Collection of circa 130 Pinkas Books (Record Books) of some 15 New York Synagogues

A most extraordinary and historic, archival trove of many scores of Record Books from more than a dozen Synagogues from New York's Lower East Side, from an era when this locale represented the hub of Jewish life in America. The Pinkasim provide an intimate view of life at the time, by Congregations of various stripes and religious loyalties. The contents of these Pinkas Books reflect synagogue and devotional affairs, charitable projects, local concerns, the inevitable inter-communal rivalries and most especially a deep insight into the impact of world events on the American Jewish Community during the time of the Holocaust. A comprehensive survey and description of this collection, listing the names of the synagogues and institutions represented, is available upon request