Providence Passover Journal
Published in Providence between 1929 and 1964, the Passover Journal came out of the work of Poale Zion, a Zionist labor organization from Russia. This group, after many twists and turns, arrived in North America along with a wave of Russian Jews.
In Providence, Poale Zion merged with a similar German group and eventually hosted the Third Seder annually.
Alter Boyman, along with Henry Burt and Morris Beeber, was the driving force behind this extra seder. Held in private homes, and with some support from the Rhode Island Jewish Federation, this seder was not for religious purposes, but for entertainment – songs, speakers and fellowship. Speeches were made about farms and life in Israel, and those assembled gave support to Histadruth, an Israeli trade union established in the 1920s.
The annual Passover Journal was distributed at this Third Seder. The cover of one of the journals shows a stalwart Israeli farmer striding into the future. Articles focused on agriculture – farms and cooperatives for produce distribution – and trade schools, loan associations and the cultural life of Israeli workers.
While we do not have all the issues ever printed, we do have quite a collection. Some volumes had to be divided into sections because of the size.
Volume 3 1929
Volume 4 1930
Volume 5 1931
[note: cover was too dark to copy successfully; journal is there at 2nd page]
[note: cover was too dark to copy successfully; journal is there at 3rd page]
Volume 16 1942
Volume 17 1943
Volume 25 1951
Volume 29 1955
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