More Newly Processed: San Diego's Jewish History

In a previous post we announced that Special Collections has processed fifteen new archival and manuscript collections over the last few months. Next up in our series of posts describing them are several collections documenting San Diego's Jewish history. In this week's spotlight are the Morris Showel Cottage of Israel Collection, the Gussie K. Singer City of Hope Collection, the Abraham Nasatir Papers, the Ida Nasatir Papers, and the Women's Institute for Continuing Jewish Education Collection. All of these collections were donated to Special Collections by the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego.

Morris Showel Cottage of Israel Collection, 1948-1999 (MS-0462)

Dancing Girls Outside the Cottage of Israel

Balboa Park, 1952

Morris Showel was president of the Cottage of Israel in Balboa Park when it opened in August of 1948 - three months after the founding of the state of Israel. The Cottage's operation was directed by a Board elected at an annual meeting by the general membership. Membership was open to anyone interested in Israel. The Cottage, now known as the House of Israel, is one of the 29 Exposition cottages that make up the House of Pacific Relations located in Balboa Park. The collection consists of documents from promotional events either hosted by the Cottage of Israel or sponsored by other Jewish organizations in the San Diego area. It includes newspaper articles, photographs, flyers, announcements, displays, and invitations which document the public relations efforts of the Cottage of Israel from 1948 to the late 1990s.

Gussie K. Singer City of Hope Collection, 1977-2008 (MS-0463)
Founded in 1912 as the National Jewish Consumptive Relief Association of Southern California in Duarte, CA, the City of Hope offered treatment and services as a sanatorium for tubercular patients of any religious or ethnic background. Local chapters were started across the country to help raise funds for the hospital. The Gussie K. Singer Chapter of the City of Hope was founded in 1928 as the Jewish Consumptive Relief Association of San Diego. It was the second chapter formed, and is the oldest chapter still in existence. The collection consists of tribute books, newsletters, certificates, and other papers, including a 1971 tribute book honoring Harry Bronstein.

Abraham Nasatir

Abraham Nasatir Papers,1939-1995 (MS-0465)
Abraham Nasatir was born in 1906 in Santa Ana, California. He entered UC Berkeley at the age of 14, and received his PhD in History at age 21. While studying at Berkeley he met his future wife, Ida Hirsch, an English student. After marrying in 1929, the couple moved to San Diego where Nasatir began a 50-year teaching career at San Diego State College. Focusing on his fields of Spanish border, Mississippi Valley, and Gold Rush history, Nasatir published 14 books and numerous articles. He also served as vice-consul for Paraguay and Ecuador. As an Orthodox Jew, he was a leader and educator of the Jewish community. Nasatir Hall on the SDSU campus is named for him. The collection consists of correspondence, articles, photographs, newspaper clippings, materials from various Jewish institutions in the area, items about Nasatir Hall, and materials on the destruction of their home by fire and the rescue of their papers.

Ida Nasatir aboard the Isle de France, 1930

Ida Nasatir Papers, 1897-1995 (MS-0466)
Ida Nasatir was born in Denver, Colorado in 1910. She attended UC Berkeley and majored in English. She met her husband, while at Berkeley. They married in 1929, and came to San Diego when Abraham accepted a teaching position at San Diego State College. Ida was an English teacher, specializing in working with emotionally handicapped children at San Diego High School. She also taught adult education programs. She was very active in the Jewish community, where she was well known as a teacher, book reviewer, and writer. She chronicled community members by writing their obituaries. Nasatir traveled widely in Europe and South America with her husband throughout his career. She wrote about their travels in detailed correspondence and articles. She passed away in 2005. The collection consists of press clippings, book reviews, correspondence, obituaries, and a yellow star that reads "Juif" worn by a French Holocaust survivor and given to Nasatir during a visit to Paris.

First Women's Seder in San Diego at the Woman's Institute
for Continuing Jewish Education, Spring 1979

Woman's Institute for Continuing Jewish Education, 1977-2004 (MS-0464)
The Woman's Institute for Continuing Jewish Education was founded in 1977 and existed until 2004. Its mission was to bring women together to study with Jewish female scholars and artists who were accomplishing cutting-edge research and scholarship. The Institute pioneered the teaching of Torah, Talmud, and Midrash by women and established the Shabbat lecture series. The collection contains complete documentation of all the programs and publications of the Institute, including books, newsletters, press releases, clippings, photographs, and a video tape. The collection was created and donated to the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego by Dr. Irene Fine who was co-founder and director of the Institute. The Institute was the first such women's institute in the country.