des Déportés, Radio Judaïca, the Fondation Mémorial National aux Martyrs juifs de Belgique, the IMA (Société mutualiste d’Assurance Maladie-Invalidité) etc. and with the mutual societies and burial societies. We find correspondence exchanged with the European Council, the Joint and the Fondation Bernheim as well. We also note correspondence in the context of membership administration (new members, deaths of members), insurance contracts, bookkeeping documents, invoices, and other documents related to the daily management of the institution.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The asbl Centrale d’œuvres sociales juives (‘the Central Organisation of Jewish Social Works’) was created by a constitutive general assembly held on 14 July 1952 in the Café de l’Horloge in Brussels at the initiative of several personalities of Belgian Judaism, such as Max Gottschalk, Robert Dreyfus, Leo Maiersdorf and Paul Philippson. Robert Dreyfus, Chief Rabbi of Belgium, was elected the first president. He was succeeded by Max Gottschalk (1952-1966), Jean Bloch (1966-1970), Marc Goldberg (1970-1977), Maurice Robin (1977-1979), Philippe Wachsmann (1979-1983), Georges Adler (1983-1987), Eric Beckmann (1987-1993) and Thomas Gergely (since 1993). The institution had been created to compensate for the gradual withdrawal of international aid, notably of the Joint, which decreased its financial support while helping the Jews of Belgium to raise their own funds and to organise to meet their own needs. The goal of the institution is, according to its statues, “to unify, centralise, coordinate and launch calls for fundraising for the benefit of the affiliated charities, to receive these funds and distribute them among the organisations”. We note the following affiliated organisations: the Aide aux Israélites Victimes de la Guerre (AIVG), the Comité Féminin of ORT, the Maison de Retraite pour Vieillards, ORT Belgium, the Société israélite d’Assistance antituberculeuse (SIAA) and the Union des Étudiants Juifs de Belgique. The number of organisations affiliated with La Centrale varied over the decades – notably the œuvre de la cantine scolaire de l’École israélite became a member, as well as the holiday camp Les Amis des Enfants (in 1955) and the Fondation Bischoffsheim. The organisations are represented within the board by one delegate. The board freely decides on the allocation of funds raised between the affiliated organisations. At its inception, La Centrale was based at avenue de la Toison d’Or 18 in Brussels. For over 25 years the institution was directed by Arié Goldberg, who completely devoted himself to his work. Initially La Centrale experienced some difficulties in collecting the amounts necessary for its organisations; the institution created professional sections meant to reach Jews belonging to various professional groups, and also organised various activities in order to raise donations. In order to reach more donors and convince them of the value of the institution, La Centrale publishes (since 1953) a newsletter called Bulletin de la Centrale d’Œuvres sociales juives. The institution was greatly influenced by the AIVG; the relations between both organisations were at times complex and tense. La Centrale aims to assist and financially support the affiliated Jewish organisations, while letting them preserve their autonomy and proper development. (C. Massange, “La création de la Centrale d’œuvres sociales juives ou comment animer une conscience nationale”, in Les Cahiers de la Mémoire contemporaine-Bijdragen tot de eigentijdse Herinnering, no. 4, 2002, pp. 163-224.)
- Access points: locations:
- Brussels
- System of arrangement:
- The correspondence is ordered thematically, according to the recipient, and then chronologically. Note that the majority of the documents produced before 1980 (the year of the move of the organisation) are grouped together and separated from the binders still used in the daily management and/or the semi-current records of the organisation.
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation requires the authorisation of the president of La Centrale.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
