Metadata: Archives of the secretariat
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Jesode-Hatora – Beth-Jacob
- Holding institution (official language):
- Jesode-Hatora – Beth-Jacob
- Postal address:
- Lange van Ruusbroecstraat 12, 2018 Antwerpen
- Phone number:
- +32 3 239 25 35
- Web address:
- http://jesode-hatora.be/
- Email:
- info@jhbj.be
- Reference number:
- BethJacob-Antwerp-Archief van het secretariaat
- Title:
- Archives of the secretariat
- Title (official language):
- Archief van het secretariaat
- Creator/accumulator:
- Jesode-Hatora-Beth-Jacob
- Date(s):
- 1928/1982
- Date note:
- The majority of the material dates from the 1930s-1950s.
- Language:
- French
- Dutch; Flemish
- Hebrew
- Extent:
- 19 boxes, 3 boxes with index cards, and 8 films (8mm)
- Scope and content:
- This fonds contains the earliest archival material produced by the school. It is of great importance for genealogical and sociological research. Apart from general documents (dated 1928-1961, primarily 1928-1942) such as notes, correspondence, brochures, documents concerning the staff administration etc., but also a school newspaper, we mainly want to point out the important general series. We note attendance lists of the staff (ca. 1934-1982), attendance lists of students (1941-1964), registers of students (1936-1960), individual index cards of the students from the various school sections (1937-1942, 1945-1981), lists of grades of the students (puntenlijsten) arranged by class (1933-1961) and programs of award ceremonies (1929-1967). Note that some school years are missing from these series, meaning they are not always complete. The fonds also contains 9 bundles containing dozens of photographs from the years 1920-1960. Lastly, we find 8 mm films (8 in total) dating from the years 1954-1969. They depict award ceremonies, but also various festivities, theatre performances, school trips, etc.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The religious Orthodox Jewish school Jesode Hatora was founded in the early 20th century by Herschel Krengel, a textile merchant who had emigrated to Belgium from Poland, modelled on the German Jewish day schools. A full-time day school did not exist in Antwerp at the time; there was only an auxiliary religious elementary school (heder), since the mid-1880s. Ever since, Jesode Hatora has existed as a full-time day school in which the official secular curriculum is taught in addition to Jewish subjects. The school was first situated in the Korte Kievitstraat, and then (since 1907) in the Lange van Ruusbroecstraat and Steenbokstraat. The school, closed during the First World War due to the internment of the German staff, was reopened in 1919. Jesode Hatora was recognised by the Ministry of Public Education in 1920 and recognised (aangenomen) in 1921 by the Antwerp city administration. The school for girls Beth Jacob, founded in 1936, was recognised in 1937, and by the city administration in 1938. The mixed kindergarten dates from the same period. The number of pupils increased considerably following the arrival of refugees from Nazi Germany. Before the Second World War the school consisted of approximately 832 pupils. Jesode-Hatora-Beth-Jacob (JHBJ) remained open until the roundups of 1942. Fearing mass arrests, the teachers (under the leadership of principal Julius Sanctorum), brought the children to safety. Sanctorum was later recognised as Righteous among the Nations. The school itself was looted and closed. The buildings were leased by the Verwalter to the moving firm Arthur Pierre and used as storage space for furniture and household goods taken from the houses of deported Jews and Jews who had fled, in the context of the so-called Möbelaktion. The school was reopened on 2 May 1945 and counted 17 students. The reconstruction of the school buildings was funded by, among others, the Verenigde Israëlitische Gemeenten (and its Hevra Kadisha), Agudath Israel (London), the Comité Central Israélite and funds raised by rabbi Nusen Lustig. After the Second World War JHBJ continued to grow and expand. A normal school for girls (accredited in 1965) commenced its activities in the school year 1949-1950; the secondary education sections were created in 1951. The school buildings were thoroughly renovated in the 1950s and 1960s, partly thanks to funding from the Claims Conference. By the school year 1964-1965 the number of pupils had risen to 1014. From the school year 1990-1991, the school was split into two full-fledged primary schools, one for boys and one for girls. The primary schools are led by their own principals, for both Jewish and secular education, and are coordinated by a governing body (inrichtende macht). Today the school has about 800 pupils. (S. Brachfeld, “Krengel, Herschel”, in J.-P. Schreiber, Dictionnaire biographique des Juifs de Belgique. Figures du judaïsme belge, XIXe-XXe siècles, Brussel, De Boeck, 2002, p. 202; S. Perl, 100 jaar Jesode-Hatora-Beth-Jacob 1895-1995, Antwerpen/Rotterdam, Uitgeverij C. De Vries-Brouwers, 1995; M. Freilich, Interview met de voorzitter van de inrichtende macht van de Jesode-Hatoraschool, Isi Morsel, on http://joodsactueel.be/2014/02/03/volledige-tekst-interview-isi-morsel-voorzitter-van-de-inrichtende-macht-van-de-jesode-hatoraschool/ (last accessed on February 4, 2014); V. Vanden Daelen, Laten we hun lied verder zingen. De heropbouw van de joodse gemeenschap in Antwerpen na de Tweede Wereldoorlog (1944-1960), Amsterdam, Uitgeverij Aksant, 2008, pp. 315-345.)
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation requires the authorisation of the inrichtende macht (board) of the school. Researchers are asked to contact Mr. Henri Widawski.
- Finding aids:
- There is a preliminary, summary inventory: W. Adriaens, Archief van het secretariaat van: Jesode Hatora / Beth Jacob / Aangenomen Israëlitische School / Bewaarschool. Voorlopige inventaris, 2013.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
