Workmen's Circle

Title: Workmen's Circle

Inclusive Dates: 1893-1972

ID: RG 575

Extent Information

296'2"; 267 5"; 8 2.5"; 1 3"lgl; 2 3:ovr; 140 bankers boxes; 123 wrapped ledger books; 1 map folder

Creators

Workmen's Circle

Administrative/Biographical History

Jewish fraternal order with headquarters in New York and branches in the U.S. and Canada. Organized in 1900 as a mutual aid society for immigrants providing health insurance, burial and other benefits. The Workmen's Circle supported labor and socialist movements and quickly expanded its role to include promotion and encouragement of Yiddish culture and education. In 1916 the Workmen's Circle founded a network of Yiddish secular Sunday and afternoon schools. In addition, it published books, conducted courses for adults, organized summer camps, including the Circle Lodge in Sylvan Lake, N.Y., sponsored musical and drama groups, including the Folksbiene theater company and maintained homes for aged members. In 1967 the Workmen's Circle had 64,000 members, and 421 branches. Its publications include a Yiddish monthly *Der fraynd* and the *Workmen's Circle Call*. Past presidents include Nathan Chanin, Sam Shapiro, Harris Goldin, Joseph Weinberg, William Edlin, Ephim H. Jeshurin. Executive secretaries include Joseph Baskin, Nathan Chanin and Benjamin Gebiner, Assistant Executive Secretary.

Subjects (links to similar collections)

Communal Welfare Organizations
Education
Health and Health Care
Mutual Aid Societies
Socialism
Social Welfare
Summer Camps
Theater
United States
Yiddish secular movement

Forms of Material (links to similar genres)

Documents - Records

Finding Aid Information

Shelf list in RG authority file

Administrative Information

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Description: The collection consists for the most part of records of the national administrative offices of the Workmen's Circle but also includes some internal records of local branches. Workmen's Circle constitutions and early documents, 1893-1911. Minutes of the National Executive Committee, NEC circulars, publicity materials. Minutes of the National Organization Committee and the National Administration Committee. Files of Executive Secretaries Joseph Baskin and Nathan Chanin and of Benjamin Gebiner, Assistant Executive Secretary. Correspondence and other materials of the Cemetery Department, Education Department, Workmen's Circle School Committee, Sanatorium Department, Benefit Committee, Grievance Committee. Membership records. Materials relating to Workmen's Circle annual conventions. Financial records. Records of Workmen's Circle Schools in New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington D.C., Texas, Pennsylvania. Minutes, school programs, some class records, lists of students. Correspondence of the Folksbiene Theater. Materials on Workmen's Circle Home for the Eastern Zone. Some fragmentary materials on camps. Samples of Workmen's Circle publications. Internal records of local W.C. branches throughout the U.S., including minutes, financial records, correspondence.