Landsmanshaftn

Mutual Aid and Benevolent Associations

Landsmanshaftn were mutual aid or benefit societies founded by Jewish immigrants originating from the same European town, area or region and settling in a new geographical area. Immigrants from Bohuslav formed Landsmanshaftn in many areas where they settled. Landsmanshaftn records can be a valuable source of information for genealogists.

A good source of information regarding landsmanshaftn is the New York Public Library Landsmanshaft Resource Guide. The Library has about 200 publications of landsmanshaftn, including souvenir journals (which often include photos of members and background information), as well as constitutions and by-laws. They have materials for two New York Bohuslav landsmanshaftn. Please note that these materials are in Yiddish and must be viewed on site at the library.

Boslover Benevolent Association Thirty-fifth anniversary (published 1935)
Hevrah Ahavat Ahim Anshe Bohuslav ve-Karsin Konstitutsyon (published 1914)

Boslover Ahavas Achim Belzer Association

The Boslover Ahavas Achim Belzer Association was organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the Boslover Beneficial Association in 1903 by immigrants from Bohuslav, Ukraine. In 1925, the society bought two properties at 7th and Pine Streets. The Boslover Building served as a meeting place for the organization and was rented out as permanent and semi-permanent meeting space for other organizations.

In 1952, the Boslover Beneficial Association merged with the Ahavas Achim Belzer Beneficial Association, a fraternal organization that had merged with the Belz-Bessarabia Beneficial Association in the late 1940s. Both associations were organized in the early 1900s to provide financial assistance to recent Eastern European Jewish immigrants.

YIVO has materials dating between 1927-1958 for the Boslover Ahavas Achim Belzer Association.

Temple University has records including certificates, newsletters, programs, and photographs of special events. This collection also includes 16mm film footage of the 1966 annual dinner. These records date from 1903 with the majority of the material found beteen 1940-1982.

Landsmanshaftn

Mutual Aid and Benevolent Associations

Boslover Ahavas Achim Belzer Association

Further Reading on Landsmanshaftn