USC Libraries

The Steve Berman papers are a collection of notes, correspondence, and personal information created and maintained by the psychologist and activist in the 1970s and 1980s. The bulk of the collection, from 1980-83, chronicles Berman’s life during and after college as he pursued his career in psychology and worked for greater rights and recognition for the gay and Jewish communities.

The collection consists of the Star of David "Jude" patch said to have belonged to Saul Kantor (1912-1976); two drawings by his son, Yakov Kantor (1952-2007), a graphic artist and member of the Portland, Oregon, Jewish LGBT community, inspired by the 2005 Hungarian film Sorstalanság ( Fateless); and two photographs, 2000 and 2003, of Yakov Kantor.

Harley Paul Shapiro is a teacher, photographer, and HIV/AIDS activist. The collection, 1974-2015, primarily consists of photographs taken by Shapiro of services and events at Congregation Kol Ami, Reform synagogue in West Hollywood. The collection also holds ephemera concerning LGBTQ communities, religious groups, and AIDS/HIV, including newspaper clippings, flyers, brochures, and programs.