mums127 Leon Shapiro Papers, 1939-1984 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Linda Seidman. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA
2002

University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric Cartier. 2002-07-29 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mu147 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Special Collections and University Archives W.E.B. Du Bois Library University of Massachusetts Amherst Leon Shapiro Papers, 1939-1984 Finding Aid Manuscript Number 127 Compiled by Linda Seidman December 1986 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

2002 University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.

 Collection Overview Shapiro, Leon Leon Shapiro Papers 1939-1984 MS 127 15 boxes (8.75 linear ft.) Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Historian, author, Professor of Russian and Soviet Jewish History at Rutgers University, who helped arrange the escape of Jews from Europe during World War II and was active in several organizations concerned with the emigration of Soviet and Eastern European Jews to Palestine. Papers include biographical materials, correspondence, legal documents, writings, lecture and research materials, statistical data in the world Jewish population before and after World War II, oral history transcripts, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, and four photographs. English and French Biographical Note

Leon Shapiro (1905-1984) was a historian and Professor of Russian and Soviet Jewish History at Rutgers University; author of The History of ORT: A Jewish Movement for Social Change ; a 35-year contributor of articles to "The American Jewish Yearbook"; fluent speaker of Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, German, French, and Ukrainian; helped arrange the escape of Jews from Europe during World War II; and an active member in several organizations concerned with the emigration of Soviet and Eastern European Jews to Palestine and other issues related to Judaism.

1905 Born July 14, in Hersun (Korsun, Korsoun, Hersein), Kiev, Russia, to Mark and Freida Scheinblum Shapiro. 1923 Candidate for degree in Social Sciences and Law, University of Kiev. Imprisoned for anti-Bolshevik activities. 1925 Exiled to Palestine. 1928 Diplome de Licencie en Droit, Social Sciences and Law, University of Toulouse. 1935 Married in Paris to Leorfore Rita Willdorff; divorced in 1940. 1940 Secretary General, Federation des Societes Juives de France, Paris 1941-1949 Research Associate, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, New York. 1941 Immigrated to U.S. 1946 Married Luba. 1954-1956 Assistant Director, Cultural Department, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany 1964-1967 Research Associate, Columbia University Seminar in International Research Methods. 1964-1972 Assistant Executive Director, Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture. 1968-1978 Professor, Russian and Soviet Jewish History, Department of Hebraic Studies and Soviet/Eastern European Studies Program, Rutgers University. 1972-1973 Adjunct Professor, Queens College, School of General Studies, City College of New York. 1973 Adjunct Associate Professor, Judaic Studies, Brooklyn College, City College of New York. 1974-1975 Adjunct Associate Professor, Academy Without Walls, Haifa University. 1978-1979 Professor, Empire State College. 1984 Died, December 25, New York City. Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Leon Shapiro papers (1939-1984) pertain primarily to Soviet and Eastern European Jewry before and after World War II and to the formation of the nation of Israel in personal, research, and published materials.

The collection comprises biographical materials, correspondence, legal documents, audio-tapes, four photographs, writings, newspaper clippings, research materials, oral history transcripts, printed materials, and statistical data.

 Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into seven series:

Series 1. Bio-Bibliographical, 1940-1984 Series 2. Correspondence, 1945-1984 Series 3. Subject Files, 1955-1984 Series 4. Writings, 1939-1984 Series 5. Research Materials, 1940s-1980s Series 6. Oral Histories, 1974-1979 Series 7. Printed Materials, 1949-1985

The collection is open for research.

 Preferred Citation

Cite as: Leon Shapiro Papers (MS 127). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Acquired from Luba Shapiro, Leon's wife, via Michael Wolff and Stanley Radosh, 1986.

Processed by Linda Seidman, December 1986.

