Celebrate 350: Jewish Life in America, 1654-2004 Records

Manuscript Collection No. 757

1998-2006. 6 Linear ft.

ACCESS AND PROVENANCE
The Celebrate 350: Jewish Life in America, 1654-2004 Records were donated to the American Jewish Archives by Robert S. Rifkind of New York City in 2006.

All property rights have been assigned to the American Jewish Archives. All literary rights to materials in the collection are held by the individual author or his/her heirs. Nothing derived from these papers will be quoted, paraphrased, cited or otherwise used in any manner, in any work published or distributed by any means without prior written consent of Robert S. Rifkind until 31 December 2025. Questions concerning rights should be addressed to the Director of the American Jewish Archives. The collection is open to all users and available in the reading room of the American Jewish Archives.
INSTITUTIONAL SKETCH top

Celebrate 350: Jewish Life in America, 1654-2004 was established in 2002 as an ad hoc, not-for-profit, limited term entity to encourage and facilitate activities by Jews and Jewish institutions across the country to commemorate the 350th anniversary of Jewish communal life in America. The organization’s mission was to, “stimulate, to convene, to promote and to facilitate the appropriate observance of the 350th anniversary.”
Celebrate 350 served as the national umbrella organization which coordinated and informed the community about the year-long series of commemorative and celebratory activities across the United States in 2004. Celebrate 350 provided resources and a focus to the efforts of the organizations and individuals who were commemorating the history of the Jewish community in America through a website containing a national calendar of events, primary documents, program resources, and links to sponsoring and participating organizations. The organization was also a clearinghouse for information on events, available resources, and other relevant information through the Celebrate 350 eNewsletter. The “virtual” nature of Celebrate 350 allowed for the empowerment and encouragement of Jewish communities, organizations, individuals and institutions across the country to plan their own celebrations, rather than attempting to control the celebration from one central locale.

Along with the website and enewsletter, Celebrate 350's major programming included National Planning conferences, the commissioning of a commemorative medal and album, the creation of a traveling speakers bureau, and the co-hosting of a national dinner with the Commission for Commemorating 350 Years of American Jewish History (the Commission was a partnership among the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, the American Jewish Historical Society and the American Jewish Archives) on September 14, 2005 as the concluding event of the celebration. It also funded three forward-looking projects: the endowment of an annual prize by the Jewish Book Council for outstanding published work in the field of American Jewish Studies; the endowment of a lecture series on Jewish life in America at the New York Public Library, and the provision of funds to the Yale University Press to assist in the publication of a forthcoming atlas of American Jewish history.

The staff of Celebrate 350 consisted of the Executive Director, first Lawrence Rubin and then Alice Herman, and Operations Manager Rachael (Diment) Dorr, along with a broad group of consultants and advisory committees. Robert S. Rifkind was the Chairman of Celebrate 350. The organization, always envisioned as a temporary entity, ended its operations in 2006.

Related AJA Collections
Additional CELEBRATE 350 records can be found on 15 discs, CD-365 through CD-378a, which contain administrative committee and programming files, website information, and the email of Alice Herman, which is restricted. SC-15452 consists of a typed list of folder titles contained on the 15 disks. The AJA also holds correspondence and email of Dr. Jonathan D. Sarna concerning his activity and involvement in the 350th anniversary celebration of Jewish life in North America (CD-443).

Additionally, the AJA holds posters commissioned by Celebrate 350, Jewish Life in America, 1654-2004, honoring the 350th anniversary of Jewish settlement in America, 1654-2004 (Flat File: Cabinet 4/Drawer 8), along with a letter dated 7 November 2005 from Senator Joseph Lieberman to the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives in thanks for a gift of the book, Three Hundred Fifty Years: An Album of American Jewish Memory (Rare Documents File).

The American Jewish Archives also holds a nearprint special topics file on the American Jewish 350th anniversary (2004) and a DVD of the National Dinner Celebrating 350 Years of Jewish Life in America. September 14, 2005 (CD-190).

