Records of the Jewish Culture Foundation
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The Jewish Culture Foundation was a student group at NYU and its records relate to the organization's administration and functions. The records include correspondence, budgets, election information, event flyers, photographs, calendars, JCF and related publications, and information about Jewish groups at other institutions.
Historical Note
The Jewish Culture Foundation was founded in 1937 by Abraham Katsh, chairman of the Department of Hebrew Culture and Education at NYU. Its goal was to serve the religious, cultural, and social needs of the Jewish student body on both the University Heights and Washington Square campuses. The group lobbied for kosher dining and university breaks on Jewish holidays and also organized events for Jewish holidays. They published the Shofar Press, NYU Pride, and Te'chiyat Hanefesh.
Arrangement
Folders are arranged alphabetically within series.
The files are grouped into four series:
Series I: Correspondence
Series II: Events and Programs
Series III: Publications
Series IV: Subject Files
Scope and Content Note
The collection covers the social, political and financial activities of the Jewish Culture Foundation from its founding in 1937 until 2001, when student members were involved in relief efforts relating to September 11, 2001. The records include correspondence, budgets, election information, event flyers, photographs, calendars, JCF and related publications, and information about Jewish groups at other institutions.
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
People
Access Restrictions
Institutional records of New York University are closed for a period of 20 years from the date of their creation (the date on which each document was written). Board of Trustees records are similarly closed for 35 years from the date of creation. The opening date for files spanning several years will be 20 years from the most recent date. Access will be given to material already 20 years old contained within a collection that is not yet open when such material can be isolated from the rest of the collection.
Materials related to personnel, faculty grievances, job searches and all files with information that falls under the University's Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy are permanently restricted.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
New York University Archives
Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, New York 10012
Phone: 212.998.2641
Fax: 212.995.4225
E-mail: university-archives@nyu.edu
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); The Records of Jewish Culture Foundation; RG 12.11; box number; folder number; New York University Archives; New York University
Location of Materials
Provenance
The first part of the records were transferred to the University Archives in 1981 by Naomi Olkon, who was the director of the Jewish Culture Foundation at that time. In 2010, the second half of the collection was moved to the University Archives and integrated with the earlier materials.
In May 2024, six folder containing photographs, negatives, and slides were transferred from the New York University Archives Photograph Collection (PHOTO 00001). These materials were removed from RG 12.11 previously and placed in PHOTO 00001 for unknown reasons at an unknown time. The accession number associated with this accretion is 2024.038.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processing decisions made prior to 2024 have not be documented.
In May 2024, six folder containing photographs, negatives, and slides were transferred from the New York University Archives Photograph Collection (PHOTO 00001). Photographs were kept in their original folders and rehoused into a manuscript box (Box 20). These materials were intellectually returned to their original location in the finding aid.