Laymen’s Institute of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, New England Region Records
Scope and Content Note
The records of the Laymen’s Institute were partially compiled by Mervin Gray, who was Treasurer of the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs from 1958 to circa 1961 and acted as Chairman of the Laymen’s Institute from 1959 to 1961. The collection contains correspondence from this period related to the latter role, as well as speeches and short sermons delivered by Gray in the 1980s.
Also included is a non-continuous run of programs and ephemera from retreats held between 1954 and 1998 and cassette recordings of speeches and lectures delivered at retreats non-continuously between 1973 and 2005.
A scrapbook titled The Book of Memories and a framed photo collage are housed in an oversized box. The Book of Memories is a folio-sized bound volume containing photographs, newspaper clippings, and correspondence from Laymen’s Institute functions held between 1951 and 1994. The collage is framed behind glass and displays photographs from the 24th annual Laymen’s Institute in 1970.
Dates
- undated, circa 1951-2005
Creator
Language of Materials
The collection is in English and Hebrew.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for researcher use. Please contact us to request access or to make an appointment to view this collection at jhcreference@nehgs.org.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of this collection. For more information contact jhcreference@nehgs.org.
Historical Note
The Laymen’s Institute is a summer weekend retreat sponsored by the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. It began as an idea put forward by Rabbi Morris V. Dembowitz in 1946 and is the first and oldest retreat for Jewish men in the United States. The weekend offers summer amusements, such as biking and sporting, along with opportunities for prayer and learning from scholars in residence, who are often spiritual leaders in New England and/or faculty members at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
The Laymen’s Institute was originally held at Camp Tel Noar in Hampstead, New Hampshire, but it moved to Camp Ramah in Palmer, Massachusetts around 2001. In 2012, the Laymen’s Institute was renamed TheRetreat and the programming was updated for a modern audience.
References
- Material from the collection.
- “About.” New England Region – FJMC. Accessed February 11, 2017. /www.nerfjmc.org/theretreatabout>
- Baum, Stephen. “TheRetreat: Adults can have fun at camp, too!”
- “TheRetreat 2017 – June 8 to 11.” New England Region – FJMC. Accessed February 11, 2017. /www.nerfjmc.org/theretreat>
Chronology
- 1946
- The Laymen's Institute is founded by Rabbi Morris V. Dembowitz and sponsored by the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs.
- 1958-1961
- Mervin Gray serves as Chairman of the Laymen's Institute.
- Circa 2001
- The Laymen's Institute moves from Camp Tel Noar to Camp Ramah.
- 2012
- The Laymen's Institute is renamed TheRetreat.
Extent
3 linear feet (1 manuscript box, 2 cassette boxes, 1 OS box)
Abstract
The Laymen’s Institute (now known as TheRetreat) is a summer weekend retreat started in 1946 and sponsored by the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. The records include correspondence, speeches, short sermons, programs, ephemera, and cassette recordings of lectures. There is also a scrapbook and framed photo collage.
Physical Location
Located in Boston, Mass.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Richard Grey, 2013. Earlier materials donated by an unknown donor.
Processing Information
Processed by Shannon Struble, 2017
- Audiocassettes
- Brochures
- Camp Ramah
- Camp Tel Noar
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Dembowitz, Morris
- Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs (U.S.). New England Region
- Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (U.S.)
- Grey, Mervin
- Hampstead (N.H.)
- Jewish Theological Seminary of America
- Jewish camps
- Kallah
- Laymen's Institute
- Palmer (Mass.)
- Photographs
- Printed ephemera
- Programs (documents)
- Scrapbooks
- Sermons
- Sound recordings
- Speeches (documents)
- Spiritual retreats
- Title
- Guide to theLaymen’s Institute of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, New England Region Records, I-477
- Author
- Processed by Shannon Struble
- Date
- 2017
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at American Ancestors Repository