urn:taro:utexas.cah.01034 A Guide to the UT Texas Hillel, Jewish Campus Life Records, 1929-2004 July 2008Encoded in XMetal 2 by Laurel Rozema according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. Descriptive Summary UT Texas Hillel. UT Texas Hillel, Jewish Campus Life Records 1929-2004Materials are written in English. 2004-149 4 linear ft. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History,The University of Texas at Austin The records of UT Texas Hillel, 1929-2004, contain six linear feet of foundation documents, correspondence, meeting minutes, self-published newsletters and brochures, photographs, printed newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks, which document the organized activities of the University of Texas’ Jewish student body. Creator Sketch

UT Texas Hillel is a campus chapter of the national body, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, which began at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1923. The national foundation promotes Jewish values on university campuses within the U.S. and internationally.

The UT chapter formed in 1929 as the B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation, and membership remains open to Jewish students enrolled at UT, UT alumni, and the Austin Jewish community. The chapter is comprised of a Board of Directors, Hillel Staff, and a Student Council. Known as the Building Fund Committee (1945-1967) and the Advisory Board (1967-1984), the Board of Directors (1984-present) has consisted of community members who invest their time in Hillel’s development. The Staff were paid members of UT Texas Hillel and consisted primarily of the Director, a Rabbi who is not a member of the Board of Directors. The records show that a Secretary and Program Coordinator were later added to the staff.

The foundation has sought “to provide facilities for religious, cultural, educational, social events, social welfare, and interfaith work amongst the university community.” Hillel fulfilled these goals by funding a new building, offering Shabbat services and Beit Midrash classes, granting refugee scholarships, and actively calling attention to events happening in Israel and the Soviet Union through campus protests, lectures, dinners, and ads in the Daily Texan. It also offered a variety of activities for Jewish fraternities and sororities and the UT community, including art festivals, Israeli dancing, an Outstanding Guest Speakers series, and hosting the annual Israeli Block Party.

The Student Council and the Directors on the Hillel Staff conducted the essential work of the foundation. Since the Student Council changed yearly it is hard to note any one influential member; this is not so for the Directorship. Principal Directors included Elconan Saulson (1947-1963), who spearheaded the Refugee Scholarship efforts, and Cary Krozberg (1971- 1972, 1982 1987), who worked with the Student Council throughout the 1980’s to promote issues related to Israel and Soviet Jewry. Other Hillel Directors include:

Newton Freidman, 1942-1944 Clyde T. Sills, 1965-1971 James Kessler, 1972-1976 Neal Borovitz, 1975-1981 Kerry Baker, 1987-1996 Scope and Contents

The records of UT Texas Hillel, 1929-2004, contain six linear feet of foundation documents, correspondence, meeting minutes, self-published newsletters and brochures, photographs, printed newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks, which document the organized activities of the University of Texas’ Jewish student body. The material is divided into three series: UT Hillel, comprised of records and publications created by or directly related to the UT chapter, including the Board of Directors, Hillel Staff, and the Student Council; Hillel Beyond UT with material from the national foundation and other chapters; and Jewish Interests, which contains material not specifically related to Hillel about local and international Jewish activities and experiences.

A substantial portion of the records cover the early years (1935-1955) of UT Texas Hillel, specifically outlining the Building Fund Committee’s (later called the Advisory Board, then Board of Directors) struggle to construct their own building in West Campus. The first two Directors, Newton Friedman (1942-1944) and Elconan Saulson (1947-1963), complement the Building Fund Committee’s efforts, while establishing Hillel’s importance within the UT community.

Correspondence written by each of the foundation’s hired Directors (2 inches) illustrates the individual Rabbi’s views, social concerns, and plans and ambitions for Hillel. Also, the Student Council records (6 inches) illuminate the guidance of the Director and document, primarily through printed newspaper clippings and meeting minutes, cultural and social activities such as religious programs, campaigns for oppressed Jews, and local social gatherings.

The records not directly related to UT Texas Hillel represent activities conducted by Hillel foundations at national, state, and university levels. The Jewish Interests records contain collected materials about activities UT Texas Hillel members participated in, as well as world events impacting the Jewish community at large and resonating with the Director’s social concerns.

 Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

 Use Restrictions

Unrestricted use.

