Metadata: Archives of the CNHEJ / IEJ
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Institute of Jewish Studies (Martin Buber Institute)
- Holding institution (official language):
- Institut d’Études du Judaïsme (Institut Martin Buber)
- Postal address:
- Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 17 / Franklin Rooseveltlaan 17, 1050 Bruxelles (Ixelles)
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 650 33 48
- Web address:
- http://www.ulb.ac.be/facs/philo/judaisme/
- Email:
- iej@ulb.ac.be
- Reference number:
- BuberIns-Brussels-Archives du CNHEJ / IEJ
- Title:
- Archives of the CNHEJ / IEJ
- Title (official language):
- Archives du CNHEJ / IEJ
- Creator/accumulator:
- Institut d’Études du Judaïsme
- Date(s):
- 1959/2016
- Date note:
- Material continues to be added to this collection.
- Language:
- French
- English
- Hebrew
- Dutch; Flemish
- Yiddish
- Extent:
- 8 linear metres
- Scope and content:
-
This fonds is very rich in material. It consists of documents produced by the CNHEJ and later the IEJ, such as: correspondence of the Institut (partially arranged chronologically, or by researcher), documents concerning the creation of the CNHEJ, the statutes published in the Moniteur belge (including the initial mission and purpose of the institution), bookkeeping documents, annual balance sheets (1959-1977) and invoices, cash books (1965-1967), address books, activity reports of the Institut (notably 1974-1975), minutes of the meetings of the Scientific Committee, of the board, and of staff meetings, publications and documents used in the editing of publications, as well as articles and press clippings concerning publications of the institute, questionnaires used in the framework of research initiated by the CNHEJ (notably sociological research about the Jews in Belgium, in 1970), a list of works published by the researchers of the CNHEJ/IEJ (1971-1976), regulations and forms concerning the contracts of the scientific staff, documents concerning conferences and symposia organised by the Institut, press clippings about these events, etc.
We also note subject files and other documents concerning sociological surveys and interviews conducted by the CNHEJ and files concerning congresses and conferences organised by the CNHEJ/IEJ (including the letters addressed to the lecturers and participants, programs, publication of the acts of the congresses, etc.), press clippings and documentation related to the teaching of Jewish studies. As part of the correspondence we note the correspondence regarding the acquisition of books and periodicals for the library of the institute; some of these requests are arranged by country. The fonds also contains files concerning applications for subsidies addressed to the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture (including correspondence, detailed descriptions of projects, notes, cost estimates; 1964-1978) and to the Institute of Contemporary Jewry, affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1965). We find notes of courses taught at the institute.
The fonds contains files related to the activity of the directors of the Institut as well, including a file concerning the European conference for Jewish education organised in Brussels on 11-13 March 1984 by the Fédération sioniste de Belgique. The director of the IEJ lead the workshop on university education (the fonds contains his hand written lecture). In this context we also note a file concerning the creation of a European foundation for the promotion of Jewish research and higher education (1967).
This fonds furthermore contains archival material collected by Sylvain Brachfeld (1 folder in total), in particular invitations for marriages, bar mitzvoth, New Year (Rosh Hashana) wishes, birth announcements etc. addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Brachfeld, primarily by Jews from Antwerp and Ostend but also from the United States and Israel (1970-1972). The invitations are written in French, Hebrew, English and Dutch.
We also find notes, invitations, press clippings and correspondence addressed to Willy Bok (1979-1981). A paper card index containing the address book of the CNHEJ/IEJ has been preserved. The cards mention the titles and addresses of the individuals; they are arranged by category such as personal and professional relations, collaborators on a certain research project, journalists, ministers, etc. The majority of the index cards is ordered alphabetically, except for those arranged thematically. There are also index cards for the various associations.
- Administrative/biographical history:
-
The Centre National des Hautes Études Juives (CNHEJ) was created in 1959 within the Institut de Sociologie of the ULB at the initiative of Max Gottschalk and Marcel Marinower, for the purpose of developing the study of Judaism. Gottschalk was its first president. Among its main objectives was the collection of sources, including oral sources, along the lines of the practices of the oral history department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As part of the project “Constitution d’archives orales relatives à la communauté juive de Belgique avant, pendant et après la guerre 1940-1945”, almost 35 interviews were collected from 1964 until 1973. A second interview campaign, titled “Campagne d’histoire orale sur l’immigration juive en Belgique au cours de l’entre-deux-guerres”, focused on communist and Zionist commitment; 45 interviews were recorded between 1980 and 1983. The CNHEJ also organised many scientific conferences, of which the proceedings were published.