SCOPE AND CONTENT top

The CELEBRATE 350 RECORDS consist mostly of records documenting the group’s contact with organizations, groups, and individuals across the United States and its activities during the 2004 celebrations through correspondence, information packets, press releases, and audiovisual materials such as photographs, compact discs, and DVDs, as well as a paper copy of the Celebrate 350 website. The collection has been arranged into three different series:
A. OFFICE FILES
	1. National and International Organization Files
	2. Artist/Performer Files
	3. Public Relations and Press Files
	4. Planning Materials
	5. National Dinner
	
B. AUDIO VISUAL MATERIALS

C. EPHEMERA AND OVERSIZED MATERIALS 
The Office Files series represents the bulk of the collection, and consist of five subseries: National and International Organization Files and Artist/Performer Files, which contain subject files on organizations and individuals involved in the 350th anniversary, and are comprised of correspondence and informational materials, some of which are audiovisual. The Public Relations and Press Files include a printed copy of the entire Celebrate 350 website, including the calendar, time line, resources, and eNewsletter, as well as press clippings from 2003 through 2005 and samples of Celebrate 350 stationary. The Planning Materials subseries consists of the National Planning Conference proceedings, as well as research materials from the Tercentenary celebration. The National Dinner materials consist of information on the 350 Fund expenditures on the event, sample invitations and programs, as well as returned RSVP cards, and photographs taken at the National Dinner.

The Audio Visual Material series documents the events and programing of the 350th anniversary in photographs, audio, and moving images on data compact discs, audio compact discs, videocassette tapes and DVDs. Other audio visual materials can be found within specific organizational, artist, and event files in Series A.

Finally, the Ephemera and Oversized Materials series consists of commemorative items given to Celebrate 350 from other organizations, such as a t-shirt, Kiddush Cup, and calendar, as well as those produced by Celebrate 350, such as the commemorative medal and documentary book.

BOX AND FOLDER LIST top
Box	Folder	Contents


SERIES A. OFFICE FILES.  

SUB-SERIES 1. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FILES
	National Files

1	1	92nd Street Y. 2004-2005.
	2	Adult Institute of Jewish Studies. 2004.
	3	American Jewish Press Association. 2004-2005.
	4-5	American Jewish Archives. 2004-2005.
	6	American Jewish Committee. 2002-2004.
	7	American Jewish Historical Society. 2003-2005.
	8	American Jewish Historical Society  - Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards 2003.
	9	American Jewish Historical Society - Jewish Notecards. 2000.

2	1	American Jewish Legacy. 2003-2004.
	2	American University. 2003.
	3	Arthur Szyk Society. 2002-2003.
	4	Association of Jewish Libraries. 2003-2004.
	5	Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education. 2004.
	6	Avi Chai. 2003.
	7 	BaBaGaNewz. 2003-2005. 
	8	Behrman House. 2004.
	9	Berkshire Hills - Emanuel Camps. Circa 2004.
	10	Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives. 2005.
	11	Bnai Brith International. 2003. 
	12	Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York. 2003-2004.
	13 	Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE). 2004.
	14	Center for Jewish History. 2001-2005.
	15	Charleston Strolls. 2004.
	16	Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJ). 2003.
	17	Conference of Presidents. 2003.
	18	Congregation Beth El, South Orange, New Jersey. 2004-2005.
	19	Congregation Mikveh Israel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 2005.
	20	Congregation Ner Tamid of South Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes, California. 2005.
	21	Congregation Or Zarua, New York. Circa 2004.
	22	Congregation Rodeph Sholom. 2005.
	23	Congregation Temple Emanu-El, Staten Island, New York. 2003-2004.
	24	Contemporary Jewish Museum. 2004-2005.
	25	Council of American Jewish Museum (CAJM). 2002-2004. 
	26	City University of New York Television. 2004-2005.

3	1	Eldridge Street Project. 2004.
	2	Feinstein Center for American Jewish History at Temple University. 2004
	3	Fairview Press. 2002.
	4	Federations (Jewish). 2004.
	5	First Heritage. 2003.
	6	Gomez Mill House. 2003.
	7	Hadassah. 2003-2005.
	8	Hillel. 2003.
	9	Historicana. 2004. 
	10	Hope Horn Gallery, University of Scranton. 2004.
	11	Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. 2004. 
	12	Jewish Heritage Foundation of North Carolina. 2005. 
	13	Jewish Historical Society of Delaware. 2004.
	14	Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven. 2004.
	15	Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington/Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum. 2004-2005.
	16	Jewish Historical Society of Memphis and the Mid-South. 2004. 
	17	Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. 2003.
	18	Jewish Historical Society - Milwaukee. 2004.
	19	Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina and Southern Jewish Historical Society. 2004.
	20	Jewish Historical Society - Washington State. 2004-2005.