 Search Terms Shapiro, Leon--Archives. World ORT Union--History--Sources. Rutgers University--Students--History--Sources. Rutgers University--Faculty--History--Sources. Rutgers University--Curricula. Jews, Soviet--History--Sources. Jews--Soviet Union--History--Sources. Jews--Europe, Eastern--History--Sources. Occupational training for Jews--History--Sources. Jews--Migrations--History--Sources. Jews--Population--History--Sources. Palestine--History--1929-1948--Sources. Israel--History--1948-1967--Sources. Israel--Emigration and immigration--History--Sources. Romania--Emigration and immigration--History--Sources. Europe, Eastern--Ethnic relations--History--20th century--Sources. Soviet Union--Ethnic relations--History--Sources. Oral histories. Photographs. Series 1. Biographical and Bibliographical1940-1984

Shapiro's legal papers and official documents, biographical information, two audio-tape interviews of Mr. Shapiro, newspaper obituaries, and publication lists are in Series 1.

 Series 2. Correspondence1945-1984

Incoming letters and typescript copies of outgoing letters, mostly professional, some personal, are in Series 2, alphabetically arranged. Notable are the letters from Romanian Jews seeking immigration to Israel (1970s). Series 2 also contains a photograph of a painting titled "On Both Sides of the Warsaw Ghetto Wall 1943" sent by the artist, Israel Beinbauer, and three other unidentified photographs, ca. 1931 Vienna.

 Series 3. Subject files1955-1984

Subject files in Series 3 are divided into two sections, arranged alphabetically. The first contains materials related to Shapiro's professional and personal interests, and includes pamphlets and minutes of meetings from the program for Jewish Studies Without Walls, his two audio-tape lectures on the History of Soviet Jewry, a certificate and badge of Honor from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee along with Russian newspaper articles, various committee materials, and independent research projects. The second section is primarily comprised of Rutgers University student papers, correspondence, and lectures.

 Series 4. Writings1939-1984

Handwritten, typescript, and photocopies of various articles about the Soviet Union submitted to the American Jewish Yearbook for publication, along with their printed versions, are arranged chronologically in Series 4. Also present are statistics on the World Jewish Population, correspondence relating to publishing, ORT papers, book reviews, and an audio-tape of the 1980 ORT Rabbinic Scholar Conference.

 Series 5. Research Materials1940s-1980s

Census and other statistical data on the world Jewish population before and after World War II, together with descriptions of French concentration camps and Jewish life in occupied France, are in Series 5 in chronological order. Notable are the materials regarding Irgun, Haganah, and Palestine. This series contains a message to British soldiers dated 1947, other Hebrew documents, newspaper articles, and transcripts of political broadcasts relating to the foundation of Israel. Also in Series 5 there are reference materials on Jewish resistance during the holocaust and in Palestine.

 Series 6. Oral Histories1974-1979

Series 6 contains transcripts and seven audio-tapes from the Lautenberg Oral History Collection of Surviving Eastern European Communities, listed alphabetically. These describe Jewish life before Hitler and Stalin assumed power.

 Series 7. Printed Materials1949-1985

Pamphlets, booklets, articles, and miscellaneous ephemera relating to Soviet and European Jewry and holocaust survivors are in this series.