Willy Bok, researcher and later director of the CNHEJ, was the creator of a Record Centre tasked with collecting (like the zamler of the YIVO) a maximum of archival material produced by Jewish organisations, such as minutes of meetings, publications, invitations, leaflets, posters, etc.
Certain organisations as well as individuals with responsibilities in these organisations have donated some of their archives to the CNHEJ (and later the IEJ). We note for example the archives of Paul Philippson regarding his activity within the Centrale d’Œuvres sociales juives and the Caisse de Prêts et de Crédit, as well as the archives of rabbi Israël David Berman.
The presence of archival material of the periodical Regards and minutes of meetings of its editorial board is explained by the fact that Eliyahou Reichert, librarian-documentalist of the CNHEJ since 1967, held important functions within this committee. Max Gottschalk, president of the CNHEJ and Consistory, had the archives of the Association des Juifs en Belgique stored in the Consistory buildings in the rue Joseph Dupont transferred to the CNHEJ, in order to have them ordered and used as the basis for a scientific study on the role of the AJB. The resulting publication by Betty Garfinkels, apologetic for the role of the AJB and the actions of the Belgian authorities, became highly controversial. It prevented further research on this still very sensitive question, and delayed the publication of the work titled Travail sur les archives de l’AJB written by Max Katzenelenbogen (also a CNHEJ researcher). In the early 2000s, the archives of the AJB owned by the Consistory were transferred to the Joods Museum van Verzet en Deportatie in Mechelen and were not open for research until 2002. A number of boxes nevertheless remained at the institute.
In 1970 professors of the universities of Brussels, Liège and Ghent teamed up to create the Institut Universitaire d’Études du Judaïsme Martin Buber. This institution was recognised as a public institution by royal decree of March 8, 1988 under the name of Institut d’Études du Judaïsme (IEJ). It succeeded the CNHEJ but was primarily devoted to academic education and not to the collection of sources. Today, the Institut d’Études du Judaïsme offers a specialised education in Jewish studies. It organises a two-year master’s program in Jewish history, Jewish thought and Jewish civilisation. Students can also take individual courses or obtain certificates for certain disciplines. The IEJ organises conferences, and its researchers and professors contribute to scientific research in their field of specialisation. The Institut furthermore publishes a collection of works related to Jewish studies, titled Mosaïque. The IEJ is supported by the Communauté française. It plays a key role in intercultural dialogue in French-speaking Belgium. The institute often invites leading experts as speakers on the occasion of the start or closing of the academic year, such as Emmanuel Lévinas, Robert Badinter and Ilya Prigogine. The IEJ manages a very rich library containing a mass of documentation relevant to Jewish studies. It consists of about twelve thousand works regarding Judaism, including many periodicals published in Belgium and abroad. (http://www.ulb.ac.be/facs/philo/judaisme/; Annexes au Moniteur belge of November 26, 1959, pp. 2170-2171 ; discussion with W. Bok and E. Reichert, June 2013 ; J.-P. Schreiber & R. van Doorslaer, "Introduction", in J.-P. Schreiber & R. van Doorslaer (dir.), Les curateurs du ghetto. L’Association des Juifs en Belgique sous l’occupation nazie, Bruxelles, éd. Labor, 2004, pp. 16-22 ; J.-P. Schreiber, "Le témoignage au service de l’histoire et de la mémoire : le cas du judaïsme belge de 1945 à nos jours", in Les Cahiers de la Mémoire contemporaine-Bijdragen tot de eigentijdse Herinnering, no. 1, 1999, pp. 16-17.)
- Access points: persons/families:
- Bok, Willy
- Brachfeld
- Subject terms:
- Bar and Bat mitzvah
- Education
- Education--Schools and universities
- Financial records
- Jewish holidays
- Libraries
- Marriage and divorce
- Newspaper clippings
- Oral history
- Printing
- Professions
- Professions--Scholars (secular), scientists, and academics
- Publishing
- State of Israel
- Vital records
- Zionism
- Zionism--Zionist organisations and parties
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation requires the authorisation of the director of the IEJ.
- Finding aids:
- There is an old card index with references to the files; however, the old filing plan has not been continued. There is no real finding aid at the time of writing.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
