TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement Note

Restrictions

Related Material

Administrative Information

Search Terms

Box Folder Listing

Series A. Personal. 1936-2006.

Series B. Melton Research Center. 1961-1977.

Series C. Bureau of Jewish Education, Boston. 1954-2001.

Series D. Camp Ramah. 1951-2002.

Series E. Miscellaneous. 1955-1993.

A Finding Aid to the Louis Newman Papers. 1936-2006.

Manuscript Collection No. 839


Introduction

Repository: The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
Creator: Newman, Louis, 1918-2007
Title: Louis Newman Papers
Dates: 1936-2006
Quantity: 9.0 linear feet (9 record cartons)
Abstract: Personal papers, together with correspondence and curricula pertaining to his career as a Jewish educator at the various institutions and schools where he worked.
Collection Number: MS-839
Language: Collection material in English.

Biographical Sketch

Louis Newman was born in New York in 1918. He graduated from the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School, City College, and Herzliah Teachers' Institute and received his M.A. in Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. His progressive educational philosophy, developed as director of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin (1951-1953), became the dominant framework for all the Ramah camps in North America and Israel. From 1951-1963 he headed the nondenominational Akiba Hebrew Academy in Philadelphia. Newman's design for the country's first intensive, Jewish pluralistic school influenced the creation of seventy-five such schools in North America. From 1963-1973, he was the founding director of the Melton Research Center of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He was the executive director of the Boston Bureau of Jewish Education until his retirement in 1983. There, he expanded services to all age groups, denominations, and day schools, and introduced informal weekend camps for children. Upon retirement he contributed to the founding of Boston's Rashi School and Gann Academy and the Howard County Jewish Community Center in Columbia, Maryland.

He and his wife Shirley were married for 63 years and had three children.


Scope and Content Note

Personal papers, together with correspondence and curricula pertaining to his career as a Jewish educator at the various institutions and schools where he worked.

Includes papers relating to: the Conservative movement's Ramah Camps and counselor training programs in Wisconsin, the Berkshires, the Poconos, and Connecticut; the Akiba Hebrew Academy in Philadelphia; the Melton Center for Research in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York; the Bureau of Jewish Education of Boston; the Rashi School in Boston; and the Howard County Jewish Community Center in Columbia, Maryland.


Arrangement Note

This collection is arranged in five (5) series:

Series A. Personal. 1936-2006.
Series B. Melton Research Center. 1961-1977.
Series C. Boston Bureau of Jewish Education. 1954-2001.
Series D. Camp Ramah. 1951-2002.
Series E. Miscellaneous. 1955-1993.

Restrictions

Terms of Access and Use

This collection is open to all users. The original manuscript collection is available in the Barrows-Loebelson Reading Room of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives.

Property and Literary Rights

Miriam Newman, by the act of donating this collection to the American Jewish Archives, assigned all property and literary rights to the American Jewish Archives, with the exception of the literary rights for Pluralistic Education for the Young and the Mature: New Tasks (Box 1, Folder 34). Rights to this specific work are retained by the Newman family and their heirs. Literary rights may also be retained by specific creators of some materials.

Questions concerning rights should be addressed to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives. For more information see the American Jewish Archives copyright information webpage.


Related Material

Separated Material

Newman, Louis. Honorary Doctorate, Jewish Theological Seminary, 1984. FF:C6/D13.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Louis Newman Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:

[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-839. Louis Newman Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Provenance

The Louis Newman Papers were received from Miriam Newman, Newton Centre, Mass., in August 2009.

Processing Information

Processed by Michal Loving, October, 2011.


