YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 104
• English
• ca. 7 l.m. (over 1900 testimonies).
• Updated 6 years ago

This collection consists of over 1900 testimonies written by Holocaust survivors, documenting their experiences in occupied Europe in the years 1939-1945. The testimonies are often very extensive, numbering in the dozens of pages. There are three series, corresponding with efforts to collect testimonies undertaken in the immediate postwar years (Series I), in 1954 (Series II) and since the 1960s (Series III). Testimonies with reference to Belgium are especially found in Series I. These testimonies were collected in displaced persons camps in Germany, Austria, Italy and also in Poland and ot...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 116
• English
• ca. 100 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

This fonds contains a subseries on Belgium, totalling 54 folders. They contain various archival material (correspondence, reports, leaflets, …) and printed matter. We note the following file descriptions, cited verbatim from the folder list: “Experience of Belgian Jews during the war. Catalog of a 1946 exhibiton entitled Crimes Hitlérien May 25-June 30 1946” (nr. 1), “2 copies of SD 1942 report on Belgian Jews and the measures against them” (nr. 2), “Wartime identity cards. School Reports by Jewish students”(nr. 3), “Part of burned Torah” (nr. 4), “Anti-Semitic articles in the Brüsseler Zei...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 120
• English
• ca. 15 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

The Territorial Photographic Collection contains photographs of Jewish life in more than 65 different countries. There is a series concerning Belgium, totalling 57 folders. Folders “Belgium 1940-1944 photo Antwerp I”, “Belgium 1940-1944 photo Antwerp II”, “Belgium 1940-1944 photo Antwerp III” and “Belgium 1940-1944 photo Antwerp IV” contain portraits of people wearing the yellow star. In folders “Belgium 1940-1944 photo Brussels 1”, “Belgium 1940-1944 photo Brussels 2” and “Belgium 1940-1944 photo Brussels 3, 4” we resp. find group portraits of students of a Jewish school (before the deport...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 1400
• English
• 1870-1992
• ca. 220 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

The various series of the Bund Archives contain interesting material on Bundism and the Jewish workers movement in Belgium. Due to the structure of this fonds, we are forced to describe relevant files according to the folder list they are mentioned in. From folder list “MG 2”, we firstly note several files on the First World Conference of the Bund, held in Brussels (1947) – see folders nr. 6 (notes, minutes), nr. 7 (telegrams, correspondence), nr. 8 (manuscripts), nr. 9 (correspondence), nr. 10 (notes from L. Hersch), nr. 11 (resolution, leaflets, guest passes) and nr. 15 (theses of L. Hers...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 235
• English
• 1907-1940
• 63 folders (ca. 1 l.m.).
• Updated 6 years ago

This fonds contains documents concerning the Jewish communities in Belgium (mainly Antwerp and Brussels) during the interwar period, collected by David Trotsky. The bulk of the material is dated 1920-1938. We mostly find printed matter (newsletters, posters, flyers, …), circulars, reports, membership cards, invitations, election materials, clippings, … covering virtually all aspects of Jewish political, social, cultural, economic and religious life. We note files on the Zionist Federation of Belgium (file nr. 1); the Zionist Association of Brussels (nrs. 2-3); other Zionist groups (i.a. Zei...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 245.4
• English
• ca. 20 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

The various series and subseries of this fonds contain many files relevant to the work of HIAS and HICEM in Belgium, or concerning aid to refugees from Belgium. We also point out that, as with other record groups of the HIAS-HICEM collection, the series and files in this fonds often include correspondence of Max Gottschalk, due to his position in this organisation. Series III (“Correspondence between HIAS and HICEM Offices”) contains several files with correspondence relevant to our guide, namely correspondence between Max Gottschalk and other individuals. See file III-3 (i.a. concerning Em...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 245.5
• English
• ca. 15 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

This fonds contains many files concerning the situation of Jewish refugees in Belgium before the Second World War, and the work of BELHICEM/BEL-HIAS in particular. First of all, the records of a general nature in Series I (“France I, Pre-Occupation Records, 1933-1940”) may hold valuable information on Belgium – see the many general files, minutes of meetings, activity reports, statistical material and correspondence, often arranged by country. For instance, we can find information on the establishment of HICEM offices in Belgium (1939) in the minutes of monthly meetings of the HICEM Paris o...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 245.7
• English
• 1944-1962
• ca. 16 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

The (sub)series in this fonds contain several interesting files regarding Belgium. Series 1 contains emigrant case files, arranged by destination country. For Belgium, see folder nrs. 5851-5853; for the former Belgian Congo, see folder nrs. 3087-3092. This series also contains a fairly large number of files entitled “International” and “Miscellaneous international”, which might also contain case files of people migrating to (or from) Belgium. In Series 2 (“AJDC Paris Office Correspondence”) there is a section on Belgium, holding 5 folders. Folder nr. 5988 contains statistical reports (1951-...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 25
• English
• 1847
• 1218 files (ca. 6,3 l.m.).
• Updated 6 years ago

This fonds contains a “Subseries 4: Sefer Tora Project, 1933-1935”, consisting of lists of contributions and correspondence regarding the Sefer Tora Project. We note files on Antwerp (folder nr. 820) and Brussels (nr. 833).

