The Temple University Libraries in Philadelphia has posted records associated with “Friends of the Deaf Community Center”.
Historical Note
Friends of the Deaf Community Center was organized in April 1936, by Mr. and Mrs. Jack Olanoff, Mr. & Mrs. Herman Feinman, Herman Rosenfield, and Elias Wolf. The aim of the group was to set up a house for the Jewish deaf and their friends to hold meetings and religious services. In 1939, the building at 1516 West Girard Avenue was dedicated as the Friends of the Deaf Community Center. The Community Center provided a space for dances, interpreters, general counseling, and instruction in needed skills such as sign language, lip reading, speech development, and sense training. In December 1949, a nursery school for deaf children was established with the help of Dr. David Meyers, an otologist. Initially, Friends of the Deaf offered many of its services free of charge, however membership dues and enrollment fees for nursery school students were instituted in order to compensate the teaching staff and pay for assistive devices. The nursery school provided education for 2 to 3 year olds until 1975 when it closed due to lack of funding. In 1979, Friends of the Deaf sold the Community Center, but continued to provide services in association with the Hebrew Association of the Deaf at the Silent Athletic Club (SAC) of Philadelphia.
Collection Overview
The Friends of the Deaf Community Center records, 1938
