Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives
Archives
225 N. Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201
(406) 444-2681
MHSlibrary@mt.gov
MC 369
Congregation Beth Aaron (Billings,
Mont.)
Congregation Beth Aaron records
1915-1994
2.4 linear feet of shelf space
This collection consists of records (1919-1994) of Congregation Beth Aaron,
including minor correspondence; financial records; organizational records, including minutes; newsletters; and two
scrapbooks. There are subgroups for B'nai B'rith Billings Lodge No. 815 and for Billings B'nai B'rith Women No.
31.
English
The small Jewish population of Billings, Montana, led by Louis Harron a native of Lithuania, began holding
services on High Holy Days about 1905. Over the next dozen years they continued to meet informally as the Jewish
population slowly grew. Briefly during this period there was a Congregation Shara Shomain, which purchased land for a
Jewish Cemetery. Congregation Beth Aaron was incorporated in Billings, Montana, on April 22, 1919. The congregation
held an auction for the privilege of selecting a name. One of the founding members Louis Harron won the auction and
named it Congregation Beth Aaron or House of Harron, after himself. The new congregation chose the same officers as the
old congregation, including M. Levy, president; Benhart Zacks, vice president; Max Friedwald, treasurer; and Max
Seidmon, secretary. Louis Harron, Morris Stern, and Max Rossman were elected trustees. The new congregation purchased
the cemetery land and began building Beth Aaron Cemetery. In 1940 the congregation built a synagogue. The congregation
hired Rabbi Samuel Horowitz in 1954. He immediately began re-energizing the congregation, starting a Sunday School
program and summer camps. The Congregation built a new synagogue in 2005. It is still active.
On June 18, 1917, two years before the founding of the Congregation, a group of Jewish men formed Billings
Lodge #815 of the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith. Charter members of the lodge consisted of most of the same men who
would form the congregation two years later. The lodge was primarily a benevolent and social fraternal order, but also
sponsored High Holy Days services, talks on Jewish topics, charitable work, and political involvement.
The Jewish women of Billings were also active in social and benevolent organizations. In 1915 they formed the
Jewish Ladies Aid Society as both a social club and as a charitable association to assist Jews in need in Billings and
to give financial aid to several Jewish hospitals and orphanages nationwide. In October 1922, the club voted to
affiliate with the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith. They selected the name Esther Lodge and were assigned No. 31.
Sometime in the 1930s the name again was changed, this time to Billings B'nai B'rith Women No. 31. It was also known
informally as Billings Lodge No. 815 Auxiliary.
This collection consists of four subgroups: Congregation Beth Aaron, Billings B'nai B'rith Lodge No. 815,
Billings B'nai B'rith Women No. 31, and Miscellany.
The Congregation Beth Aaron subgroup consists of minor correspondence (1940-1974); financial records
(1933-1972); a legal document (1955); organizational records (1919-1975) including minutes, articles of incorporation,
constitution and bylaws, and lists of officers and committees; newsletters (1986-1994); two scrapbooks (1947-1985); and
historical notes about the congregation.
The Billings B'nai B'rith Lodge No. 815 subgroups consists of financial records (1917-1960), membership
records (1917-1992), minutes (1932-1952), and miscellany.
The Billings B'nai B'rith Women No. 31 subgroup consists of minor correspondence (1922-1965); financial
records (1915-1961); organizational records (1915-1951), including constitution and bylaws, membership records, and
minutes; and printed material including B'nai B'rith Women Grand District Lodge No. 4 convention proceedings
(1932-1946).
The Miscellany subgroup consists of materials concerning Jews in Montana, not specifically connected with the
other three subgroups. The subgroup includes the Jewish Welfare Fund of Billings bylaws (1951), biographical sketches,
the Friedwald Trust, a photocopy of Benjamin Kelson's "The Jews of Montana", various other writings on Montana Jewish
history, and clippings.
Arranged by subgroup and series
Collection is open for research
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available
reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library
before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the
collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright
owners.
[item description and date]. Name of Collection. Collection Number. [box and folder number]. Montana
Historical Society Research Center. Archives. Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request.
Processed in 2011
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog.
Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.
Fraternal organizations--Montana--Billings.
Jewish society and
culture--Montana--Billings.
Jews--Montana--Billings.
Billings (Mont.)--Religious life and
customs.
Montana.
Jewish Americans.
Religion.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Congregation Beth Aaron
1919-1994
Correspondence
1 / 1
Chronological
1940-1984, undated
Financial Records
1 / 2
Building construction receipts, etc.
1940
1 / 3
Financial statements
1940-1972
1 / 4
Ledger
1933-1940
1 / 5
Ledger sheets
1946-1969
Legal Documents
1 / 6
Proposed contract with Rabbi Samuel Horowitz
1954
Organizational Records
1 / 7
Articles of incorporation [photocopy], constitution, and bylaws (also
includes Beth Aaron Women and sample from a New York congregation)
1919, 1955, undated
1 / 8
Conversions to Judaism
1956, 1966, 1971
1 / 9
Lists of officers and committees
1920-1974
1 / 10
Minutes (photocopies: originals owned by the American Jewish Archives,
Cincinnati, Ohio.)