4	1	Jewish Telegraphic Association. 2003-2004.
	2	Jewish Temple, Congregation Gemiluth Chassodim, Alexandria, Louisiana. 2005.
	3	Jewish Heritage New York and New York Jewish Community Relations Council. 2003-2005.
	4	Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. 2005.
	5	Jewish Childrens Learning Lab. Circa 2004.
	6	Jewish Council for Public Affairs. 2005-2006.
	7	Jewish Education Center of Cleveland. 2004.
	8	Jewish Community Centers Association. 2003.
	9	Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc - National Baseball Hall of Fame Program. 2004.
	10	The Jewish Museum. 2004.
	11	Jewish Renaissance Media. 2003.
	12	Jewish Labor Committee. 2004.
	13	Janice Charach Epstein Gallery. 2005.
	14	Jewish History.com. n.d.
	15	Jewish Theological Seminary. 2003-2005.
	16	Jewish Virtual Library. 2004.
	17	Jewish War Veterans. 2004.
	18	Jewish Womens Archive. 2003-2005.
	19	Judah L. Magnes Museum. 2004-2005.
	20	Koret Jewish Book Awards. 2002-2003.
	21 	Lehigh Valley Celebrates 350. 2005.
	22	Library of Congress - Exhibit Proposal. 2001-2004.
	23	Library of America. 2003.
	24	Lilith. 2004.
	25	Lower East Side Tenement Museum. 2003-2004.

5	1	McKissick Museum - University of South Carolina. n.d.
	2	Milken Archive - VHS Tape. 2003.
	3 	Milken Archive. 2003-2004.
	4	Murray Street. 2003.
	5	Museum of the City of New York. 2004-2005.
	6	Museum of Jewish Heritage. 2001-2004.
	7	Museum of New Mexico. 2004.
	8	National Council of Jewish Women. 2004.
	9	National Endowment for the Humanities. n.d.
	10	National Foundation for Jewish Culture - General. 2000-2005.
	11	National Foundation for Jewish Culture - Cruise Booklets. Circa 2004.
	12	National Foundation for Jewish Culture - Legacy Cruise. 2004.

6	1	National Foundation for Jewish Culture - 350th Anniversary of Jewish Life in America - Commission on the 		Future of Jewish Culture in America. 2002-2005.
	2	National Jewish History Month. 2004.
	3	New York Jewish Music and Heritage Festival. 2004.
	4	National Museum for American Jewish History. n.d.
	5	New York Public Library. 2004.
	6	North American Jewish Choral Festival. 2004.
	7	Oregon Jewish Museum. 2005.
	8	Orthodox Union. 2003.
	9	Out of Spain. n.d.
	10 	Queens College. 2004.
	11	Rabbinical Assembly. 2004.
	12	Salisbury University. 2004.
	13	Salute to Israel Parade. 2005.
	14	Scouts. 2005.
	15	Singer 100: Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1904-2004. 2004.	
	16	Congregation Shearith Israel. 2003-2004.
	17	Skirball Cultural Center. 2004-2005.
	18	The Jewish Press. 2003.
	19	The Shalem Center. 2000.
	20	Spertus Institute. 2004-2006.
	21	Sutton Place Synagogue. 2003.
	22	Temple Emanu-El, Dallas, Texas. 2004-2005.
	23	Touro Synagogue, Newport, Rhode Island. 2003-2004.
	24	United Jewish Communities. 2003-2004.
	25	United Synagogue Review. 2004.
	26	Yavneh Day School. n.d.
	27	Yeshiva University. 2004-2006.
	28	YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. 2003-2005.

	International Files
7	1	Brazil. 2004.
	2	General. 2003-2005.

SUB-SERIES 2. ARTIST/PERFORMER FILES

	3	Kentucky Colonel Jason Alexander. 2003.
	4	Awake and Sing. 2004.
	5	Emily Bingham. 2003.
	6	Debra B. Darvick. 2002-2003.
	7	Eli N. Evans. 2002-2005.
	8	Film/TV Scripts. 2003.
	9	Judith Goldsmith. 2003.
	10	Joseph Heckelman. 2004.
	11	Vanessa Hidary. 2003-2004.
	12	Hip Hop Hoodios. 2002-2004.
	13	The Immigrant. 2005.
	14	Isle of Klezbos. 2002-2004.
	15	Jewish Music. 1998-2000.
	16	Klezska. 2003.
	17	Joep de Koning. 2004.
	18	Los Angeles Jewish Symphony. 2005.