 Preferred Citation

UT Texas Hillel, Jewish Campus Life Records, 1929-2004, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Index Terms Subjects (Organizations) UT Texas Hillel. Hillel, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations. Subjects Judaism -- 20th century. Judaism -- 21st century. Texas -- History -- Community centers, Jewish. Jews--Societies, etc. Jews -- Texas -- Austin. Jews -- Jews in public life. Students -- Political activity. Student activities -- Texas. Students--Social life and customs. Detailed Description of the Papers 3K386 UT Hillel Board of Directors Foundation documents, 1945-1997 By-Laws Constitution Charter Incorporation records Installation service Meeting minutes, 1973-1998 Correspondence Morris Polsky, Campaign Chairman, Advisory Board, 1975-1976 Thomas Friedman, Chairman, Hillel Board, 1977-1979 Assorted, 1987, undated Financial records, 1962 – [1977-1979] Building records, [1944-1950] – [1991-2002] 2W90 Real estate note, 1953/1961 3K386 Reports, 1945-1998 3S277 Photograph of Dr. Hyman Ettlinger, chairman, 1949 3K390 Hillel Staff Hillel Directors Newton Friedman correspondence, 1942-1944 Elconan Saulson Correspondence, 1946-1963 Irwin Schrier file, 1946-1947 Clyde T. Sills correspondence, 1965-1971 Cary Krozberg correspondence, [1971-1972] – [1982-1987] James Kessler correspondence, 1972-1976 Neal Borovitz correspondence, 1975-1981 Kerry Baker correspondence, 1987-1996 David Kessel speech remarks, 2003-2004 3S277 Photographs 3K387 General correspondence, 1945-1995 Public relations Daily Texan ads, 1924-1993 News releases, 1946, undated Refugee scholarships Leslie Low, 1948-1953 Heinz Berger, 1949-1957 Directories, 1947-1951 3S277 Photographs 3K388 Student Council Constitutions, 1936-1948 Meeting minutes Unbound, 1944-1945 Bound, 1944-1947 Conference, 1992 Religious programs Committees Athletics, [1947]-1951 Concern for Fellow Jews, 1981-1988 Campus Friends of Israel, 1982-1983 Correspondence Printed newspaper clippings 3S277 Photographs 3K388 Press release Detractors, 1983-1984 November 29 Coalition Flyers Printed newspaper clippings Soviet Jewry, 1981-1988 Correspondence Printed newspaper clippings Rally flyers Proclamations and resolutions 3S277 Photographs 3K388 Education Publications, [1946-1948] – 1956 Unpublished papers, 1946, undated Cultural activities, 1930-1994 Social events, 1946-1953 2W92a Photographs, [ca. 1930s-1990s] Council members Student body 3S105b Student body negatives [RESTRICTED] 2W90 Scrapbooks 3K390 Publications Hillel Scribe, 1935-1995 2W90 Hillel Scribe, 1946 3K390 Texas Hillel, 1952-1955 Hillel Highlights, 1954 Hillel Happenings, [1947-1948] – 1982 Hakol, The Voice, 1988-1990 Hillel Flame, 1997 2.116/OD1404 Flyers and brochures (mounted) 3K390 Flyers and brochures Calendars (general) 2W92 Press about Hillel Bound volumes, 1931-1945 Loose clippings, 1949-1998 2W93 Program and event highlights, 2001-2002 Scrapbooks, 1939-1940 4th Floor West Wall Assorted artwork Portrait, oil on canvas of Rabbi Henry Cohen, signed by Embry, 1951 2.116/OD1404 Commemorative poster, 1941-1945 Tinted photograph of unknown subjects, 1966 4ZG3.4 Artifact Collection Plaques, 1955, 1964, undated Ceramic trivets/tiles, undated 3K389 Hillel Beyond UT National Hillel Meeting minutes, 1938-1942 Budgets, 1946-1947 Reports Annual reports, 1946, 1949 Conference report, 1949 Correspondence, 1947-1971 Publications, 1947-1992 Directories, 1948-1949 Texas State Hillel State conference proceedings, 1946 Conference program, 1947 Other universities University of Georgia Hillel, 1946 Louisiana State University Hillel, undated 3K391 Jewish Interests University of Texas activities Fraternities and sororities, 1946-1982 3S277 Photographs of fraternity presidents, 1970 3K391 Campus Interfaith, 1948-1955 UT publications Daily Texan clippings, 1946-1996 The University Jewish Voice, 1970-1978 Statement by UT President Robert Berdahl, 1993 The World at Large Israel, 1947-1998 Rabbi Jack Segal correspondence and sermons, 1966-1983 Jewish Welfare Board Report, undated Scripture books, 1942 United Jewish Appeal, 1947 Jewish Community Council of Austin, 1956-1974 Miscellaneous, 1946-1991 2W91 World War II scrapbook