Ben Berger was a successful Minneapolis businessman and philanthropist, and an original co-owner of the Minneapolis Lakers. He was also a prodigious funds raiser. He is shown speaking at a Jewish National Fund dinner at Minneapolis' Pick-Nicollet Hotel. The Jewish National Fund raised money throughout the world to support tree planting and infrastructure projects in Israel.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Children in front of signage at Temple Israel alerting the public to the plight of Soviet Jews denied the opportunity of migrate to Israel. The local Jewish community sent hundreds of people to Washington D. C. for a rally that drew thousands of people and directed the nation's attention to the issue.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Cantor was a popular entertainer who traveled periodically during World War II to promote sales of U. S. War Bonds. He is shown here with the Lebedoff triplets; David, Jonathan and Judy. Arrangements for Cantor's visit were made by Minneapolis Hadassah.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The Hillel Israeli folk dance group gathered in front of Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota Campus to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The founders of Pioneer Women, posed outdoors for this photograph. Pioneer Women was an international group of Labor-Zionist women who made Aaliyah to Palestine during the 1920s. They came with a feminist agenda, to be full partners in the political and economic work of building a Jewish state. A women's group formed in Minnesota to raise funds to support their counterparts in Palestine. Included in the picture, back, left to right: Sara Rosenblatt, Helen (Wiener) Pogoler, Mrs. Jake Berman; front: Mrs. Schwartz, Brucha Wiener. Photograph taken in August of 1938 at Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Eleven men seated next to tents, including Governor Alexander Ramsey and Col. Colville. The First Minnesota Regiment was the first voluntary infantry regiment to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War.This was taken at the country residence of Mr. George Brackett, Orono, Lake Minnetonka.
Ira Jeffrey standing at attention in his Navy dress uniform. Ira Jeffery joined the Navy in or about 1940. After training, he was stationed at Pearl Harbor, serving on the battleship California. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the California was hit by aircraft fire and sank at berth. Ira Jeffery was killed in the attack, the first Jewish soldier to die in World War II. Wiel was posthumously awarded a commendation from the Secretary of the Navy.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Members of the Israel Bonds Committee photographed at a table with a mural in the background. In May 1951, David ben-Gurion launched the sale of Israel Bonds in the U. S. at a rally in New York. Touring the U. S., calling on American Jews to purchase bonds to aid the financially strapped country, ben-Gurion met with overwhelming success. Over $52 million was loaned to Israel by Americans in the first year of the drive. Bonds helped with infrastructure building and the settlement of Jewish refugees. Prominent Minnesotans in the leadership group included Ben Berger and Dr. Moses Barron
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A man and a woman stand in front of the United States flag at the J. W. V. picnic. Jewish War Veterans was established in 1896 to honor Jewish veterans serving during the Civil War and wars abroad. This picnic took place during the year the United States entered World War II.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The Jewish National Workers Alliance, or Farband, was the mutual aid component of the political party Poale Zion. Farband organized cooperative insurance and medical services and Yiddish language adult education for its worker members. Farband was active all over the U. S., primarily in the East. The greatest Twin Cities involvement in the Farband was among children of the first wave of Eastern European immigrants.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
ICOR, founded in 1926 in Philadelphia, stood for the "The Association for Jewish Colonization in the Soviet Union." ICOR promoted the success and survival of Biro-Bijan, a Jewish autonomous region in the Siberia. The inscription at the bottom of the third panel of the photo triptych reads" Minneapolis ICOR greets the Pioneers in Biro-Bijan at the 5th Annual Picnic, Aug.10-1930." The Minneapolis North Side was home to many Jews whose families had immigrated from Russia.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
ICOR, founded in 1926 in Philadelphia, stood for the "The Association for Jewish Colonization in the Soviet Union." ICOR promoted the survival and success of Biro-Bijan, a Jewish autonomous region in the Soviet Union. The inscription at the bottom of the third panel of the photo triptych reads" Minneapolis ICOR greets the Pioneers in Biro-Bijan at the 5th Annual Picnic, Aug.10-1930." The Minneapolis Jewish North Side contained a large number of Jews whose families had immigrated from Russia.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
ICOR, founded in 1926 in Philadelphia, stood for the "The Association for Jewish Colonization in the Soviet Union." ICOR promoted the survival and success of Biro-Bijan, a Jewish autonomous region in the Soviet Union. The inscription at the bottom of the third panel of the photo triptych reads" Minneapolis ICOR greets the Pioneers in Biro-Bijan at the 5th Annual Picnic, Aug.10-1930." The Minneapolis North Side was home to many Jews whose families had immigrated from Russia.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The first conference was held in Washington in 1951. On the dais, left to right, are Mrs. Elias Amdur; Leo Gross; Mrs. Theodore Bronstein; Harry Rosenthal; Henry Montor; Israeli Minister of Finance David Horowitz; Ben Berger; Mrs. David Horowitz, and Mrs. Harry Rosenthal.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph of the Poalie Zion group wearing sashes which show support for the striking New York garment workers. Poale Zion was a Zionist-Socialist-Laborite group founded in Russia. Chapters of the organization were established in the United States, where they helped raised funds for Jewish immigration to Palestine.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Served in the Minnesota Legislature: House 1943-1946 (District 35). For biographical information, see the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library database at: http://www.leg.mn/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=12825