With the recent addition of many gifts of books and historical Jewish objects, Temple emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun has developed what is believed to be the most outstanding congregational library and museum in the midwest.
Its library has grown to over 4,000 volumes on religion and Judaica, and is now being used intensively by college students and teachers, apeakers seeking facts on Jewish topice, and program chairmen of many organizations, as well as the congregation and its school of religion. Hundreds of Gentiles have also utilized the library, and the milwaukee Public library has referred many of its patorons to the temple for Jewish volumes it did not itself possess.
Hundreds of reference works are maintained by the library; 30 corrent magazines; a clipping department,, and a wide selection of books on the Nazi movement that has drawn many students of the subject to the temple.
Rabbi Joseph L. Baron explained that the library also has a complete file of the Jewish Quarterly Review (American and English editions) for the past 45 years; many old, out-of-print Jewish periodicals; a continuous colection of other Jewish magazines; a wide varlety of anti-Semitic liferature; and hundreds of volumes on Jewish drama and music.
The library is classified according to modern cataloguing systems, and books are lent free. The salary of the librarian, Mrs. Ida Beller, is paid out of the temple’s budget. Develpment of the library is directed by a committee headed by Mrs. Hugo Teweles.
The museum, with rarities estimated to be worth $25,000, caontains a collection of contemporary Jewish art, Jewish historical and ceremonial objects, objects excavated in Jerusalem, ancient Hebrew coins, old prints and pitures on Judaism, Jewish charms and amulets and archives of old Jewish organzations in this city and the state.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
