Metadata: Old archives
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium
- Holding institution (official language):
- Consistoire central israélite de Belgique
- Postal address:
- Joseph Dupontstraat 2 / Rue Joseph Dupont 2, 1000 Bruxelles
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)2 512 21 90
- Web address:
- http://www.jewishcom.be/
- Reference number:
- CJCons-Brussels-Archives Anciennes
- Title:
- Old archives
- Title (official language):
- Archives Anciennes
- Creator/accumulator:
- Consistoire central israélite de Belgique; Centraal Israëlitisch Consistorie van België
- Date(s):
- 1831/1978
- Language:
- French
- German
- Russian
- Polish
- Extent:
- 2 linear metres
- Scope and content:
- This fonds notably contains: minutes of the meetings of the Consistory (CCIB)(1832-1939); correspondence of the Consistory, notably with the Ministry of Public Education (1831-1893), the Ministry of the Interior; reports of the general assemblies of the CCIB (1844-1899); correspondence and various documents including lists of members of the communities (19th century)(1831-1978)[1 folder]; securities, stocks and bonds issued by the CCIB for the anonymous charitable fund of the Chief Rabbi; titles and shares; correspondence of the regional committee of the Alliance Israélite Universelle in Brussels (1922)[1 folder]; documents concerning the establishment of the Société des Jeunes Filles Israélites (1876-1878), the Maison de Retraite pour les Vieillards Israélites (1870-1902); correspondence of Jacques Cassel regarding Jewish charitable societies (1900-1906) [1 folder]; reports of the general assemblies of the Société Israélite de Bienfaisance (1914-1925)[1 folder]; documents regarding the Villa Johanna (1901-1902) [1 folder]; documents concerning the Colonie israélite de rite portugais de Bruxelles (1913-1916) [1 folder]; correspondence of Baron Léon Lambert (1882-1887 and 1897-1900) [2 folders]; a ‘miscellaneous’ file containing correspondence, photographs of sanatoriums, requests from the Organisation de Dames Juives en Galicie, of the Administration Centrale de Bienfaisance juive, of the Conférence Universelle Juive de Secours (1920-1935) [1 folder]; a file regarding the Fondation Lassen (1868-1869) [1 folder]; a file concerning the cemetery in Antwerp (1877-1878) [1 folder]; a file regarding the resignation of Mr. Mantel, ministre officiant in Spa (1938) [1 folder]; correspondence of the CCIB (1880-1831 and 1917-1924) [2 folders]; hand written reports of the board meetings of the CCIB (1919-1935) [1 register]. We also note files containing: invitations to meetings of the consistory and excuses for absences from these meetings (1939-1940); documents concerning resignations, elections and the death of CCIB administrators (1939-1940); material regarding the meetings of the Fonds Consistorial and to the contributions of the communities to this fund (1932-1939); reports of the Chief Rabbi related to his pastoral rounds (1939); internal regulations, correspondence (1938-1940); annual reports of the various communities (1937-1940), documents concerning the financial difficulties of the communities, observations and comments to the minutes of meetings of the CCIB [box 2, green storage boxes].
- Administrative/biographical history:
-
The Consistoire central israélite de Belgique / Centraal Israëlitisch Consistorie van België (Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium)(CCIB) was created in 1832 by Adolphe Oppenheim, Henri Furth, Sigmund Benda, Adolphe Hauman and Henri Schuster. They were inspired by the similar institution established by Napoleon in the early 19th century. The founders tried to acquire the same benefits that had already been granted to the other recognised denominations for the Jewish religion. As the Jewish contact institution to the Belgian authorities, responsible for the management of the Jewish religion, the CCIB represents Belgian Judaism and embodies the spiritual authority of the religious communities. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the institution tried to be the guarantor of the emancipation and modernisation of the Jewish communities in Belgium, along the lines of the Enlightenment philosophy, which led to friction with the most conservative communities. These communities tried to escape the authority of the CCIB in order to enjoy a greater spiritual independence.
The CCIB was also a meeting place for the different conceptions of Judaism. Key figures were, among others, rabbi Élie-Aristide Astruc, rabbi Armand Bloch, rabbi Ernest Ginsburger and rabbi Robert Dreyfus. Among the presidents of the Consistory we note iconic figures such as Louis Lassen, Joseph Oppenheim and Jacques Wiener in the 19th century, Franz and Paul Philippson, Ernest Wiener, Jean Bloch and Georges Schnek in the 20th century.
The range of functions of the CCIB has greatly expanded since the Second World War. It supports cultural, educational and heritage initiatives. The CCIB has supported the Institut d’Études du Judaïsme Martin Buber in Brussels, the Instituut voor Joodse Studies in Antwerp, the Fondation pour la Mémoire Contemporaine, the Joods Museum voor Deportatie en Verzet in Mechelen; it was at the initiative of the creation of the Jewish Museum of Belgium and the Institut de la Mémoire Audiovisuelle juive. The Consistory publishes the quarterly Nouvelles Consistoriales – Consistoriaal Nieuwsblad, and organises radio and television broadcasts. The institution is involved in the Organe de Consultation entre Chrétiens et Juifs en Belgique. It plays a key role in domains such as inter-religious dialogue, Jewish education, preservation of Jewish cultural heritage, the study of the history of Belgian Judaism, remembrance of the Shoah and the dissemination of Jewish culture. Although the CCIB was liberal from 1832 until 1880, it is currently influenced by Orthodox Judaism and refuses to include the liberal community Beth Hillel. The current president of the Consistory is Professor Baron Julien Klener. He remains the moral authority of Belgian Judaism, its representative and the manager of its communities. (J.-P. Schreiber, Politique et religion. Le Consistoire central israélite de Belgique au XIXe siècle, Bruxelles, éd. de l’Université de Bruxelles, 1995; http://www.jewishcom.be/)
- Access points: persons/families:
- Lambert, Léon
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation requires the authorisation of the president of the Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium.
- Finding aids:
- There are two summary lists (one made by B. Dickschen).
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
