TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Finding Aid to the Alvan D. Rubin Papers. 1952-2000.
Manuscript Collection No. 894
Introduction |
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| Repository: | The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives |
| Creator: | Alvan D. Rubin |
| Title: | Alvan D. Rubin Papers |
| Dates: | 1952-2000, undated |
| Quantity: | 0.8 linear feet (2 Hollinger boxes) |
| Abstract: | Collection consisting primarily of sermons delivered by Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin. These include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and other Jewish holiday sermons together with weekly Sabbath sermons. Also includes miscellaneous writings, speeches, and correspondence, along with files related to Rubin's retirement from Congregation Temple Israel in Saint Louis, Missouri. |
| Collection Number: | MS-894 |
| Language: | Collection material in English. |
Biographical Sketch
Alvan D. Rubin was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1920. While attending Northeastern University he worked at the Boston Globe. After receiving his degree in journalism in 1941 Rubin continued working at the Globe as a reporter. Rubin enlisted in the United States Army during the Second World War, where he served overseas from 1942 until 1945. His first hand experiences of the Holocaust and what he called “the struggle for life and death” prompted Rubin to enroll in the rabbinical program at the Jewish Institute of Religion in New York after returning from active service in 1945. While a student at JIR he took a student pulpit in Roslyn Heights, New York, to serve the newly formed congregation of Temple Sinai.
After ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in 1950, Rubin continued serving Temple Sinai as its first full time rabbi. During this time, Rubin enrolled at New York University, where he earned his Master of Arts degree in 1952. He was extended the honor of life tenure at Temple Sinai in 1958, after ten years of service there. In 1964, Rubin took a sabbatical year in Israel to study at the Hebrew Union College Biblical and Archeological School’s excavation at Gezer under the direction of Dr. Ernest Wright. During his 18 year tenure at Temple Sinai, the congregation grew from fifty families to over 1000 families. In 1967, Rubin moved to Congregation Temple Israel in Saint Louis, Missouri where he served as senior rabbi. In 1987, he retired and became rabbi emeritus.
Rubin was very active in the communities where he worked. He was a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the National Chaplaincy Commission of the Jewish Welfare Board, and the New York Board of Rabbis, where he served as vice-president. He was also a member of the Board of Alumni Overseers of HUC-JIR and a past president of the HUC-JIR Rabbinic Alumni Association. In Saint Louis, Rubin participated in a weekly radio program, taught at Saint Louis University and Webster College, and served as chaplain to various military and community organizations.
Rubin remained involved in chaplaincy throughout his rabbinical career. In New York, he served as auxiliary Jewish chaplain at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point and at Mitchel Air Force Base in Long Island. In 1966, he toured the Far East as Technical Adviser to the Air Force Chief of Chaplains. After moving to Saint Louis, Rubin served as a Jewish chaplain at VA Medical Centers.
Rubin is the author of A Picture Dictionary of Jewish Life and co-author of Your Bar Mitzvah.
Alvan Rubin died in 2006 at the age of 85.
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists primarily of holiday and weekly Sabbath sermons delivered by Alvan D. Rubin while serving as rabbi at Temple Sinai in Roslyn Heights, New York and at Temple Israel in Saint Louis, Missouri. The majority of sermons were delivered at high holy day services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Other Jewish holiday sermons are included along with weekly Sabbath sermons. Also includes miscellaneous writings, speeches, and correspondence, along with files related to his retirement as rabbi at Temple Israel in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Arrangement Note
This collection is arranged in two (2) series:
- Series A. Sermons. 1952-2000, undated.
- Series B. General. 1969-2000, undated.
Conditions of Access and Use
Terms of Access and Use
The Alvan D. Rubin Papers are 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.
Terms of Reproduction and Use
This collection has been placed in the permanent care, custody, and control of the American Jewish Archives (AJA) by the donors of the collection. Questions concerning rights to use or publish materials from the collection should be addressed to the Executive Director of the AJA. For more information, see the American Jewish Archives copyright information webpage.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Alvan D. Rubin Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:
[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-894. Alvan D. Rubin Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Provenance
The Alvan D. Rubin Papers were received from his daughter, Carol Rubin, Saint Louis, Missouri, in June 2014.
Processing Information
Processed by American Jewish Archives staff. Additional processing by Michelle Smith, February 2016.
Box and Folder Listing
| Series A. Sermons. 1952-2000, undated. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Content Note: This series consists of holiday and Sabbath sermons given by Rubin. The majority of sermons were delivered on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Other Jewish holiday sermons are included along with weekly Sabbath sermons. | |||||||||||
| Arrangement Note: This series is arranged alphabetically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Sermons. 1953-1966. | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Sermons. 1967-1979. | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Sermons. 1981-2000. | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Sermons. undated. | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Sermons. Hanukkah. undated. | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Sermons. Passover. 1968-1981. | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Sermons. Purim. 1957. | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Sermons. Rosh Hashanah. 1953-1998, undated. | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Sermons. Shavuot and confirmation. 1958-1973. | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Sermons. Simchat Torah. 1991, undated. | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Sermons. Sukkot. 1952-1955, undated. | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Sermons. Yom Kippur. 1953-1998, undated. | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Sermons delivered on KSD-TV. 1967-1977, undated. | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Sermons on anti-Semitism and racism. 1993, undated. | |||||||||
| 2 | 3 | Sermons on family. 1979, 1996, undated. | |||||||||
| 2 | 4 | Sermons on friendship. undated. | |||||||||
| 2 | 5 | Sermons on Genesis. 1963-1968, undated. | |||||||||
| 2 | 6 | Sermons on Israel. 1970, 1996, undated. | |||||||||
| 2 | 7 | Sermons on marriage. 2000, undated. | |||||||||
| 2 | 8 | Sermons on women in the Torah. undated. | |||||||||
| Series B. General. 1969-2000, undated. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Content Note: This series consists of biographical data, writings, and material on Rubin’s retirement from Temple Israel. His writings include a personal letter to his granddaughter on her bat mitzvah, an editorial letter appearing in the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, installation addresses, and speeches given throughout his career. Retirement materials include congratulatory letters, articles, and speeches honoring Rabbi Rubin. | |||||||||||
| Arrangement Note: This series is arranged alphabetically. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 9 | Biographical data and personal. 1996, undated. | |||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Installation addresses. 1969-1983. | |||||||||
| 2 | 11 | Retirement. 1986-1987. | |||||||||
| 2 | 12 | Speeches. 1996-2000. | |||||||||
Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the AJA's online catalog.