TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Finding Aid to the Bernard H. Mehlman Papers. 1967-2000 (bulk 1978-1999).
Manuscript Collection No. 858
Funding, in part, for the arrangement and description of this collection was
provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Introduction |
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| Repository: | The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives |
| Creator: | Mehlman, Bernard H., 1937- |
| Title: | Bernard H. Mehlman Papers |
| Dates: | 1967-2000 |
| Bulk Dates: | 1978-1999 |
| Quantity: | 48.0 linear feet (48 record cartons) |
| Abstract: | Collection consisting primarily of papers from Mehlman’s rabbinate at Temple Israel in Boston, Massachusetts, from his installation in 1978 until his retirement in 1999. Also included are papers from the Ethan Allan Brown Scholarship Foundation. This collection is restricted. |
| Collection Number: | MS-858 |
| Language: | Collection material in English. |
Biographical Sketch
Bernard H. Mehlman was born on January 6, 1937 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from New York University in 1957 and earned his masters and rabbinic degrees at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion's (HUC-JIR) Cincinnati campus in 1963. He began his rabbinate as an Army chaplain in Texas and Germany. He married Emily Shain in 1964; they had two sons, Jonathan and David.
In 1965, Mehlman became the assistant rabbi at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City. Two years later, he was hired by Temple Micah in Washington, D.C., a young congregation that expanded rapidly during his ten-year tenure. While in Washington, Rabbi Mehlman served as the Jewish coordinator for Interfaith Metropolitan Theological Education, Inc., an 'experimental, interfaith, interracial, urban centered seminary for men and women' of all faiths. In 1973, he earned a doctorate in Hebrew Letters from HUC-JIR.
In 1978, Rabbi Mehlman became the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Boston, Massachusetts, serving for twenty-one years. Mehlman adopted a more inclusive team approach, broadened education opportunities for all congregants, and worked to address multiple constituent needs. After retiring in 1999, he became professor of Homiletics and Midrash at HUC-JIR's New York campus. Mehlman was also on the committee for the Ethan Allan Brown Scholarship Foundation from 1986-1999.
--Adapted from Becoming American Jews: Temple Israel of Boston. By Meaghan Dwyer-Ryan, Susan L. Porter, Lisa Fagin Davis.
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists primarily of papers from Mehlman's rabbinate at Temple Israel in Boston, Massachusetts, from his installation in 1978 until his retirement in 1999. Alphabetical files cover a wide range of topics relevant to congregational life, from sermons, services, and lifecycle events to social issues and programming activities. Topical files consist of correspondence, minutes, writings, and more. Also included are papers from the Ethan Allan Brown Scholarship Foundation.
Arrangement Note
This collection is arranged in a single series. Alphabetical files are arranged chronologically.
Conditions of Access and Use
Terms of Access
Access to the Rabbi Bernard Mehlman Papers will be restricted until January 1, 2025. Until that date, researchers seeking to gain access to the Rabbi Bernard Mehlman Papers must request special permission to do so, in writting, from the Executive Director of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives.
Terms of Reproduction and Use
Bernard H. Mehlman, by the act of donating this collection to the American Jewish Archives, assigned all property rights and literary rights to the American Jewish Archives. 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
Related Collections
Mehlman, Bernard H., 1937-. Installation service, 29 April 1978. C-3688 to C-3689.
Mehlman, Bernard H., 1937-. Sermon. March 21, 1986. CD-112, C-4322.
Mehlman, Bernard H., 1937-. Discussion. May 7, 1975. TR-1059.
Mehlman, Bernard H., 1937-. Nearprint Biographies.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Bernard H. Mehlman Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:
[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-858. Bernard H. Mehlman Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Provenance
The Bernard H. Mehlman Papers were received from Bernard H. Mehlman, Boston, Massachusetts in August 1999 and August, 2004.
Processing Information
Processed by Michelle Wirth Detroit, March, 2012.
This collection was arranged and described according to minimal-processing standards. Funding, in part, for the arrangement and description of this collection was provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Box Folder Listing
Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the AJA Online Catalog.