Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Guterman, Henry.
Title:	Henry (Elchanon Tzvi) Guterman Papers
Inclusive Dates:	circa 1950-1969
Quantity:	1 linear ft.
Abstract:	Correspondence, clippings, writings of the American rabbi and scholar.
Language:	Almost all of the collection is handwritten Yiddish, possibly Hebrew.
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Henry Yitzak (Elchanon Tzvi) Guterman (1882-1966) was a Lithuanian-American rabbi and scholar, and chief orthodox rabbi of Scranton, Pennsylvania from 1909-1966.

Born in Lithuania, Guterman came to the United States at the age of 19. He was a founder of Scranton's Young Men's Hebrew Association as well as two Hebrew day schools in the city, and founded a daily Gemara Shiur (Talmudic lecture or discussion) in 1911 which continued for more than 50 years. According to the New York Times, Guterman was a "renowned Talmudic scholar...[and] a consultant on Jewish law to the chief rabbinate at Jerusalem." He received an honorary D.D. from Yeshiva in 1962. Although firmly Orthodox himself, he actively fostered and maintained good relations with Reform and Conservative rabbis and residents of the city as well as with the gentile community. He and his wife Lena had four children.

[Information taken from Guterman's obituary in the New York Times, 21 Oct 1966, and from Guterman's biographical page on kevarim.com]

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Henry Guterman Papers contains correspondence and writings. Almost all is handwritten in Yiddish or Hebrew.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Material has largely been left in original order, grouped according to the original folder or envelope in which it was contained.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Associated Titles

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Henry (Elchanon Tzvi) Guterman Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Simeon Guterman, 1969.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 25 Apr 2010
Revision history: 28 Mar 2023 - processed, minimally (MRC)

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Inventory

	Correspondence
Box 1		[General] (3 folders)

	Writings
Box 1		Unidentified - includes several bound notebooks containing handwritten notes (6 folders)
Box 2		Unidentified - on lined notebook paper, presumably writings of some sort

	Unidentified material
Box 2		Contents of envelope, "Correspondence and messages and learning of Rabbi H. Guterman" - handwritten notes and a few clippings
Box 2		Contents of envelope, "Messages and sermons including [illegible]" - handwritten notes and a few clippings
Oversize 1		Contents of envelope, "Notes by subject and location [itemized list in Yiddish]" - handwritten notes, clippings, and other papers; a few sheets appear very old, possibly in Greek or Hebrew
Box 2		Contents of envelope [1], labeled in Yiddish
Box 2		Contents of envelope [2], labeled in Yiddish
Box 2		Contents of envelope [3], not labeled
Box 2		Loose papers - material not contained in envelope or folder; includes a few clippings

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