Sidney H. Brooks Papers

Manuscript Collection No. 642

1871-1992. 1.2 Linear ft.

ACCESS AND PROVENANCE

The Sidney H. Brooks Papers were donated to the American Jewish Archives by Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks, Omaha, Nebraska in August 1992. All papers donated prior to December 1999 have been arranged and described. Property rights to the materials are held by the American Jewish Archives. Literary rights have not been dedicated to the public. Literary rights to materials authored by Brooks are held by the Brooks heirs, others are held by the individial author or his/her heirs. Questions concerning rights should be addressed to the Director of the American Jewish Archives.

The Sidney H. Brooks Papers are open to all users. The original manuscript collection is available in the reading room of the American Jewish Archives.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH top

Sidney H. Brooks was born in Buffalo, New York, on 3 April 1920. He was the first child born to Sidney H. Brooks, Sr. and Irma Bertha Bing, who had been married on November 22, 1911.

He received a BA in English literature from the University of Cincinnati in 1942. Also in 1942, he received a Bachelor of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. He received a Master of Hebrew Letters and was ordained a rabbi from Hebrew Union College, in 1946. In 1971 Hebrew Union College awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree. The University of Nebraska at Omaha gave him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree in 1985.

Brooks served as an assistant to Rabbi Edward N. Calisch at Temple Beth Ahabah in Richmond, Virginia during 1944-45. From 1946 to 1952, he served as rabbi of Temple Sholom in Springfield, Ohio. He was Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel in Omaha, Nebraska from 1952 to 1985. He was named Rabbi Emeritus upon his retirement in 1985.

In 1944, he married Jane Heyman of Richmond, Virginia. They have a daughter, Miriam and a son, Joel.

For more information, see Rabbi Brooks' autobiography "These Things I Remember" written in 1990, which is available in Box 2 of the collection. A resume written by Rabbi Brooks in 1991 is available in Box 3 of the collection.
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SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE top

The SIDNEY H. BROOKS PAPERS includes correspondence, addresses and sermons, congregational records, subject files relating to his rabbinical career, and both autobiographical and biographical materials. It also includes historical materials on the congregations he served. Among the more noteworthy groups of records are his sermons and his reports to the annual meeting of the congregation.

The documents are arranged alphabetically, in a single series.

NOTE TO RESEARCHERS
Rabbi Brooks' sermons were originally composed by on a typewriter in a modified form or shorthand, without correction for spelling or punctuation. Prior to donating the collection, he engaged a stenographer to correct the texts so that they were "readable." Aside from that, he changed nothing "even though my feelings are different now."

BOX AND FOLDER LISTING top

Box  Folder    Contents

1       1               Addresses and Sermons. 1950-1959.
        2               Addresses and Sermons. 1960-1969.
        3               Addresses and Sermons.  1970-1979.
        4               Addresses and Sermons. 1980-1986.
        5               Addresses and Sermons. 1992.
        6               Addresses and Sermons. n.d.
        7               Alevy, Polly. 1991. Correspondence.
        8               Articles. "Everyone has a Right not to Stand                            for Flag." n.d.
        9               Articles. "On the destruction of our temple."
                                Sh'ma. 19 September 1975.
        10              Association for Progressive Reform Judaism.
                                1975. Annual meeting minutes,
                                clippings, news releases, reports and
                                addresses.
        11              Autobiography. "These Things I Remember." 1990.

