Archives of the Société israélite d’Assistance et d’Inhumation

Collection

Postal address:: Rue Joseph Dupont 2 / Joseph Dupontstraat 2, 1000 Bruxelles

Scope and content:: This fonds contains files regarding agreements concluded with the municipalities for the acquisition of Jewish cemetery plots, as well as plans related to the development of these Jewish cemeteries, correspondence exchanged with the municipalities, … We also note correspondence with individuals wishing to be buried by the Hevra Kadisha, Société israélite d’Assistance et d’Inhumation, and with individuals wishing to obtain information regarding burials. There are records on buried individuals, containing their full name, name of the spouse, date of birth, date of death, date of burial, date of the concession, as well as the location of their grave (the section, park, plot, grave). We also find notebooks of the SIAI, mentioning the residence, kinship ties, children and their contact information, and since recently also a copy of the identity card of the deceased.

Administrative/biographical history:: In 1833 the Hevra Kadisha (of Brussels) was officially renamed to Société Israélite de Bienfaisance de Bruxelles. The institution most likely existed before, albeit informally. At its creation it was more traditionalist than the Consistory. Its goal was to help the poor and the sick, and especially to organise the religious burial of its members and of needy individuals. Its decline and the cemetery problem resulted in the redesign of its statutes in 1880, which limited its scope to that of a mutual burial society. The institution now focused on aid to the poor; it was gradually integrated in the network of philanthropic societies directed by the Consistory. At the turn of the 20th century, the institution again took up its traditional function as a burial society as well as its role as a philanthropic society (assigned by the Consistory). The SIAI is currently attached to the Communauté israélite de Bruxelles. (J.-P. Schreiber, Politique et religion. Le Consistoire central israélite de Belgique au XIXe siècle, Bruxelles, éd. de l’Université de Bruxelles, 1995, pp. 271-277.)

Subject terms:: Aid and relief; Aid and relief--Philanthropy and charity; Burial; Cemeteries; Hevrah kadisha; Jewish community; Vital records

System of arrangement:: The fonds has been ordered by A. Rubinsztejn. The files are arranged by cemetery, plot and row. The binders are labelled. The correspondence is arranged in chronological order.

Access, restrictions:: Consultation requires the authorisation of the board of the Communauté israélite de Bruxelles.