 Series 1. Biographical and Bibliographical1940-1984 1 1 Vita and Biographical articles 1 2 Lists of Publications 1 3 Official Documents: Birth, Marriage 1940-1945 1 4 Official Documents: Citizenship, Travel 1929-1946 1 5 Official Documents: Education, Work 1940-1946 1 6 Obituaries 1984 1 7 Interview: LS interviewed by Rabbi Seligson on "Message of Israel", audiotape 1980 1 8 Interview: LS interviewed by Sheila Zucker, WEVD-FM, audiotape 1980 Series 2. Correspondence1945-1984 1 9 A - American Committee 1 10 American Jewish Committee - American Jewish Yearbook 1 11 American ORT Federation 1 12 B - C 1 13 D - G 1 14 H - K 1 15 L - Ma 1 16 Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture 1 17 Mon - N 1 18 O - Wol 1 19 Women's American ORT 1 20 World ORT Union 1 21 Wos - Z, unidentified 1 22 75th birthday greetings Series 3. Subject files1955-1984 2 23 Academy for Jewish Studies Without Walls 1973-1977 2 24 American Council for Emigres in the Professions 1979 2 25 American Jewish Committee talk, Irving n.d. 2 26 American Joint Distribution Committee--Certificate of Honor 1984 2 27 Association for Jewish Studies 1976 2 28 Brooklyn College 1973 2 29 Columbia University 1965 2 30 Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture c1982 2 31 National Endowment for the Humanities 1979 2 32 New York Association for New Americans 1975-1978 2 33 ORT Jewish Book Fair, Detroit, packet 1980 2 34 ORT: National Rabbinic Scholar Conference 1980 2 34a Pasternak, Boris, clippings 1958 2 35 Project on 100 Years of Jewish Life in Russia and USSR 1919-1984 2 36 Queens College 1972-1978 2 37 Rutgers: class handouts 2 38 Rutgers: course materials 2 39 Rutgers: Hebraic Studies Department 1973-1977 3 40 Rutgers: Jews in Eastern Europe, Lecture Notes and background materials 3 41 Rutgers: Lectures-Eastern European Jews 1955-1967 3 42 Rutgers (and Queens): Modern Anti-Semitism--Lecture notes and suppl. 3 43-46 Rutgers: University position--correspondence and documents 1968-1978 4 47 Rutgers: Soviet and East European Program--memos and correspondence 1970-1981 4 48 Rutgers: Soviet and East European Program--reports, lists, etc. 1971-1977 4 49 Schwartz (?), Part I, edited ts draft n.d. 4 50 Society for Research on Jewish Communities 1981 4 51 Solidarity 1981-1982 4 52 Stalin-Alliluyeva, Svetlana 1967 4 53 Students' papers 4 54 Students' papers 4 55 Students' papers 4 56 Students' papers 5 57 Students' papers 5 58 Students' papers 5 59 Students' papers 5 60 Students' papers 5 61 Students' papers 5 62 Students' papers 5 63 Synagogue Council of America 1973-1981 5 64 Union of Russian Jews 1975-1976 5 65 World Union of Jewish Studies 1963-1980 5 66 Zipperstein, Steven: "First Years of Jewish Odessa" 1978 5 67 Unidentified items Series 4. Writings1939-1984 6 68-80 American Jewish Yearbook --ms, typescript, and printed versions of LS contributions 1939-1984 7 81 "L'Influence Juive Chez Marcel Proust" --ms; also ms or notes on Charles Plisnier c.1942 7 82 "Foyer de la Bibliotheque de la Sorbonne" --dialogue 1962 7 83 Encyclopedia Judaica articles: correspondence about and typescript 1964-1966 7 84 "Russian Jewry after Stalin", in Russian Jewry 1917-1967 1969 7 85 "Passover Restrictions in the Soviet Union", Jewish Telegraphic Agency Passover Release No. 9 1970 7 86 History of the Jews in Russia and Polandby Simon Dubnow, reissued--biog., intro., and outline history by LS: correspondence., reviews, publicity 1975 7 87 "Soviet Jewry since the Death of Stalin" --typescript draft and reprint from American Jewish Yearbook, 1979 1978 7 88-91 History of ORT 1976-1980 7 92 Guide to the Material on ORT's History 1981 7 93 "Mid-passage--50 Years of ORT: Short Comments" 7 94 Speech: ORT Rabbinic/Scholar Conference, audiotape 1980 7 95 Speech: "ORT in Jewish Life" 7 96 Speech: "ORT's Origins" 7 97 Speech: "Jews and Jewish Communities in Eastern and Central Europe--An Overview" 1980 7 98 Jews Under Tyranny: The Soviet Union -outline 1980s 7 99 Additional notes re: USSR 8 100 Jewish Life in Russia and the USSR --outline, chapter, ms, corresp. 1983 8 101 One Hundred Years of Jewish Life in the Russian Empire and Under Soviet Rule -outline n.d. 8 102 Soviet Russia/Russian Jewry in the 20th Century--lecture notes (?),writing preparation (?) 8 103 Book reviews 1964-1984 Series 5. Research Materials1940s-1980s 9 105-114 World Jewish Population 1940s-1980s 10 115-126 Soviet, Russian, and East European Jewry 11 127-135 ORT, Gide 12 136 Irgun, Haganah, Palestine Series 6. Oral Histories1974-1979 13-14 137-140 Project documents, Transcripts A-Z, tapes 1974-1979 Series 7. Printed Materials1949-1985 15 141 Printed versions of writings by others 1949-1985