Metadata: Archives of the Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen Shomre Hadas
Collection
- Country:
- Belgium
- Holding institution:
- Israëlitische gemeente van Antwerpen – Shomre Hadas
- Holding institution (official language):
- Israëlitische gemeente van Antwerpen – Shomre Hadas
- Postal address:
- Terliststraat 35, 2018 Antwerpen
- Phone number:
- +32 (0)3 232 01 87
- Web address:
- http://www.shomre-hadas.be/
- Email:
- info@shomre-hadas.be
- Reference number:
- ShomHadas-Antwerp-2
- Title:
- Archives of the Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen Shomre Hadas
- Title (official language):
- Archief Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen Shomre Hadas
- Creator/accumulator:
- Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen – Shomre Hadas
- Date(s):
- 1876/1995
- Date note:
- The majority of material dates from 1950-1980.
- Language:
- Dutch; Flemish
- French
- Hebrew
- Yiddish
- Extent:
- 170 files
- Scope and content:
- In this fond we firstly note series of documents of a general nature, such as statutes, lists of members, material regarding the election of the board and the Consistorium, minutes of meetings of the board and the general and extraordinary assemblies, personnel files, documents concerning the management of the buildings (i.a. files related to renovations, gas and central heating, etc.) and bookkeeping records (i.a. regarding revenue and expenditure, but also concerning slachtgeld, seating in the synagogues, etc.). The correspondence is divided in general correspondence, correspondence of the various functionaries and governing bodies of Shomre Hadas (including the Rabbinate, the functionaries, the burials department) and correspondence concerning specific matters (i.a. with the Centraal Beheer van Joodse Weldadigheid en Maatschappelijk Hulpbetoon, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany, with official institutions, other organisations, companies, etc). Secondly, we point out documents regarding the management of the (burial association) Chevra Kadischa (i.a. concession agreements, photographs, various files) and the Moriah synagogue (i.a. regarding renovations). In the fonds we also note series of declarations related to religious matters (e.g. marriages), documents and photographs concerning the change of the name of the synagogue in Van den Nestlei to ‘Romi Goldmuntz synagogue’, the centenary of the Jewish community, the death of rabbi Medalie, as well as various contracts, press clippings, photographs, and ‘miscellaneous documents’ (i.a. concerning marriages, bar mitzvoth, kashrut, the closure of the Mahon Rav Amiel, the Tachkemoni school, etc.) etc.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Orthodox Jewish community Shomre Hadas (‘guardians of the faith’) was created in 1920. Initially it was led by rabbi M.A. Amiel; after his nomination as Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv (1936) he was succeeded by Samuel Brodt. In 1931 Shomre Hadas merged with the Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen (also known as the ‘Dutch community’) which was already recognised in 1816. In practice (and to this day) the name Shomre Hadas is commonly used instead of the more general Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen. Before the war, the community had around 3,170 members. Around the community a series of religious institutions and infrastructure developed, such as ritual baths, yeshivas, smaller places of worship affiliated with the community, etc. Today, Shomre Hadas has two synagogues; the ‘Dutch synagogue’ in the Bouwmeesterstraat (built in 1893) and the Romi-Goldmuntz synagogue on the corner of Van den Nestlei and Oostenstraat (constructed in 1928). The community was also the founder and driving force behind the Tachkemoni school (founded in 1920). By the end of the 1930s financial difficulties emerged. The need for resources increased as result of the solidarity with the Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria. The two main Orthodox communities Shomre Hadas and Machsike Hadass regularly clashed, i.a. regarding the supervision on shehitah. The rapprochement sought with Machsike Hadass from 1931 onwards did not lead to any result before the Second World War. After the war there was a certain merger between the two Orthodox communities (known as the Verenigde Israëlitische Gemeenten van Antwerpen), a fusion which lasted until 1958. Since then, Shomre Hadas has once again existed as a separate community. (E. Schmidt, Geschiedenis van de Joden in Antwerpen in woord en beeld, Antwerpen, De Vries-Brouwers, 1994; 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.)
- Access points: locations:
- Antwerp
- Access points: persons/families:
- Medalyah, Hilel
- Access, restrictions:
- Consultation requires the authorisation of Mr. Jacques Wenger.
- Finding aids:
- V. Vanden Daelen, Archief Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen Shomre Hadas. Systematische inventaris, Antwerpen, Instituut voor Joodse Studies – Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen Shomre Hadas, 2004.
- Yerusha Network member:
- State Archives of Belgium
