Found 4 collections related to African American Jews

Kohol Beth B'nai Yisroel, a Black Hebrew congregation, was founded by Rabbi Julius Wilkins, later known as Rabbi Yirmeyahu Yisrael, in 1947. In approximately 1964, Kohol merged with Congregation Mount Horeb, located at 1036 Reverend Polite Place in the Bronx, where it continues to function. The Kohol Beth B'nai Yisroel records consist primarily of minutes of the board of trustees, 1945-1960; membership and donation ledgers, 1946-1957; and a list of members who, in 1954, transferred to two other black Hebrew congregations: Congregation Mount Horeb in the Bronx and B'nai Adath Kol Beth Yisroel in Brooklyn. Additionally, the collection contains financial records and issues of the newspaper, The Jerusalem Chronicle, 1990-1991. less

The Commandment Keepers Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, one of the oldest and largest communities of Black Hebrews in the United States, was founded in Harlem in 1919, by Rabbi Wentworth Arthur Matthew (1892-1973). Though this congregation traces its origin to the activities of those who came to New York during the first waves of Black migration and immigration, it was in the post World War II years that the community took root. Rabbi Matthew created a number of auxiliary organizations, and today there are seven Black synagogues in the downstate New York area that trace their origins directly to Rabbi Matthew and his congregation. The synagogue is located in Harlem. The Commandment Keepers Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation records consist of several ledgers, including a photocopy of a record book listing members' names and addresses, births and deaths (1923-1959); and other membership ledgers providing individual financial records, worship, and Hebrew school attendance (1927-1959). The collection ledger lists amounts donated from 1974-1991. The collection also includes correspondence of Rabbi Matthew regarding dedication of the new synagogue in Harlem (1962) and speaking engagements in the Northeast (1968-1970). There is also a notebook listing members of various committees, along with notes about several services held at the synagogue (1948), a golden anniversary program (1966), and news clippings. less

The Wentworth A. Matthew collection relates primarily to the financial and real estate concerns of Rabbi Matthew and the Commandment Keepers. Included are deeds, contracts, architectural drawings, and invoices for property purchased in Wyandanch and Babylon, Long Island, where Matthew intended to establish a resident community. Also included are insurance policies for property leased by the congregation in Brooklyn and Manhattan. There are also personal insurance policies for Rabbi Matthew as well as correspondence and wills deeding property to Rabbi Matthew and the synagogue. Of interest are a 1931 letter from Rabbi Arnold J. Ford, musical director of Marcus Garvey's UNIA, to Matthew discussing the latter's certificate of ordination and urging him to encourage Black Jews to settle in Ethiopia. Matthew's death certificate from Harlem Hospital and letters to his daughter are included in the collection. less