Bertram W. Korn Papers
Item
Country
US
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220
Contact information: phone number
001 513 487 3000
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
Reference number
MS-99
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
Bertram W. Korn Papers
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
Bertram W. Korn
Date(s)
1938/1979
Language(s)
eng
Extent
48 boxes and 1 oversize box
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This collection comprises materials collected by Bertram W. Korn over his dual career as a rabbi and historian. Most of the items in this collection are research materials, notes, and documents collected by Korn during his research into American Jewish history. The remainder consists of correspondence, sermons, and personal papers. The collection includes the will of Moses Nunes (son of Samuel Nunes Ribeiro), signed on October 14, 1785 (box 13, folder 1). The first series of this collection, which comprises Korn's research notes and documents, also contains folders with materials related to other Sephardic Jews, namely: David Dias Arias (box 2, folder 6), Isaac Mendez Belisario (box 2, folder 14), Manuel Belmonte (box 2, folder 15), Solomon Nunes Carvalho (box 4, folders 15-17), the De Cordova family (box 7, folders 1-6), Benjamin Gomez (box 9, folder 5), Francis Salvador (box 30, folder 1), Judah Touro (box 33, folder 7), the Gradis family (box 9, folder 10), the Lopez family (box 17, folders 6-8), and the Monsanto families of New Orleans (box 19, folders 5-9, and box 20, folders 1-2) and Louisiana (box 19, folder 4, and box 20, folders 3-9). In addition, the collection also includes notes and transcripts of wills of Jews of Barbados (box 2, folder 11) and Jamaica (box 12, folders 1 and 2).
Archival history
The collection was received from Bertram Wallace Korn. Michael Matuson and John D. Fortner processed it in November 1982.
Administrative / Biographical history
Bertram Wallace Korn was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 6, 1918 to Manuel and Blanche (Bergman) Korn. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University before earning his A.B. degree, with honours, from the University of Cincinnati in 1936. In 1943, Korn was ordained rabbi and received an M.H.L. degree from the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. In 1949 he earned a D.H.L. degree from HUC.
Following his ordination, Korn became rabbi at the Government Street Temple in Mobile, Alabama. He remained there until
1944, when he entered the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant in the chaplaincy. He served at Marine Corps bases in California, then was assigned to the China theatre with the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions.
Korn's entrance into the chaplaincy began a long involvement with the military that culminated on July 1, 1975, when he was promoted to Rear Admiral in the Chaplain Corps, U.S. Naval Reserve. He was the first Jewish chaplain to obtain flag rank in any of the United States armed forces.
In 1946, following his return from overseas duty, Korn returned to HUC in Cincinnati to work on his doctorate and serve as assistant professor of American Jewish history from 1948 to 1949.
In 1949 Korn became the senior rabbi at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, the same congregation where he was confirmed. He remained there as senior rabbi until he died in 1979.
Korn remained active as a historian throughout his rabbinical career. In 1962 he was named visiting professor of American Jewish history at the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He was named to the same position in 1970 at Dropsie University in Philadelphia. He authored twelve books on American Jewish history, the most known of which was his 1951 volume, American Jewry and the Civil War, acclaimed as the definitive work on the subject.
Other books by Korn are The Jews of Mobile, Alabama, 1763-1841 (1971); Benjamin Levy: New Orleans Printer and Publisher (1961); Jews and Negro Slavery in the Old South, 1789-1865 (1961); The American Reaction to the Mortara Case: 1858-1859 (1957); and The Early Jews of New Orleans (1969).
Korn was also active in communal and organisational affairs. Some of his activities included being president of the American Historical Society, a board member of the Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia, a member of the board of governors of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia, a member of the President's Commission on the Observance of the 25th Anniversary of the United Nations, and a member of the executive board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
He passed away in New Orleans on December 11, 1979, aged 61.
Following his ordination, Korn became rabbi at the Government Street Temple in Mobile, Alabama. He remained there until
1944, when he entered the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant in the chaplaincy. He served at Marine Corps bases in California, then was assigned to the China theatre with the 1st and 6th Marine Divisions.
Korn's entrance into the chaplaincy began a long involvement with the military that culminated on July 1, 1975, when he was promoted to Rear Admiral in the Chaplain Corps, U.S. Naval Reserve. He was the first Jewish chaplain to obtain flag rank in any of the United States armed forces.
In 1946, following his return from overseas duty, Korn returned to HUC in Cincinnati to work on his doctorate and serve as assistant professor of American Jewish history from 1948 to 1949.
In 1949 Korn became the senior rabbi at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, the same congregation where he was confirmed. He remained there as senior rabbi until he died in 1979.
Korn remained active as a historian throughout his rabbinical career. In 1962 he was named visiting professor of American Jewish history at the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He was named to the same position in 1970 at Dropsie University in Philadelphia. He authored twelve books on American Jewish history, the most known of which was his 1951 volume, American Jewry and the Civil War, acclaimed as the definitive work on the subject.
Other books by Korn are The Jews of Mobile, Alabama, 1763-1841 (1971); Benjamin Levy: New Orleans Printer and Publisher (1961); Jews and Negro Slavery in the Old South, 1789-1865 (1961); The American Reaction to the Mortara Case: 1858-1859 (1957); and The Early Jews of New Orleans (1969).
Korn was also active in communal and organisational affairs. Some of his activities included being president of the American Historical Society, a board member of the Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia, a member of the board of governors of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia, a member of the President's Commission on the Observance of the 25th Anniversary of the United Nations, and a member of the executive board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
He passed away in New Orleans on December 11, 1979, aged 61.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is divided into two series: A. Research Materials; and B. Personal. Materials of series A are arranged alphabetically using the headings given by Korn. Series B is divided into three subseries: 1. Correspondence; 2. Writings; and 3. General. Subseries 1 is arranged alphabetically by the name of the person or organisation, and letters are arranged chronologically within each folder. Subseries 2 and 3 are organised chronologically.
Access, restrictions
The collection is open for consultation.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Bibliography
Linked resources
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