1919-1975
1 / 11
Sunday School Committee
1959?
Printed Materials
1 / 12-13
Newsletters: "The Bulletin of Congregation Beth Aaron"
1986-1994
Miscellany
1 / 14
Beth Aaron Cemetery burial list
1919-1992
1 / 15
Congregation Beth Aaron history notes
1954, 1970
1 / 16
Programs
1941, 1972
1-2
Scrapbooks
1919?
Oversize 1
Shara Shomain cemetery plat
1947-1985
1 / 17
Miscellaneous (includes funeral service for Blanche (Jacobs) Vinner;
list of interviews; transfer of organ from Temple Emanu-el in Helena to Seventh Day Adventist Church)
undated
B'nai B'rith Billings Lodge No. 815
1917-1990
Financial Records
2 / 1
Cash journal (mostly undated)
1917, undated
2 / 2
Financial reports to District 4
1920-1948
2 / 3
Journal (includes dues)
1920-1948
2 / 4-5
Ledger sheets (includes dues)
1938-1960
Organizational Records
2 / 6
B'nai B'rith rituals [RESTRICTED]
1961, undated
2 / 7
Bylaws
1950, 1953, undated
2 / 8
Members list (includes date of joining, occupation)
1917-1938, 1950-1990
2 / 9
Members initiation book (includes name, date of birth, date of joining,
occupation)
1917-1938
2 / 10
Membership reports to District 4
1970-1971
2 / 11-12
Minutes
1932-1952
2 / 13
Officers and committees
1954-1974
Miscellany
2 / 14
Silver Anniversary of Lodge (includes history of Lodge)
1942
2 / 15
"This is B'nai B'rith : a book of facts"
1950
Jewish Ladies Aid Society / B'nai B'rith Esther Lodge No. 31 / Billings
B'nai B'rith Women No. 31
1915-1965
Correspondence
3 / 1
Chronological: Jewish Ladies Aid Society
1920-1921
3 / 2
Chronological: Billings B'nai B'rith Women
1922, 1935-1965
Financial Records
3 / 3
Bank statements and bank book: Esther Lodge No. 31
1922-1931
3 / 4
Cancelled checks and check stubs: Esther Lodge No. 31
1922-1928
3 / 5
Cash book and dues record: Jewish Ladies Aid Society
1915-1921
3 / 6
Financial reports: Esther Lodge No. 31
1922-1931
3 / 7
Financial reports to District 4: B'nai B'rith Women No. 31
1951-1961
3 / 8
Per capita quota to District 4: B'nai B'rith Women No. 31
1950-1961
3 / 9
Treasurer's syllabus and membership retention syllabus
undated
3 / 10
Miscellaneous
1920-1961
Organizational Records
3 / 11
B'nai B'rith ritual [RESTRICTED]
1937, undated
3 / 12
Bylaws and constitution: Jewish Ladies Aid Society
1915, 1921
3 / 13
Bylaws: B'nai B'rith Women No. 31
1915, 1921
3 / 14
Initiation ceremony
undated
3 / 15
Instructions for officers
1954-1959
3 / 16
Membership lists and applications: Esther Lodge No. 31
1921-1934
3 / 17
Membership and officers: B'nai B'rith Women No. 31
1921-1934
3 / 18-19
Minutes: Jewish Ladies Aid Society
1915-1922
3 / 20
Minutes: Esther Lodge No. 31
1915-1922
3 / 21-22
B'nai B'rith District Grand Lodge No. 4 annual convention
1915-1922, 1942-1943
3 / 23
B'nai B'rith District Grand Lodge No. 4 emergency war
meeting
June 1943
4 / 1
B'nai B'rith District Grand Lodge No. 4 annual convention
1946
4 / 2
B'nai B'rith District Grand Lodge No. 4 directory
1936-1937
Printed Materials
4 / 3
Brochures of Jewish hospitals, etc.
undated
4 / 4
Catalogs
undated
Miscellany
4 / 5
Biographical sketches of Montana Jewish families (includes Sigman,
Kramer, Bookman, Buchman, including genealogical chart)
1963
4 / 6
B'nai B'rith Girls
1963
4 / 7
Certificate of appreciation from District 4
1948
Miscellany
1920-1959
Miscellany
4 / 8
Bylaws of Jewish Welfare Fund of Billings
1951?
4 / 9
Documents used in "Golden Opportunities"
1935-1936
4 / 10
Friedwald Trust; Harron Trust
1920-1959
4 / 11
"The Jews of Montana," by Benjamin Kelson (photocopy)
1950
4 / 12
Robert Budge affidavit (re throwing eggs at Burton K. Wheeler in
protest against his isolationism)
1941
4 / 13
Writings on Montana Jewish history; also photocopies of photographs
1965-1981
Clippings
4 / 14
Miscellaneous (include biographical articles on Jerome Kohn, Isadore
Strasburger, Max Fregger, Louis Melnick, and Frieda Fligelman; vandalism at Beth Aaron Cemetery)
1925-1993