Box Folder Listing

Series A. Personal. 1936-2006.
Scope and Content Note: Contains personal information, including but not limited to, his old report cards, resumes, school transcripts and diplomas, his marriage certificate, letters of recommendation, term papers from when he was a student, speeches he gave, published articles, and personal correspondence.
Box Folder
1 1 Correspondence. 1955-1968.
1 2 Correspondence. 1980-2002.
1 3 Diplomas and certificates. 1936-1985.
1 4 Letters of recommendation. 1942.
1 5 Columbia University. 1940.
1 6 Draft rejection notice. 1944.
1 7 City College Report Cards. 1940.
1 8 City College Aquatic School, Undated. 1965.
1 9 Copy of marriage certificate. 1965.
1 10 Graduate school application, GREs. 1966.
1 11 Resume. 1983.
1 12 School transcripts. 1942-1948.
1 13 JTS degree. 1984.
1 14 Photos. 1940-2006.
1 15 Eulogies, tributes. 1983-2006.
1 16 Published articles. Undated.
1 17-19 Papers. 1965-1966, Undated.
1 20 Speeches. Undated.
1 21 Speeches 2. Undated.
1 22 Speeches 3. Undated.
1 23 Papers and grades from Teacher's College. 1947-1950.
1 24 Ed. 308B Term Paper. 1943.
1 25 Teacher's College Final Assignment. 1949.
1 26 Term Papers Psychology. 1943.
1 27 Term Papers. 1950-1970.
1 28 Speeches. 1986, Undated.
1 29 Tribute dinner. October 23, 1983.
1 30 JTS - Course Ed. 33. Spring 1972.
1 31 JTS Publications. 1963-1969.
1 32 JTS Leaders Training Fellowship 1. 1954-1960.
1 33 JTS Leaders Training Fellowship 2. 1960-1962.
1 34 Pluralistic Education for the Young and the Mature: New Tasks. Undated.
Series B. Melton Research Center. 1961-1977.
Scope and Content Note: Consists of teaching materials: curricula, lesson plans, and handouts designed by both himself and the Center's other teachers, as well as speeches and meeting minutes revolving around curriculum and school updates. There is a special emphasis on lesson plans for how to teach midrash and the books of Genesis and Exodus. The majority of the other material consists of lesson plans and teaching material, though for the Akiba Hebrew Academy, the Bureau of Jewish Education, the Rashi School of Boston, the emphasis is not on Bible but on teaching prayer and Hebrew language to elementary school students.
Box Folder
2 1 Curriculum 1. 1965-1966.
2 2 Vera Leifman. Undated.
2 3 Schwab-Fox. Undated.
2 4 Miscellaneous curriculum 1. 1972-1977.
2 5 Miscellaneous curriculum 2. Undated.
2 6 Miscellaneous curriculum 3. 1971.
2 7 Jewish Thought. 1964-1972.
2 8 Miscellaneous curriculum 4. 1973.
2 9 Miscellaneous curriculum 5. 1970-1972.
2 10 Rosenak paper. Undated.
2 11 Paper on education. Undated.
2 12 Bi-weekly report. January 15, 1965.
2 13 Schwab: Practical #3. 1963.
2 14 Miscellaneous notes, correspondence, lesson plans. 1963-1973.
2 15 Brauner's Hebrew to English Genesis. Undated.
2 16 Melton training materials. 1970.
2 17 Rationale for teacher training. Undated.
2 18 Glick: Adolescent questionnaire. Undated.
2 19 Sol Goldman. Undated.
2 20 Lukinsky. Undated.
2 21 Papers - Jr. Faculty. Undated.
2 22 Hebrew curriculum. Undated.
Box Folder
3 1 Miscellaneous Papers 1. 1965.
3 2 Curriculum and Journals. 1965.
3 3 Greenberg and Tigay. 1965.
3 4 History: Outline (Cohen's?). Undated.
3 5 Jacobson, Hauptman. 1967-1968.
3 6 Greenberg, Jacobson. 1965.
3 7 Greenberg. 1965.
3 8 Greenberg, Hameiri, Newman. 1965.
Box Folder
4 1 Schwab Discussion on Text. 1966.
4 2 Memoranda on Evaluation Problem. Undated.
4 3 Elliot Dorff on Theology, 1986. 1986.
4 4 Student's Guide, Exodus. Undated.
4 5 Simcha Fisher. Undated.
4 6 Exodus curricula. 1965-1971.
4 7 Miscellaneous Teaching Materials 1. 1967-1968.
4 8 Miscellaneous Teaching Materials 2. 1967-1968.
4 9 Miscellaneous Teaching Materials 3. 1968.
4 10 Melton Internal Memoranda. 1969-1971.
4 11 Curriculum Meeting. April 25, 1969.
4 12 Program for Jewish Education. 1963.
4 13 Rothschild "God and Modern Man". Undated.
4 14 Notes and correspondence re: curricula. 1963.
Box Folder
5 1 Exodus Teaching Materials. Undated.
5 2 Maimonides on the Reasons for the Commandments. Undated.
5 3 Heschel: Basic Jewish Values. Undated.
5 4 Grammatical Ideas for Understanding Biblical Hebrew Usage. April 27, 1966.
5 5 Miscellaneous Papers 1. 1961-1968.
5 6 Miscellaneous Papers 2. 1972.
5 7 Chapter 3: Spies in Jericho. Undated.
5 8 Miscellaneous Teaching Material 1. Undated.
5 9 Miscellaneous Teaching Material 2. 1961.
5 10 Psalm 23: Notes. Undated.
5 11 Russian Lecture. 1977.
5 12 Notes, correspondence, curricula. 1966-1968.
5 13 Lesson Plans on the Siddur. 1973.
