Scope and Contents:
The Jewish Federation of Springfield is a non-profit that serves as the secular volunteer organization for the Jewish community in Springfield and central Illinois. This collection documents the involvement of the Jewish Federation of Springfield with local Jewish congregations and organizations as well as international initiatives. The Jewish Federation of Springfield (JFS) was founded on May 6, 1941, to aid in the resettlement of Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust in Europe.
Part of the larger national organization, The Jewish Federations of North America, JFS is focused on meeting the needs of Jewish people in central Illinois and throughout the world, as well as supporting the state of Israel. In the 1980s, the JFS was involved with the United Jewish Appeal’s Operation Exodus which helped provide funds for Jewish citizens of the Soviet Union to settle in Springfield.
The collection documents the organizational mission and service of the Jewish Federation of Springfield from 1935 to 2019, showcasing the evolution of the organization. This collection contains seven series: organization and governance, board records, programs and initiatives, external organization, publications, as well as artifacts and visual material. Records include lists of board members, annual reports and meeting minutes, a monthly newsletter, programs, as well as newspaper clippings from Jewish communities locally and nationally.
These materials were donated to the Library by the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Springfield in 2024.
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