Stolbun/Workmen's Circle collection

Collection

Identifier: MS 0783

Staff Only

Finding aid note: Forms part of the Houston Jewish History Archive. Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains photographs of the members of the Workmen’s Circle in 1925 and 1945, along with a Certificate of Service from the National Jewish Welfare Board recognizing Edith Winograd (Stolbun) for her participation in the war-time program of the same. The materials are in good condition, and many of the subjects in the photographs are identified. This collection would be ideal for a researcher seeking to identify members of the Workmen’s Circle, or exploring pillars of the Jewish community—either the people involved or the century-old organization itself. Researchers may find the size of the collection limiting, since it lacks any other documentation related to the Workmen’s Circle, or even photographs from earlier than 1925 or later than 1945.

Dates

Creation: 1925, 1945

Conditions Governing Access

This material is open for research.

Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Stolbun/Workmen's Circle collection must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

The Woodson Research Center use policy is that researchers assume sole responsibility for any infringement of privacy, literary rights, copyrights, or other rights arising from their use of the archival materials. In addition to any restrictions placed by donors, certain kinds of archival materials are restricted for the life of the creator plus 50 years. These materials include, but are not limited to, student grades, transcripts, and any job applications or recommendations.

Biographical / Historical

According to its website, The Workmen’s Circle is “a social justice organization that powers progressive Jewish identity through Jewish cultural engagement, Yiddish language learning, multigenerational education, and social justice activism.” Founded in 1900, the institution was originally meant to present a united front and root traditional values in the new world for Jewish immigrants facing “exploitative labor practices, blighted and overcrowded tenements, ethnic rivalries [and an] unfamiliar new culture.” Though its focus has shifted somewhat in the century of involvement in the Jewish Community, the Workmen’s Circle holds true to the values that originally brought the members together: “Jewish community, the promotion of an enlightened Jewish culture, and social justice.” Today, the Circle “[works] fiercely to remain a bulwark in the fight for the dignity and economic rights of immigrants, fairness in labor practices, decent health care for all Americans.”

A long-standing member of the Workmen’s Circle, Edith Winograd Stolbun was born in Houston, one of nine children of Ida and Max Winograd. She married her husband Bernard on Sept. 8, 1946, and together they raised three children. During her time, she volunteered as a driver for the Lighthouse for the Blind, and various other community programs, including the Jewish Welfare Board’s war-time program. She had a close connection to United States veterans, having lost in combat one of the two brothers who served in World War II.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet (1 Box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains materials relevant to the century-old Workmen’s Circle, a social justice organization dedicated to preserving Jewish identity and activism. The materials include group portraits of members in 1925 and 1945, and a Certificate of Service presented to Edith Winograd Stolbun, whose son donated the collection.

Arrangement

The materials are arranged in three folders, one each for the photographs and accompanying identification documents, and one for the Certificate of Service. The folders are in date order.