Sophie Schneebalg-Perelman archives

Collection

Scope and content:: This fonds contains correspondence, identity papers, material related to war criminals (1944-1946), subject files concerning the Femmes pionnières-Na’amat, files related to the Cercle Ben Gourion as well as texts of speeches, lectures, notes, articles, and correspondence of Sophie Perelman-Schneebalg produced in her capacity of secretary of the Histadrut in Antwerp (1969).

Administrative/biographical history:: Chana Zosia Perelman (also known as Sophie Perelman) was born in Warsaw in 1914 and migrated to Belgium with her parents and brother Chaïm. She studied at the Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres of the Université libre de Bruxelles. Already holding a history degree, she resumed her studies after the war and obtained a PhD in history in 1962. She specialised in the history of tapestry. Since the age of twenty she was involved in the Zionist movement – notably in the association of Jewish students, of which she was the vice president. She became active in Poale Zion and, after moving to Israel, in Mapai. In addition she held the function of secretary general of the Conseil des Associations juives de Belgique after the Liberation. Sophie Perelman (married to Schneebalg) was also very active in women’s organisations. She was elected president of the Femmes pionnières-Na’amat in Antwerp and Brussels. (E. Wulliger & J.-P. Schreiber, "Perelman-Schneebalg, Chana Zosia dite Sophie", in J.-P. Schreiber, Dictionnaire biographique des Juifs de Belgique. Figures du judaïsme belge, XIXe-XXe siècles, Bruxelles, De Boeck, 2002, pp. 275-276.)

Subject terms:: Feminism; Feminism--Feminists; Jewish political activity; Personal records; War crimes; Zionism; Zionism--Zionist organisations and parties; Zionism--Zionists

Access, restrictions:: Access requires the authorisation of the archivist of the Jewish Museum of Belgium.

Finding aids:: There is a preliminary inventory of the Jewish Museum of Belgium.