Joint Purchasing Corporation Newsletter, 1974

The Joint Purchasing Corporation (JPC) of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies was established in 1922, just 5 years after the formation of Federation (until 1944 called the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies of New York City).  According to a UJA-Federation pamphlet from 1989-1992 when UJA-Fed was considering an alternative structure for shared services, JPC was established as “a not-for-profit corporation to serve primarily the procurement needs of the institutions supported by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York”.

JPC started a newsletter in the 1970s.  In Volume II No. 2 dated May 1974, among other articles “The J.P.C. Exchange” lists as items available from Federation member agencies to other Federation agencies a diverse group of items which includes:

3 Security Guard Shacks … rarely used …

Motorola Paging System … first reasonable offer gets it

Blickman coffee urn

6 racks to hold 9″ plastic covers

Joint Purchasing Corporation (JPC) Exchange, May 1974

Sent along with the May 1974 newsletter was an Index of Purchase Arrangements, listed by type of object.  On the “Laundry & Linen Supplies & Equipment” page it is interesting to see that Altro Work Shops, then an agency of Federation, is listed as the supplier for uniforms.

Laundry & Linen Supplies & Equipment, May 1974

And on the Nutrition Supplies & Equipment – Food” page the list of Jewish-style and kosher foods is evocative of the era and geographic location in New York.

Nutrition Supplies & Equipment – Food, May 1974

A recent blog post on the Urban Mass Transit Act (UMTA) of the 1960s discusses another aspect of JPC’s reach, in assisting Federation agencies in buying cars and vans at lower prices through grants from UMTA.  An earlier post, on Federation’s Research Committee in the 1960s, mentions joint purchasing as a subject for future study.

JPC “opened its doors to all not-for-profit institutions and agencies in the New York Metropolitan area” in 1976, and soon after began opening offices in other cities, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.  “The value of a shared service organization is based on effective, cooperative procurement techniques and the economies of volume contracting”, according to the 1989-1992 pamphlet.

Listed as services in the pamphlet were programs for the purchase of fuel oil, furniture and equipment, travel services, asbestos abatement, medical/surgical purchasing, computer maintenance, and many other services that were of value to the varied agencies in the Federation network.  By about 1990, UJA-Federation was considering a new model for shared services, under the leadership of Bonnie Shevins, Executive Director of Shared Services and Administration.  The files on the meetings and decisions made in connection with shared services after the merger have recently been processed and are available for research.

It appears that JPC exists today as Healthcare Supplyside Solutions, based in New York City but no longer at the UJA-Federation headquarters, according to the JPC website.

Another Missing Box Appears – Martha Selig

In reconciling our records of the 3232 boxes this project began with, we have been hoping that some of the boxes that could not be located in off-site storage when originally requested (and which had apparently not been lost in the fire) would turn up.  Through the course of the project, on repeated requests for delivery, some of the missing boxes have been found and delivered.

One box arrived on April 8th, and for a moment our heads returned not just to 2013 when we originally requested it, but to the late 1960s when many of the documents in the box were created.

This is what we knew about the box:

Bar Code #: 060802

Box #: 0099

When it went into storage: pre’86

Department: Community Services

Whose files: Selig, M

Date range: 1/1/65-12/31/74

File description: JACY [Jewish Association for College Youth] files

Date box originally requested: 6/4/13

 

Eric described the contents when he went through the box as being half correspondence and subject files and the other half publications from outside organizations that Martha kept as part of her extensive subject files.  There are now 35 boxes of Martha Selig’s files in the collection, which will add enormously to an understanding of Federation’s work from 1946 to 1974, and primarily during the years of huge growth in the 1950s and 1960s.

Some readers of this blog may remember earlier posts that have mentioned Martha Selig and the work she did as a “consultant” at Federation:

“Special Thanks to Dr. Morton Teicher”

“Mission Statement of the Community Services Division, 1983”

“Mickey Levine’s Quandary”

“We are the Dinosaur Bones”

“The Role of the Consultant”

She was a committed leader in the Community Services division for several decades, and she controlled the budgeting and allocations as well as services to Federation’s agencies with a strong hand.  Together with Maurice Hexter and Joseph Willen, the co-Vice-Presidents of Federation 1942-1967, Selig was involved in every aspect of how Federation made it possible for each individual agency in their network to grow, offer expanded services to their clients, and move into new, modern facilities.

Photograph of Martha Selig, circa 1960s, from her oral history transcript

Because all of Selig’s previously processed files have already been transferred to off-site storage, Eric has intellectually integrated these newly found files into the collection, and they will be housed physically in their own box.  Martha Selig’s oral history, including a few photos of her, can be found here.

Martha Selig and Jeanette Solomon at Oral History Project celebration, circa 1990s

Happy Passover (Part 2)!

As we arrive at the last few days of the festival of Passover, we wanted to take the opportunity to share with you this novel Passover-themed fundraising appeal envelope that looks just like matzo! This and other samples of direct mail fundraising appeals can be found within the UJF Marketing and Communications subseries.

Passover fundraising mailer, 1998.

The UJA-Federation Archivists wish you a chag sameach and a joyous Passover!

Happy Passover!

Have you done your Passover shopping? Was it similar to this list– and these prices– from 1977?

With the beginning of Passover tomorrow night, we wanted to share some materials from the collection about the Joint Passover Association (JPA), one of Federation’s agencies.  Founded in 1927 with the purpose of coordinating Passover assistance activities and fundraising conducted by synagogues and Jewish organizations, the JPA provided Jews in need with funds to buy Passover items. By its 50^th anniversary in 1977, the JPA provided aid to 4,065 applicants (11,263 individuals) and distributed $116,707 that year in relief funds.

The above food list details the “basic Passover needs for one person” in 1977, and the prices reflect the amount of aid most people received. Though it may seem bare-bones compared to some lavish Seder spreads of today, most recipients were very grateful to receive help to celebrate the holiday. Below are a few of the many thank-you notes sent to Federation in response to receiving Passover assistance. The Joint Passover Association was a Federation-affiliated agency through 2009.

Happy Passover!

Left: “This note is to thank you for the help received this passover from your passover fund. It certainly helped me to cheer up and enjoy some of the passover foods I otherwise would not have been able to enjoy.” Right: “You have helped to enrich our Passover holiday…Thank you and god bless you for caring about us. You really have no idea how you pull us through all these years.”

Left: “Every year…I have requested your aid and haven’t been refused. It is due to your kindness and generosity that have helped make the holiday more joyous.” Right: “[There are] people like you at the J.P.A. to help us observe the memory of our Exodus.”

Left: “May God bless you for being so kind, thoughtful, and friendly spirit you have shown me. It means the world to me and cheered me up a bit.” Right: “…I respectfully ask you if I can get a little more cash I should enjoy Passover.”

Left: “…I was able to buy kosher chicken and a little meat. Keep up the good work.” Right: “…it helps to restore one’s faith that our people will not forsake us.”