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 330
• English
• 1940-1944
• ca. 0,10 l.m. (9 folders).
• Updated 6 years ago

The Max Gottschalk Papers almost exclusively consist of correspondence of Gottschalk with various individuals and organisations. We note: correspondence concerning Gottschalk’s relations with Belgian Free Masons living in the USA (folder XXXI-1; period 1941); correspondence with various individuals (folder XXXI-2; 1942); letters of thanks and various invitations (folder XXXI-32; 1942-1944); correspondence of Gottschalk concerning his son Robert i.a. regarding his admission into university, bar mitzvah, summer camp performances etc. (folder XXXI-4; 1942-1943); correspondence with regards to ...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 335.7
• English
• ca. 4,5 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

In subseries 4 (“correspondence about countries and with the regional JDC offices”), we find a file on “JDC Belgium” (years 1947-1948) - see box 18, folder nr. 534.

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 335.9
• English
• ?
• Updated 6 years ago

This part of the records of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee consists of pictures of the activities of this organisations all around the world. The fonds should contain pictures on JDC work in Belgium. At the time of writing, the relevant folder appeared to be missing.

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 347.1.29
• English
• 1918-1947
• ca. 7,3 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

This fonds contains documents from Morris Waldman, Secretary (1928-1943) and Executive Vice-President (1943-1944) of the AJC. The following files are relevant to this guide: “Belgium, 1939” (box 4), “Gottschalk, Max 1937-1939” (box 16), “Van Zeeland – see US. Government/Coordinator of information” (box 41) and “War and Peace 1920-1945 Belgium decrees (before and after war) 1940-1945” (box 44).

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 347.7.1
• English
• 1963-1970
• 34 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

This fonds contains five relevant files with regards to AJC activities in Belgium. The folder list contains the following (brief) descriptions: “Belgium. AJC correspondents (reports)”, “Belgium. Jewish Agencies”, “Belgium. Jewish community”, “Belgium. Refugees (Mermelstein orphans)” and “Belgium. Visits”.

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 347.7.41
• English
• 743 files (ca. 10,2 l.m.).
• Updated 6 years ago

The “Series I: Geographic Files” contains interesting material on the Belgian Jewish community. Firstly we point out the reports on visits to Belgium and the situation of the Jews there (1947-1950, 1955); see box 5, folder nr. 41. Box 5, folders nrs. 37, 39, 42 and 43 contain monthly reports and correspondence by AJC correspondents (i.a. Regine Orfinger-Karlin and Joseph Lehrer) in Belgium, resp. for 1956-1957, 1945-1951, 1946-1948 and 1949-1951. Correspondence, various reports, press clippings etc. on general subjects (the Jewish population, refugees, anti-Semitism, contacts with Jewish co...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 380
• English
• ca. 8 l.m. (648 folders).
• Updated 6 years ago

Firstly, general information on ORT activities in Belgium can be found in the series of general records, reports, brochures, correspondence etc. We note for instance the series of “WOU Weekly Summaries”, containing weekly reports on ORT work in various countries. These summaries are arranged by country. The series “Archive materials” contains reports and publications on several countries, i.a. Belgium – see folder nr. 304 (ca. 1930-1945). Series “Historical Educational” contains a file “Historical Educational Belgium” (nr. 334; period 1946-1949). It consists of statistical material on the n...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 380 P
• English
• ca. 2 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

The “ORT Photograph collection”, a part of the larger American ORT records collection, contains several folders with photographs depicting ORT activities in Belgium. We note the following folders, often holding several pictures: nr. 1004 “Offices of the Committee for Assistance to Jewish Refugees” (Brussels, pre-1940), nr. 1005 “Feeding refugees at the Committee for Assistance to Jewish Refugees” (Brussels, pre-1940), nr. 1006 “Shabbos in Joint Distribution Committee-supported home” (1947), nr. 1007 “Students at work in trade school” (Antwerp, post-1945), nr. 1008 “Children’s home maintaine...

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
• USA / YIVO / RG 987
• English
• 1941-1964
• ca. 0,50 l.m.
• Updated 6 years ago

In this fonds we note, in box 3, a folder entitled “9.h. France / Belgium”, containing correspondence (ca. 1946-1950) with individuals asking for information on missing relatives, on how to contact family members in the United States, requests for sending parcels with food and supplies, etc.