Culture Department
Extent and Medium
4.4 linear feet (11 Hollinger boxes)
Biographical History
The Culture Department in New York was established in March 1945 to assist with reconstruction of the spiritual and cultural life of Holocaust survivors; recovery of cultural treasures and communal archives; and to strengthen the intellectual aspects of Jewish life in the Western hemisphere and Sephardic communities in the Mediterranean area. Several variations of the name of the department are used in the collection, including Education Department, Cultural Department, and Department of Culture and Education.
Scope and Content
Contains correspondence of the department directors, Simon Federbush and Wolf Blattberg, together with reports, publications, and other material pertaining to the activities of the New York branch of the Culture Department.
Material in the series includes correspondence of the first director, Simon Federbush (1945—ca. 1950) and the second director, Wolf Blattberg (1950—1958), who joined the department in 1945. After Blattberg's death in 1958, Greta Beigel assumed his responsibilities for cultural work. Included in Blattberg's files is correspondence with the London headquarters of the Culture Department and its director, Aaron Steinberg (1946—1968).
In addition to correspondence, the series contains reports, publications, and other materials pertaining to the activities of the Culture Department in New York, such as the school adoption plan, cultural delegation to Europe and South America, essay contests, relations with UNESCO, book drives, and periodicals. Other materials in the series refer to conferences on Jewish, Yiddish, or Hebrew culture.
System of Arrangement
The series is divided into three (3) subseries: 1. Executive Files; 2. Miscellaneous; 3. Publications.