As we commemorate Jewish American Heritage Month in May, we’ve curated some of the most important archives, oral history projects, and public history projects covering the history of Jews in America from colonial times to the present day. While primarily focused on post-colonial, Ashkenazi history, the archives contain resources from across identities, time periods, and topics. Among the finds we discovered are online events on Jewish soldiers in the US Civil War, Jewish cowboys of the Wild West, and a history of Jewish women’s vital role in the labor movement.
This official site of the US Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum brings together important archival content from across all of these institutions, including audio and video.
The AJHS is the oldest national ethnic historical archive in the United States, with a mission to foster awareness and appreciation of the American Jewish experience. The archive includes collections of manuscripts, photographs, books, and other documents related to Jewish history in America.
The JWA is a national organization dedicated to collecting and promoting the history of Jewish women in America. The archive includes a vast collection of oral histories, photographs, and documents related to Jewish women's experiences in America.
The YIVO Institute is a research and educational organization dedicated to the study of Jewish history, language, and culture. The archive includes a vast collection of documents, photographs, and other materials related to Jewish life in Eastern Europe and America.
The LBI is a research library and archive dedicated to the history of German-speaking Jewry. The archive includes a vast collection of documents, photographs, and other materials related to Jewish life in Germany and America.
The CJH is a research institution that brings together several Jewish cultural and historical organizations under one roof, including the AJHS, the LBI, and the YIVO Institute. The archive includes a vast collection of documents, photographs, and other materials related to Jewish life and culture in America and around the world.
This is a sampling of some of the Jewish archives, oral history repositories, and other resources available to study Jewish heritage. If you know of any other archives that we should include, please email us at christina@memria.org