Temple Israel Bulletin, 1907

Mission Statement
The Temple Israel Archives serves as the final repository for the historical records of Temple Israel, Boston. Its primary purpose is to document the history of the temple, and to provide source material for administrators, clergy, religious school faculty and students, and other members of the temple community. It also serves as a resource for scholars, authors, and other interested persons who seek to evaluate the impact of the temple’s activities on the history of American social, religious, and cultural development.

Contact Information
For more information, contact mdwyer@tisrael.org at Project Archivist, at 617-566-3960 extension 154.


Access to the Collections
The Temple Israel Archives is open to all members of the temple community, as well as the general public. Office hours are Monday through Friday by appointment only. Researchers are required to register before using the materials and to observe established policies and procedures that ensure the security and preservation of the collections.

Materials are non-circulating and must remain in the reading room. Finding aids and inventories are available for many of the collections. Copies may be requested by contacting the temple archivist.

Making an Appointment
The archivist will work with you to determine what materials might be helpful for your research, and gain a better idea of what you might want to look at before you come into the archives. This preliminary interview process helps me prepare for your visit by pulling materials you might be interested in, thus making your research go more quickly and smoothly.

Collecting Policy
In addition to the institutional records of Temple Israel, the Temple Israel Archives collects the organizational records of affiliated clubs and groups, such as the temple’s Sisterhood and Brotherhood. It also collects the personal papers of clergy, administrators, and temple members, as these records contribute to the history of the temple and its role in the Jewish and local community.

Donating Material to the Archives
The archives is always looking for material that will help make its collections even more useful for researchers. We particularly welcome any material having to do with the temple’s various committees and clubs, the clergy, the religious school, and various events over the years. We are also interested in material concerning the lives of congregational members. For more information about donating, please contact the temple archivist.

Researching your Family History
The Temple Israel Archives has several sources of information for genealogists. These include birth, marriage, death, confirmation, bar/bat mitzvah, conversion records, cemetery records, membership files, and other material. Please keep in mind that the archives is not guaranteed to have every piece of information, but it is a useful reference tool.