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Magnes, Judah L

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Judah Leon Magnes (1877 San Francisco – 1948 New York) was a prominent Reform rabbi and public figure in both the United States and Mandatory Palestine. He is best remembered as a leader in the pacifist movement of the World War I period, his advocacy of a binational Jewish-Arab state in Palestine, and as one of the most widely recognized voices of 20th century American Reform Judaism. Magnes spent the years 1900 - 1903 studying in Berlin and Heidelberg, and later became one of the most influential forces behind the organization of the Jewish community, the "Kehillah", in New York, serving as president throughout its existence from 1908 to 1922.The "Kehillah" oversaw aspects of Jewish culture, religion, education and labor issues, in addition to helping in the integration of America's German and East European Jewish communities. After making aliyah, he served as the first chancellor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1925), and later as its President (1935–1948) --

Reference Code
P3
Dates
1890-1948
Consists of
2677 files..
Languages
English; Hebrew;
Description
Most of the files from Magnes' American period bore record numbers which had been assigned by his office staff at the "Kehillah" in New York. All the original file numbers were discarded and the files were renumbered, consecutively, in the order of their appearance in the list.;The final inventory has three main divisions: Personal – ranging from childhood to 1948; Public activity in the United States – ranging until 1922 (when Magnes emigrated from America); Public activity in Eretz Israel – from 1922 until 1948. Each division, in turn, has chronologically arranged subdivisions.;The subdivision relating to "Kehillah" work was placed at the end of the American period because these files were not Magnes' own personal files, but files from the "Kehillah" office.
Title Magnes, Judah L.
Contributors Beatrice L.Magnes
Jewish Community of New York City
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
Zionist Organization (U.S.)
Notes Additional Information/מידע נוסף: See name catalog of correspondence partners from the American period at CAHJP.
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, University of California, Berkely, WJHC 1968.30 AR1
Host Item Magnes, Judah L. - Private Collection
Level of Description Fonds Record
Biographical summary Judah Leib Magnes was born in San Francisco in July 1877 and died in New York in October 1948, while on a visit to the United States. Both in America and in Eretz Israel, where he settled in 1922, he was active in many spheres of Jewish and general public life. A few of the official capacities in which he served were: assistant rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, New York
secretary and later vice president of the Federation of American Zionists
Chairman of the Executive Committee of the New York City "Kehillah"
Chancellor and later President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Chairman of the Hadassah Emergency Council in Palestine
Chairman of the Middle East Advisory Council of the JDC Distribution Committee (during W.W. II). Every phase of his activity is reflected in his papers, which, in addition to their biographical importance, contain source material of great value to scholars conducting research on a wealth of subjects not necessarily connected to Magnes himself.
Ownership history Magnes' papers were deposited at the CAHJP (the former "Jewish Historical General Archives") by his widow, Beatrice Magnes, and his sons, David and Jonathan, on a number of occasions. In 1955 Mrs. Magnes gave the files relating to Magnes' American years. In 1961 she transferred files relating to his activities in Palestine. Upon her death in 1969, her sons deposited personal material, through the courtesy of Professor Aryeh Goren. The collection was completed with the transfer of various files held until 1977 by the Department of Manuscripts and Archives of the Jewish National and University Library.
Language Note Predominantly English
some Hebrew
National Library system number 990043013030205171
Links פרטים על מיקום החומר/Location&access
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