Description:
Macabee Club was a club of Jewish high school students in Portland from 1955 to the 1970s. The Archives contains organizational records of the group, including meeting minutes, newsletters, and event programs.  Date Range:
1955-1972  Size of Collection:
1 ft

Van Der Steenhoven, Marieke

English

University of Southern Maine: Digital Commons@USM

University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons Search the Manuscript Collection (Finding Aids) Judaica Collection 5-2010 JUD MS 03 Macabee Club Archives Finding Aid Marieke Van Der Steenhoven Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/judaica_finding_aids  Part of the American Studies Commons, European History Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, Religion Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Macabee Club Archives, Judaica Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Judaica Collection at USM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Search the Manuscript Collection (Finding Aids) by an authorized administrator of USM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact jessica.c.hovey@maine.edu. 1  The Macabee Club Archives  Judaica Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine,  University of Southern Maine Libraries         UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE LIBRARIES SPECIAL COLLECTIONS   JEAN BYERS SAMPSON CENTER FOR DIVERSITY IN MAINE JUDAICA COLLECTION   MACABEE CLUB ARCHIVES JUD MS 3   Total Boxes:  1 Linear Feet: 1   By  Marieke Van Der Steenhoven    Portland, Maine May 2010   Copyright 2010 by the University of Southern Maine               2  The Macabee Club Archives  Judaica Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine,  University of Southern Maine Libraries Administrative Information  Provenance: The Macabee Club Archives were donated by Bruce Levinsky.  Ownership and Literary Rights: The Macabee Club Archives is the physical property of the University of Southern Maine Libraries.  Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the creator or her/his legal heirs and assigns.  For further information, consult the Head of Special Collections.  Cite as: Macabee Club Archives, Judaica Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries.  Historical Sketch  Macabee Club was a club of Jewish high school students in Portland from 1955 to the 1970s.  A selective organization, this Jewish fraternity based its yearly program on religious participation, social affairs, athletic activities, and community service. The club had a cabinet of president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, warden, and chaplain who were voted upon annually, while new members were voted into the club throughout the year. The club had at least one adult advisor. The club was associated with several other Jewish groups in the community, including Mu Sigma Fraternity and Iota Phi Sorority. Weekly meetings were generally called to order at members’ homes and discussed orders of business from potential new members, club sports coats, and disciplinary measures to fundraising efforts and future events and activities. Fundraising efforts took the form of paper drives throughout the school year. The club’s social affairs included several dances, a spring formal, and excursions for members such as mountain climbing and trips to Boston to see the Celtics. The club also participated in many athletic events as well as sponsoring tournaments and sports teams.  According to the official Macabee Club Objectives, “At all times sportsmanship and fine play are encouraged. These contests inspire much healthy spirit within the Club.” In addition to social and athletic events, the club participated in community service, directing their efforts into projects such as the Pride Training School for Retarded Children, the Blind Classroom Building Fund, the Center Day Camp Athletic Fund, Pineland Hospital, and the Greater Portland Mentally Retarded Children Fund. The club also encouraged religious participation with services following many of the weekly meetings, in addition to recommended attendance at the programs of the Brotherhood and the United Synagogue Youth. The club self-published several newsletters and booklets, including “The Hammer,” “The Peeping Tom,” and “The Damned Macabee,” that recount the efforts of the group and individual members throughout the year.   The material of the Macabee Archives is filled with a sense of serious commitment to brotherhood but is also infused with much humor, reflected in the sentiments of sophomore editorialist for “The Damned Macabee” (1967) Stephen Hirshon who wrote, “Having a good time, by the way, is the main purpose of the club, despite what the Formal Book says.”   3  The Macabee Club Archives  Judaica Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine,  University of Southern Maine Libraries Description of the Archives  The Archives contains organizational records of the group. The materials range from weekly meeting minutes and newsletters to programs for the club’s annual spring formal. The material reflects their serious commitment but is infused with many humorous anecdotes reflecting the camaraderie between members.\  Box  Folder  Description Date(s) 1 1 Macabee Notes, weekly minutes by Ron Drogin (1955-56), Louis Bornstein (1956-57) and Glenn Jacobson (1968-69). Includes attendance. In bound record book 1955-69  2 Macabee Notes, weekly minutes by Secretary Tony Rich.  1959 Sep 13- 1960   2 Also contains Macabee Club 1959-1960 Annual Report, membership list, and attendance. Originally compiled in a binder 22-May  3 Macabee Notes, weekly minutes by Bob Levi (1960-61) and  Richard Blumenthal (1962-63). Includes attendance. In bound record book 1960-63  4 Macabee Notes, weekly minutes by Jimmy Burns (1961-62) and Steve Burns (1966-67).  Also includes membership lists  and attendance. Originally compiled in a binder 1961-62, 1966-67  5 Macabee Notes, weekly minutes by Chick Levine (1964-65) and Jim Freundlich (1965-66). Also includes memberships list and attendance. In composition notebook 1964-66  6 Macabee Notes, weekly minutes by Steve Burns(1967 Jan-May), A. Mack (1967 May-1968 May) and Glenn Jacobson (1968 Sep-1969 Feb). Also includes, loose, Annual Report 1966-67 and attendance. In bound record book 1967-69 4  The Macabee Club Archives  Judaica Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine,  University of Southern Maine Libraries  7 Macabee Notes, weekly minutes by Glenn Jacobson (1968-69), Steve Brinn (1969-70), and Rich Rosen (1970-71).  Also includes membership list, newspaper clippings, attendance. Originally compiled in a binder with the following  inscribed: Glenn Jacobson 1968-69; Steve Brinn Sec. 1969-1970; Rich Rosen 1970-1971; Fang (Super Macabee) Chaplain Rose! Sec. 70-71 1968-71  8 Macabee Club 1960-1961, Annual Report by Secretary Bob Levi 1960-61  9 Booklet, "Macabee Ledger," swearing-in of members 1959-72  10 Membership list w/ addresses undated  11 Programs, Spring Formal 1959 Apr 18, 1960 Apr 30, 1961 May 6, 1962 Apr 28, 1963 May 4  12 Programs, Spring Formal 1964 May 9, 1965   13 Programs, Spring Formal (1968, 3 c.) 1968 May 25, 1970 May 23  14 Poster, Dance 1967 Sep 9  15 Newsletter, "The Hammer" undated  16 Newsletter, "The Peeping Tom" vol. 1, no. 1 1968 Nov  17 Booklet, "The Damn Macabee" 1967-68 year in review (3c.) 1968  18 Booklet ,"The Damn Macabee" 1967-68 [unbound] 1968  19 Loose pages 1-8, "The Damn Macabee" 1967-68 (multi c.) [1968]  20 Loose pages 9-15, "The Damn Macabee" 1967-68 (multi c.) [1968]  21 Poem, "The Macabee Bible" undated  22 Thank-you notes. Certificate of Appreciation, "Trees for Israel" undated  

JUD MS 03 Macabee Club Archives Finding Aid

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JUD MS 03 Macabee Club Archives Finding Aid

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