Ben Berger was a successful Minneapolis businessman and philanthropist, and an original co-owner of the Minneapolis Lakers. He was also a prodigious funds raiser. He is shown speaking at a Jewish National Fund dinner at Minneapolis' Pick-Nicollet Hotel. The Jewish National Fund raised money throughout the world to support tree planting and infrastructure projects in Israel.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Children in front of signage at Temple Israel alerting the public to the plight of Soviet Jews denied the opportunity of migrate to Israel. The local Jewish community sent hundreds of people to Washington D. C. for a rally that drew thousands of people and directed the nation's attention to the issue.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Cantor was a popular entertainer who traveled periodically during World War II to promote sales of U. S. War Bonds. He is shown here with the Lebedoff triplets; David, Jonathan and Judy. Arrangements for Cantor's visit were made by Minneapolis Hadassah.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The Hillel Israeli folk dance group gathered in front of Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota Campus to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The founders of Pioneer Women, posed outdoors for this photograph. Pioneer Women was an international group of Labor-Zionist women who made Aaliyah to Palestine during the 1920s. They came with a feminist agenda, to be full partners in the political and economic work of building a Jewish state. A women's group formed in Minnesota to raise funds to support their counterparts in Palestine. Included in the picture, back, left to right: Sara Rosenblatt, Helen (Wiener) Pogoler, Mrs. Jake Berman; front: Mrs. Schwartz, Brucha Wiener. Photograph taken in August of 1938 at Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Ira Jeffrey standing at attention in his Navy dress uniform. Ira Jeffery joined the Navy in or about 1940. After training, he was stationed at Pearl Harbor, serving on the battleship California. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the California was hit by aircraft fire and sank at berth. Ira Jeffery was killed in the attack, the first Jewish soldier to die in World War II. Wiel was posthumously awarded a commendation from the Secretary of the Navy.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Members of the Israel Bonds Committee photographed at a table with a mural in the background. In May 1951, David ben-Gurion launched the sale of Israel Bonds in the U. S. at a rally in New York. Touring the U. S., calling on American Jews to purchase bonds to aid the financially strapped country, ben-Gurion met with overwhelming success. Over $52 million was loaned to Israel by Americans in the first year of the drive. Bonds helped with infrastructure building and the settlement of Jewish refugees. Prominent Minnesotans in the leadership group included Ben Berger and Dr. Moses Barron
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Governor Youngdahl stands on the steps of the State Capitol building next to a man on crutches and surrounded by protestors. In July, 1946, nearly 100 veterans marched on the state capitol to urge Governor Youngdahl to use his influence to speed the transfer of displaced European Jews to Palestine. The governor promised the veterans that he would work with the State Department and President Truman to support the immediate migration of 100,000 Jewish refugees from Europe.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A man and a woman stand in front of the United States flag at the J. W. V. picnic. Jewish War Veterans was established in 1896 to honor Jewish veterans serving during the Civil War and wars abroad. This picnic took place during the year the United States entered World War II.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
H. S. Berman and Mrs. A. Birengberg present a check to Dr. Joseph Tennebaum, then president of the A. F. P. J. The organization attempted to protect Polish Jews during the Holocaust by eliciting Catholic Church intervention, to little avail.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The Jewish National Workers Alliance, or Farband, was the mutual aid component of the political party Poale Zion. Farband organized cooperative insurance and medical services and Yiddish language adult education for its worker members. Farband was active all over the U. S., primarily in the East. The greatest Twin Cities involvement in the Farband was among children of the first wave of Eastern European immigrants.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
ICOR, founded in 1926 in Philadelphia, stood for the "The Association for Jewish Colonization in the Soviet Union." ICOR promoted the success and survival of Biro-Bijan, a Jewish autonomous region in the Siberia. The inscription at the bottom of the third panel of the photo triptych reads" Minneapolis ICOR greets the Pioneers in Biro-Bijan at the 5th Annual Picnic, Aug.10-1930." The Minneapolis North Side was home to many Jews whose families had immigrated from Russia.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
