Helen Stern Lipton papers
Collection Overview
Letters, postcards, and other materials relating to Helen Stern Lipton, a Jewish woman who left Kielce, Poland, in 1915. Correspondence in Yiddish (with English translations) from Lipton's family members in Poland focuses on efforts to help them escape to America before and during World War II. Includes materials from the 1964 meeting of the American Jewish Historical Society in Charleston, South Carolina, the Fall 2008 newsletter of the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina, and a set of tefillin with a cloth bag for storage.
Dates
- Creation: 1932-2008
Creator
- Lipton, Helen Stern, 1899-1987 (Person)
Language of Material
Materials in English and Yiddish
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Biographical Note
Helen Stern (1899-1987) was born to a large Jewish family in Kielce, Poland. She immigrated to the United States in 1915 to avoid an arranged marriage, joining her brother, Gabriel Stern, who had already emigrated. She followed her brother from New York City to Charleston, South Carolina, where she met and married Samuel H. Lipton (1894-1983), a native of Lithuania and resident of Beaufort, South Carolina. After marrying, the Liptons lived in Beaufort where they raised three sons, Joseph, Morey, and Alfred.
Helen Lipton's family in Poland, including her mother, Rivke Machale Sterenzys, one of her brothers, Chiam Sterenzys, and several of her nephews, wrote her letters and postcards before, during, and after World War II. The bulk of this correspondence includes pleas for help in immigrating to the United States, addressed to both Helen and Gabriel Stern.
Extent
0.5 linear feet (12 folders)
Abstract
Letters, postcards, and other materials relating to Helen Stern Lipton, a Jewish woman who left Poland in 1915. Correspondence in Yiddish (with English translations) from Lipton's family members in Poland focuses on efforts to help them escape to America before and during World War II. Includes a set of tefillin with a cloth bag for storage.
Collection Arrangement
Materials are described at the folder level.
Acquisitions Information
Materials donated in 2007, 2008, and 2009 by Joseph J. Lipton.
Processing Information
Processed by Rebecca McClure, May 2011.
- Title
- Inventory of the Helen Stern Lipton Papers, 1932-2008
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by: Rebecca McClure; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rebecca McClure
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the processing of this collection and encoding of the finding aid.
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Special Collections
College of Charleston Libraries
66 George Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424
(843) 953-8016
(843) 953-6319 (Fax)