8	1	Metropolitan Klezmer. 2001-2004.
	2	Millie and the Mentshn. 2004.
	3	Paul Shapiro. 2003.
	4	Henry Stolzman. 2004.
	5	A Stoop on Orchard Street. 2003-2004.
	6	Lexi Van de Walle. 2002-2004.

SUB-SERIES 3. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PRESS FILES
	
	7	Website - Home. 2005.
	8	Website - About Us. 2005.
	9	Website - Calendar (empty).
	10	Website - Speakers Bureau. 2005.
	11	Website - Timeline. 2005.
	12	Website - Donations. 2005.
	13	Website - Program Resources. 2005.

9	1-2	Website - E-Newsletters. 2003-2005.
	3	Website - Celebrate 350. 2006.
	4	Press Clippings. 2003-August 2004.
	5	Press Clippings. September 2004.
	6	Press Clippings and Forward. October 2004-December 2004.

10	1	Press Clippings. 2005.
	2	Duplicate Press Releases. 2003-2005.
	3	Press Releases and Press Packets. 2004-2005.
	4	Samples of Letterhead and Envelopes. Circa 2004.

SUB-SERIES 4. PLANNING MATERIALS

	5	National Planning Conference Proceedings. 2003.
	6	Tercentenary Research Files. 2002.

SUB-SERIES 5. NATIONAL DINNER.

11	1	Contracts and Payment Information. 2005.
	2	350 Fund - General. 2005.
	3	350 Fund - Initial Loans. 2005.
	4	350 Fund - Commemorative Album Payments. 2005.
	5	350 Fund - Foremost Caterers. 2005.  
	6	350 Fund - Gala Events, Inc. 2005.
	7	350 Fund - Invitation, Envelope, RSVP and Program Samples. 2005.
	8-19	Photographs [in packages]. 2005.

12	1	RSVP Cards Received as of 19 September 2005. 2005.

SERIES B. AUDIO VISUAL MATERIALS.
	2	Celebrate 350 Logos. 2003-2004. [CD]
	3	Celebrate 350 Stationery.  2003-2005. [CD]
	4	The Eternal Light: "Rendezvous with Liberty" - Broadcast September 1954, Courtesy of Jewish Theological Seminary. 2005. [CD]
	5	Celebrate 350 General Presentation (PowerPoint). May 2004. [CD]
	6	"New Beginnings," Solomon Schechter High School of New York Annual Benefit. 2 June 2004. [DVD]
		"There'll Come a Day," song by Paul and Elaine Suchow.  Undated. [CD]
	7	Celebrate 350: Memo and PR Templates (TIFF Files and Microsoft Word templates). 2003.  [CD]
		Celebrate 350: Community Action Guide (PDF).  2004.  [CD]
	8	"Civilization and the Jews" - Celebrate 350 and Channel 13 (video). 15 March 2005. [CD]
	9	Salute To Israel Parade Images. 5 June 2005. [CD]
	10-15	National Dinner Images (3 discs in each envelope; duplicates). 2005. [CD]
	16-17	Launch of 350 Years of Jewish Life in America - Photos by Simona Aru. 2003. [CD]
	18	350th Anniversary of American Jewish Life National Jewish Life Dinner DVD. 2005. [DVD]

13	1	Celebrate 350 Interviews. 9 September 2003. [VHS]
	2	Celebrate 350 Presentation. 9 September 2003. [VHS]
	3-4	Celebrate 350 Launch. 9 September 2003. [VHS]
	5	Celebrate 350 Fox News Magazine. 19 September 2004. [VHS]

SERIES C. EPHEMERA AND OVERSIZED MATERIALS.
	6	350th Medal and Label. 2004.
	7	Business Cards of Contacts. Circa 2003-2004.

14	1	Articles and Special Journals on 350th. 2004-2005.
	2	Proclamation by Senator Michael DeWine. 28 July 2005.
	3	The Jewish Calendar 2005, Celebrating 350 Years of Jewish Life in America. September 2004-December 2005.
	4	"Proclaim Liberty" Kiddush Cup. 2004.
	5	"Three Hundred Fifty Years - An Album of American Jewish Memory." 2004.
	6	"In the Port of Pernambuco, the Gateway to New York" - Exhibit Catalog for the Jewish History Archive of Pernambuco. Circa 2004.
	7	T-shirt - "Pernambuco, Brazil, a Portal to New York." Circa 2004.
Flat File: Cabinet 6, Drawer 4 Library of Congress Exhibition Poster: From Haven to Home, 350 Years of Jewish Life in America.  2004. 

	
  
  
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