People

The Buffalo region has been home to a wide range of individuals associated with local Jewish communities and Jewish networks from the 1820s through to the contemporary period as immigrants, citizens, residents and locals.

Institutions

Buffalo Jews have a rich history of forming both formal and informal institutions for religious, educational, political and social needs. From synagogues to organizations, and from coordinating agencies to groups and clubs, Jewish Buffalonians have seen a changing range of institutions supported by group endeavors and community philanthropy.

Neighborhoods

In living memory, the East Side and North Buffalo stand out as physically connected and interwoven religious and commercial centers of Jewish living. In contrast to these specific areas are the mini hubs identified with Jewish living and connected to a more dispersed idea of neighborhood. Separately, suburbia with its significant geographic spread, has redefined how a series of Jewish spaces come together with a mix of hubs, focal points and networks.

Themes

Some nice intro blah blah

Exhibitions

Special exhibitions, through a focus on particular individuals and subjects, delves into the personal stories that have animated Jewish lives. Each digital exploration reflects on the interplay between place, identities and changing times and the way in which American, Jewish and Buffalo historical experiences are deeply interwoven.

Resources

Materials that document Jewish Buffalo in all its diversity are found in books, articles, archives and museums, many of which are available locally or online. This section highlights some of these sources and will be updated regularly.

Ustingrader Unterstitzung Verein Trump Corps, 1934

Members of the Ustingrader Unterstitzung Verein Drum Corps and Patrol, 1943. Courtesy of Sue and Eric Recoon.

Organizations  /  Ustingrader Unterstitzung Verein (UUV)

The Ustingrader Unterstitzung Verein (UUV) was founded in 1913 as an immigrant benefit club that provided social, credit and death benefits to its members with Sokolivka roots.

Overview

The Ustingrader Unterstitzung Verein (UUV) was founded in 1913 as an immigrant (landsmann) benefit club that provided social, credit and death benefits to its members with Sokolivka roots.  Many Jewish landsmann groups existed on the East Side of Buffalo at the turn of the twentieth century, including the Roumbespod Unterstützung Verein, the Hungarian Social and Benevolent Association, and the Minsker Verein. Each formed in the early 1900s at a period of intense organization building and expansion of the Jewish community which continued through the 1930s.

Like other landsmannschaftn of the time period, the Ustingrader Unterstitzung Verein had two divisions separated along gender lines.  The Ladies Auxiliary maintained its own divisional records including minute books and held its own social events. The men’s division provided an array of subcommittees that allowed members to maintain active roles in the organization in meaningful ways.

The staying power of the Ustingrader Unterstitzung Verein over other landsmann groups was in part because of the size and strength of the Sokolivka community and the UUV’s interconnection to other organizations including Holy Order of the Living and Anshe Sokolivka. The UUV also had a strong calendar of social events including an annual banquet. Another advantage was the overlapping links between members and cousin clubs. These maintained links of the UUV for a decade longer than similar organizations. Explore the photograph gallery below to view more of the cultural life of this twentieth century immigrant organization.

Sokolivka Reunions

with thanks to Richard Newberg

Gallery

Ustingrader Verein, Banquet, 1940s

Ustingrader Verein, Banquet, 1940s. Framed at Holy Order of the Living, Buffalo NY. Courtesy of Steve Lippa and Holy Order of the Living.

Ustingrader Verein, Banquet, 1940s

Discover More

University at Buffalo, University Archives

Collection at the Benjamin and Dr. Edgar R. Cofeld Judaic Museum

  • Ferne Mittleman Research Papers

Acknowledgements and Thanks

Our thanks to Charlie Shuman for sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Sokolivka and his permission to digitize the UUV women’s auxiliary Yiddish language minute book. Many thanks to Eric and Sue Recoon for locating an original photograph of the UUV Drum Corp. Our thanks to Richard Newberg for his video clip featuring a Sokolivka Reunion that included members of the UUV. A posthumous thanks to Ferne Mittelman (z”l) who created a research collection of Buffalo materials with a strong concentration on Sokolivka that included UUV anniversary booklets.

Contribute to this page

Although the UUV played a critical role in the Sokolivka community, there are very limited numbers of images. We are seeking photographs, film, mementos and written recollections to digitize or copy. If you have materials you’d like to make available for this purpose, please contact us. Thank you for your help in widening our collective access to the varied histories of Jewish Buffalo.

Upload