2       1               Bergen, Gerald T. 1963. Correspondence.
        2               Biographical Material. 1939-1992.
        3               Braverman, Mrs. Sigmund. 1963. Correspondence.
        4               Brooks, Jane H. 1985. Resume.
        5               Calisch, Edward N. 1946. Tributes to.
        6               Cohen, Gabriel. 1971. Correspondence.
        7               Cronbach, Abraham. 1953. Correspondence.
        8               Elgutter, Charles S. 1918. Temple Dedication
                                10th Anniversary Address.
        9               Elgutter, Charles S. 1918.  Temple Dedication
                                Correspondence.
        10              Elgutter, Charles S. Correspondence. 1915-1921.
        11              Estey Organ Company (Brattleboro, VT). n.d.
                                Blueprint.
        12              Gates of Prayer. 1972;1974. Correspondence. 
        13              Gittelsohn, Roland B. 1978. Correspondence.
        14              Gottschalk, Alfred. 1971. Correspondence.
        15              Harris, Leon. 1974; 1978. Correspondence.
        16              Hellman, M. 1887-1893. Correspondence
        17              Israel Trip. 1959. Clippings and
                                correspondence.
        18              Katz, Samuel. 1908. Correspondence. 
        19              Kelligar, William L. 1973. Correspondence
        20              Krauskopf, J. 1918. Temple Keneseth Israel
                                discourses.
        21              Kripke, Myer. 1977-1978. Correspondence.
        22              Lelyvel, Arthur J. 1952. Correspondence.
        23              Lipman, Eugene J. 1988. Correspondence.
        24              Morgenstern, Julian. 1942-1962. Article
                                reprints.
        25              Morgenstern, Julian. 1943. Correspondence.
        26              Morgenstern, Julian. 1963-1966. Sermon texts.
        27              Name, George, T. 1963. Correspondence.
        28              Newman, Murray. 1985. Correspondence.
        29              Offutt Air Force Base Chaplaincy. 1959-1978.
                                Correspondence.
        30              Omaha World Herald Editors. 1964-1990.
                                Correspondence.
        31              Omahans for Common Sense Correspondence.
                                1961-1962. Clippings.

3       1               Rabbinic Center for Research and Counseling.
                                1990. Intermarriage survey.
        2               Reed Abstract Company. 1907. Title to Temple
                                Property.
        3               Reports, Annual Meeting. 1953-1967.
        4               Reports, Annual Meeting. 1968-1992.
        5               Resume. 1991.
        6               Retirement from Temple Israel. 1984-1985.
                                Clippings.
        7               St. John's Greek Orthodox Church. N.d. Photo
                                post cards.
        8               Schneider, Nancy. 1963;1969. Correspondence.
        9               South Fountain Avenue Temple. Springfield OH.
                                1950. Bylaws/History. 
        10              South Fountain Avenue Temple. 1950. Remarriage
                                Controversy. Correspondence and
                                clippings.
        11              South Fountain Avenue Temple. 1959. Dedication
                                sermon.
        12              South Fountain Avenue Temple. 1941-1952.
                                Reports and clippings.
        13              Suspensions from Congregation. 1983.
        14              Temple Israel. Omaha, NE. 1907. Building
                                records. 
        15              Temple Israel. 1971. Centennial celebration.
        16              Temple Israel. 1950;1991. CCAR Committee 
                                report.
        17              Temple Israel. 1952-1954. Cornerstone
                                dedication.
        18              Temple Israel. 1907-1921. Financial
                                correspondence.
        19              Temple Israel. 1871-1988. Historical files.
        20              Temple Israel. 1962. Honorary dinner for Rabbi
                                Brooks.
        21              Temple Israel. 1990. Long range planning
                                survey.
        22              Temple Israel. 1907-1917. Mortgage materials.
        23              Temple Israel. 1943;1977. Property records.
        24              Temple Israel. 1962. Religious school addition.
        25              Temple Israel. 1985. Shabbat service honoring
                                Rabbi Brooks.
        26              Temple Israel. 1925. Temple Israel Bulletin.
        27              Temple Israel. 1939. Temple Israel Tidings.
        28              Temple Israel. 1958. Temple Israel Tidings.
        29              Temple Israel. 1906-1915. Warranty deeds.
        30              Temple Israel. 1971. Reform museum program. 
        31              Temple Sholom. Springfield Ohio. 1992. 125 year
                                celebration.
        32              Veret, Freda and Paul. 1962. Correspondence.
        33              Water District Installation. 1949.
        34              Wice, David H. 1952. Correspondence.