5 14 Jacobson Lessons, Writing. 1968.
5 15 Lessons on Midrash. Undated.
5 16 The Melton Research Center in the Next Decade: A Projection. September 27, 1972.
Series C. Bureau of Jewish Education, Boston. 1954-2001.
Box Folder
6 1 Publications. 1954-1997.
6 2 Harvard Hillel Curriculum. 1986.
6 3 Subcommittee on Placement. 1968-1976.
6 4 Miscellaneous Papers 1. 1978-2001.
6 5 Miscellaneous Papers 2. 1970-1987.
6 6-7 "Challenge and Response: Varieties of Jewish Religion in America". 1978-1981.
6 8 AAJE Conference Summary. 1976-1977.
6 9 Greater Miami Day School Survey. 1977.
6 10 Sourcebooks, services. 1976.
6 11 Principals and planned services. 1980-1981.
6 12 "The Deterioration of the Profession" by Shevitz. 1983.
6 13 "Dilemmas and Adaptations: Core Curriculum". 1978-1979.
6 14 "Teaching Tfilah to Grades Bet and Gimel". Undated.
6 15 "Holocaust Curriculum for Jewish Schools". 1980.
6 16 Tu Bi-Shevat. 1978-1979.
6 17 Com. Ed. Forum. Undated.
6 18 Hebrew College - Faculty Manual. 1974.
6 19 Curriculums in English - 3 Day and 5 Day. 1967.
6 20 Curriculum NOW (Myth and Fact). 1975.
6 21 Himmelfarh, Harold S.. 1974.
6 22 Preschool. 1978-1982.
Box Folder
7 1 Miscellaneous Papers 1. 1973-1977.
7 2 Miscellaneous Papers 2. 1979-1996.
7 3 Miscellaneous Papers 3. 1977-1978.
7 4 Miscellaneous Curricula. 1974-1983.
7 5 Interoffice Memoranda. 1979-1981.
7 6 "Are We One People?" Lesson Plan. Undated.
7 7 Educational Planning. 1978.
7 8 Flow Charts. Undated.
7 9 Questions from RA Speech. Undated.
7 10 Torah Curriculum for Daled Class. Undated.
7 11 Demographic Questionnaire. 1975.
7 12 Kiddush - Verses. 1976.
7 13 A Psalm of David. 1977.
7 14 Teaching Genesis. 1975.
7 15 Jewish Identity. Undated.
7 16 Elazar - High School. 1981.
7 17 Literature. 1973.
7 18 N:KKVD. Undated.
7 19 Central School. Undated.
7 20 Attitude - Task Force - Talk by Louis Newman. September 28, 1976.
7 21 Joe Lusinksky Festschrift. 1999.
7 22 The Study of Bible for Teachers and Students. Undated.
7 23 "The Power to Lead". 1983.
Series D. Camp Ramah. 1951-2002.
Box Folder
8 1 Miscellaneous Papers 1. 1967-1994.
8 2 Miscellaneous Papers 2. 1955-1970.
8 3 Miscellaneous Papers 3. 1951-2002.
8 4 Miscellaneous Papers 4. 1962.
8 5 Miscellaneous Papers 5. 1962.
8 6 Conservative Movement. 1970.
8 7 Rabbi Shapiro Funeral. Undated.
8 8 Mador: National Training Institute. 1964.
8 9 Ramah Camp - Poconos. 1962-1964.
8 10 Ramah Mador. 1967.
8 11 Ramah Wisconsin Jr. Counselor's Training Manual. 1962.
8 12 Ramah Wisconsin. 1953.
8 13 Ramah Wisconsin. 1987.
8 14 Ramah Connecticut. 1955.
8 15 Ramah - Various locations, general. 1953-1964.
8 16 Ramah Questionnaires. 1965.
8 17 Hebrew Source Books. Undated.
8 18 "Shirley Newman's Midrash class - Ramah to Melton Teachers?". Undated.
8 19 Midrash - Level Daled. 1968.
8 20 Midrash - Level Hay. 1968.
Box Folder
9 1 Chaim Potok - Ramah and JTS. 1964-1965.
9 2 Ramah Poconos Questionnaire. Undated.
9 3 National Ramah Commission Publications. 1958.
Series E. Miscellaneous. 1955-1993.
Box Folder
9 4-5 Akiba Hebrew Academy. Miscellaneous Papers. 1957-1987.
9 6 Akiba Hebrew Academy. Quarterly Reports. 1955.
9 7 Akiba Hebrew Academy. Speech. 1998.
9 8 Akiba Hebrew Academy. Publications. 1949-1961.
9 9 Rashi School. Speeches. 1988.
9 10 Rashi School. Mission Statement. Undated.
9 11 Rashi School. Tribute. 1996.
9 12 Rashi School. Administrative Notes, Correspondence. 1988-1993.
9 13 Howard County JCC. Correspondence and introduction. 1983.
9 14 Howard County JCC. Prayer Curriculum. 1983-1984.
9 15 Howard County JCC. Teachers' Summaries. 1983-1984.
9 16 Howard County JCC. Aleph-Bet Home Study Program. 1983-1984.
9 17 Howard County JCC. Aleph-Bet Home Study Program, Packet 3. 1983-1984.
9 18 Howard County JCC. Curriculum Papers. 1983-1984.
9 19 Howard County JCC. School Evaluation. 1984.
9 20 Howard County JCC. Miscellaneous. 1983-1984.
9 21 Howard County JCC. Miscellaneous Worksheets. 1983-1984.
9 22 Howard County JCC. Miscellaneous Correspondence. 1983-1984.
9 23-24 Howard County JCC. Minutes. 1983-1984.

Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the AJA Online Catalog.

Persons and Families

Newman, Louis, 1918-2007.

Institutions

Akiba Hebrew Academy (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Bureau of Jewish Education (Boston, Mass.)
Howard County Jewish Community Center (Washington, D.C.)
Mahaneh Ramah.
Melton Centre for Jewish Education.

Subjects

Jewish camps.
Jewish day schools.
Jewish education.

Occupations

Jewish educators.