Collection

Herman, Erwin Papers

Span Dates: 1947-2008
Bulk Dates: 1970-2000
Volume: 1.4 cu. ft.

Description

The Erwin Herman papers consist of sermons dating back to his student days at Hebrew Union College. Also included are correspondence files pertaining to his rabbinic work, his work in gay rights as an AIDS activist, plus exchanges with colleagues and congregants, together with personal and miscellaneous items.

Hist/Bio Note

Erwin Herman was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in 1949. In 1965, he became the director of the Union's Pacific Southwest region centered in Los Angeles. He and his wife Agnes spearheaded a campaign to advance equal justice and gay rights within the Reform movement and beyond. Rabbi Herman was a strong supporter in establishing the first Jewish gay congregation in America, Beth Chayim Chadashim, in Los Angeles.

Finding Aid

Available online.
https://collections.americanjewisharchives.org/ms/ms0822/ms0822.html

Location

The collection is held at the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives. Access to the finding aid is through its catalog.
https://americanjewisharchives.org/

Tags

Jewish (ethnic, Reform, Reconstructionist, Orthodox) | Jewish (Reform) | AIDS | Clergy Activist | California | Los Angeles | Herman, Erwin