Scope and Contents:
This collection contains photographs collected by Rabbi Leo Eliezer Turitz, rabbi of Temple B’nai Abraham in Decatur, Illinois from 1946 to 1964. These materials provide insight into the religious life of the Jewish community of Decatur.
Temple B’nai Abraham was established by Decatur’s Jewish community in 1921. The congregation, initially Orthodox Jewish, transitioned to Reform Judaism in the early 1930s. The congregation’s first temple was located at 247 West Prairie Avenue. In 1957, the growing congregation relocated to a larger building at 1326 West Eldorado Street. Temple B’nai Abraham supported the needs of Decatur’s Jewish community by operating a religious school and serving as a meeting place for the Temple Sisterhood, the Louis H. Cohn Lodge of B’nai B’rith, and the Decatur Chapter of Hadassah.
Born in Chicago on December 19, 1911, Rabbi Turitz was ordained as a rabbi at Hebrew Union College in 1938. He served as rabbi of Temple B’nai Abraham from 1946 to 1964. In Decatur, he helped establish the Mental Health Association of Macon County, served as chairman of the Human Relations Commission, and was involved with numerous community organizations, including the NAACAP, Danville Community Chest, United Fund, Ministerial Alliance, Rotary Club, and the Association of Commerce. In addition to Temple B’nai Abraham, Rabbi Turitz served congregations in Bradford, PA; Newcastle, PA; Newark, NJ; McAllen, TX; Portsmouth, VA; and Meridian, MS. An active leader in the Jewish community, Rabbi Turitz co-founded the National Federation of Temple Youth and served on the board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Rabbi Turitz and his wife Evelyn Menowitz Goldberg Turitz (married 1938) were also experts on Jewish history in the U.S. South, co-authoring Jews of Early Mississippi. The couple had three daughters, Rhoda London, Susan Cooper, and Laura Malamud.
The collection consists of 20 photographs and 4 clippings of photographs from newspapers related Rabbi Turitz’s time at Temple B’nai Abraham, dating from 1946 to 1964. Several items are undated but appear to date to the 1940s-1960s. The photographs depict Temple-related events led or attended by Rabbi Turitz, such as meetings of the North American Federation for Temple Youth (the Missouri Valley of Temple Youth and the Illinois Federation of Temple Youth) and the groundbreaking ceremony of Temple B’nai Abraham’s Eldorado Street building. They also depict religious services and ceremonies officiated by Rabbi Turitz, including bar and bat mitzvahs. Also present are photographs of Rabbi Turitz participating in leading a secular community event in Decatur and meeting with unidentified individuals. Photographs of the Temple’s Sunday School classes and the interior of the Eldorado Street building are present, as well. Each photograph is accompanied by historical and contextual annotations provided by Rabbi Turitz’s daughter, Susan Turitz Cooper.
These materials were donated by Susan Turitz Cooper, Rabbi Turitz’s daughter, in 2023.
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