ICOR, founded in 1926 in Philadelphia, stood for the "The Association for Jewish Colonization in the Soviet Union." ICOR promoted the survival and success of Biro-Bijan, a Jewish autonomous region in the Soviet Union. The inscription at the bottom of the third panel of the photo triptych reads" Minneapolis ICOR greets the Pioneers in Biro-Bijan at the 5th Annual Picnic, Aug.10-1930." The Minneapolis Jewish North Side contained a large number of Jews whose families had immigrated from Russia.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
ICOR, founded in 1926 in Philadelphia, stood for the "The Association for Jewish Colonization in the Soviet Union." ICOR promoted the survival and success of Biro-Bijan, a Jewish autonomous region in the Soviet Union. The inscription at the bottom of the third panel of the photo triptych reads" Minneapolis ICOR greets the Pioneers in Biro-Bijan at the 5th Annual Picnic, Aug.10-1930." The Minneapolis North Side was home to many Jews whose families had immigrated from Russia.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The first conference was held in Washington in 1951. On the dais, left to right, are Mrs. Elias Amdur; Leo Gross; Mrs. Theodore Bronstein; Harry Rosenthal; Henry Montor; Israeli Minister of Finance David Horowitz; Ben Berger; Mrs. David Horowitz, and Mrs. Harry Rosenthal.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph of men and women members of Poale Zion, which was a Zionist-Socialist-Laborite group founded in Russia. The St. Paul chapter in the picture is promoting "Tag Day" a fundraising activity supporting Jewish emigration to Palestine. The future first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, is pictured standing fourth from the left in the third row. Ben-Gurion was a member of Poalie Zion and traveled worldwide to fundraise and to recruit young American Jews to the Jewish Legion serving in World War I.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph of the Poalie Zion group wearing sashes which show support for the striking New York garment workers. Poale Zion was a Zionist-Socialist-Laborite group founded in Russia. Chapters of the organization were established in the United States, where they helped raised funds for Jewish immigration to Palestine.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Senator Walter Mondale, Rabbi Robert Shapiro, Rabbi Max Shapiro and Mayor Naftalin (Minneapolis' only Jewish mayor) attending Rabbi Max Shapiro's 10th Anniversary at Temple Israel synagogue in 1973. Rabbi Max Shapiro was vocal on the issues of the day, including desegregation, civil rights, civil liberty, Vietnam, anti-Semitism and more.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The Minnesota-Dakota Action Committee was organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council to help educate the public about the plight of Soviet Jews; to support efforts of Soviet Jews to immigrate to Israel; and to help sustain Jewish life in the Soviet Union. The organization was active in the national movement from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s, and highly successful in its efforts.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
This piece of signage urges citizens both to understand how much material it takes to fight the enemy, and to donate as much as possible to the war effort.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A group of local activists gathered in Minneapolis to plant a tree "in tribute to Soviet Refusniks," the term applied in the West to Russian Jews who were refused the right to immigrate by the Soviet government.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Julius and Jack Bankman grew up in Virginia, Minnesota. They both served in the Army during the World War II. More than 3000 Jewish men and women served in the military during that war.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Vice-President of the United States Walter Mondale and friends pose at Temple Israel synagogue. Standing: Elliot Kaplan, Rabbi Stephan Barack, David Lieberman. Seated: Vice-President Walter Mondale, Rabbi Max A. Shapiro of Temple Israel. Vice-President Mondale was at the temple for a speaking engagement.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A woman stands smiling behind a table at the Jewish War Veteran's booth. The Jewish War Veteran's organization was established after the Civil War to recognize Jewish military service in the nation's wars.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Women of the Young Judea Auxiliary gathered around a table. Young Judea was founded in the United States in 1909 to generate support for Zionism among young American Jews.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives