TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Organization

Conditions of Access and Use

Administrative Information

Search Terms

Box and Folder Listing

Series A. Correspondence and Nearprint, 1928-1983

Series B. Sermons, Writings, Poetry and Meditations, 1930-1972

Series C. Confirmation Class Notes, Sermons and Scrapbooks, 1920-1979

Series D. Professional Development and Chaplaincy Involvement, 1943-1979

Series E. Temple Israel (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 1932-1968

A Finding Aid to the Jacob Kestin Shankman Papers. 1920-1983.

Manuscript Collection No. 693

Biographical Sketch

Jacob Kestin Shankman was born on October 22, 1904 in Chelsea, Massachusetts to Isaac and Dina Shankman. At the age of 14 he was admitted to Harvard University where he received a bachelor's degree in 1923 and a master's degree in 1925. In 1930 Shankman graduated from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was ordained as a rabbi. During his studies at HUC, Shankman served as president of the student body and awarded honors for having the highest scholastic record.

Shankman began his rabbinical career at Berith Sholom in Troy, New York before coming to Temple Israel in New Rochelle, New York in 1937. After twenty years at Temple Israel Shankman was granted life tenure in November of 1957. In 1962, the Temple moved from their synagogue on Webster Avenue to their current location at 1000 Pinebrook, a move encouraged and lobbied for by Shankman.

During World War II, Shankman took leave from Temple Israel to serve as a chaplain with the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1943-1946. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and remained interested in the military chaplaincy throughout his life.

Shankman was involved with the New Rochelle Council of Social Agencies, Community Chest, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Council for Unity, PTA and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He served as President of the Association of Reform Rabbis of New York, the Westchester Council of Rabbis, and the Alumni Association of Hebrew Union College.

As a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Shankman served as a member of its executive board, its Commission on Ceremonies, and as chairman of its Committees on Church and State, Relations of Rabbis and Congregations, Meditations and Ethics. He was the American director of the World Union for Progressive Judaism from 1957-1964, being chairman of the American board at the same time. In 1959, he became chairman of the World Union's Executive Committee.

Shankman was included in Who's Who in America and the Encylopaedia Judaica. He wrote a history of Temple Israel, a history of his mother's family--the Kestins–to the 1400s, and was published in numerous periodicals including American Judaism, Liberal Judaism, and The Jewish Layman.

In 1937, he married Miriam Frankenstein. Together they had two daughters: Judith and Diane, as well as one son Michael.

Jacob K. Shankman died on February 6th, 1986.

Scope and Content Note

The Jacob K. Shankman papers are comprised of materials collected by Jacob Shankman over the course of his rabbinical career. The nearprint contains biographical material and photographs of the rabbi. There is also one box of correspondence – both personal and professional – that chronicles Shankman's continued involvement with HUC-JIR and professional organizations such as the Central Conference on American Rabbis and the World Union for Progressive Judaism.

Sermons over the course of Shankman's tenure at Temple Israel, as well as those given while he was a chaplain in the U.S. Naval Reserve, can be found among Shankman's other writings. Shankman was a prolific reader and his readings often led to private meditations and notes that would transform into sermons. A substantial portion of the writings are Shankman's own notes and drafts or articles and sermons. Much of the material in this portion of the collection is not dated, though researchers should be able to surmise dates from the newsclippings and articles on which Shankman began his initial writings. Whenever possible, sermons and writings are put into chronological order. When this is not possible, the sermons and writings have been put into order by title, with untitled material – including Shankman's poetry – placed at the end of the series.

An extensive portion of the collection is dedicated to the day-to-day functions of Temple Israel in its various forms, as well as material covering Shankman's active participation in professional organizations and his life-long interest in military chaplaincy.

The collection spans the dates 1920-1983.

Organization

The Jacob K. Shankman papers are divided into five series:

Conditions of Access and Use

Terms of Access

The collection is open for use; no retrictions apply.

Terms of Reproduction and Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce, with exceptions for fair use, may be obtained through the American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please address queries to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives. For more information, see the American Jewish Archives copyright information webpage.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Jacob Kestin Shankman Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:

[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-693. Jacob Kestin Shankman Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Provenance

The Jacob K. Shankman papers were originally donated by Mrs. Jacob K. Shankman, New Rochelle, N.Y., in 1986. An additional supplement of papers were donated to the American Jewish Archives by Sue Shankman of Cincinnati, Ohio, in June, 2001. All materials donated prior to February, 2003 have been arranged and described in this inventory.

Processing Information

Processed by Jeff Brown and Rachel Howse, February, 2003.

Box and Folder Listing

Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the AJA's online catalog.

Persons and Families

Institutions

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

Occupations