#american jewish history

This week, CJH Archivists participated in #1Lib1Ref, a collaborative Wikipedia

project encouraging all information professionals around the country to edit one page, add at least one new link or citation, or start a brand new page to further the reach of their archival holdings.

Here’s a breakdown of the amazing CJH partner collections that are now immeasurably more accessible thanks to their efforts!:

Georg Simmel

Simmel was a sociologist and philosopher, born 1858 in Berlin. Included in his collection are transcripts of personal letters to Edmund Husserl (1905-1918) and transcripts of personal correspondence between Simmel and Rainer Maria Rilke (1898-1915). Of particular interest in this collection is a handwritten letter from Simmel to Gertrud Kantorowicz dated May 20, 1918, in which he discusses his disillusionment with World War I and the hope he sees in the future of a new intellectual youth movement in Germany.

Learn more from LBI: Georg Simmel Collection, 1896-1918

Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry

The Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry (GNYCSJ) was formed in 1971 by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York, to address the need for an organization that would be devoted exclusively to the problems of Soviet Jewry. The GNYCSJ served as the coordinating body of Soviet Jewry activities for more than 85 constituent Jewish organizations and community groups through the New York metropolitan area, with the affiliates in the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jewish communities.

Learn more from AJHS:Guide to the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry collection, 1964-1990, 2016

Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jews

Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jews was the title of a national march and political rally that was held on December 6, 1987 in Washington, D.C. Posters from the rally have been digitized and are available online from the Archives of the American Soviet Jewry Movement held by AJHS.

Learn more from AJHS:Guide to the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry collection, 1964-1990, 2016

Malcolm Hoenlein

Malcolm Hoenlein has been the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations since June 1986. He is the founding executive director of the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

Learn more from AJHS:Guide to the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry collection, 1964-1990, 2016

Dinah Shtettin

Dinah Shtettin was a chorus girl from an Orthodox Jewish family who married the actor Jacob P. Adler in 1887. Although their marriage was short-lived, the couple had a daughter–Celia Adler.

This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Celia Adler and Lazar Freed, including theatrical materials such as scripts, programs and sheet music, correspondence, newspaper clippings, assorted publications, and photographs of many of the members of the Adler family and their friends from the Yiddish theater. These materials reflect the wide scope of the Adler acting family and their immense influence on Yiddish theater, Broadway and motion pictures.

Learn more from AJHS: Adler Family Papers, 1893-1992 (bulk 1920-1977)

Ita Aber

Ita Aber has been a New York artist, conservator, historian and curator for over three decades. Her works can be found in private and museum collections in the U.S. and Israel.

Learn more from YUM: Various museum object holdings

HIAS

HIAS began over 130 years ago as an organization dedicated to provide relocation assistance to persecuted Jews around the world. The organization’s mission now includes administering assistance to refugees and immigrants of ALL backgrounds by reuniting families and offering resettlement services through cultural and governmental advocacy.

Archivists from AJHS and the Center for Jewish History, with generous funding from HIAS, are currently working on a 3-year archival processing project to organize and provide access to thousands of digital organizational photographs, HIAS’ paper Administrative files (1950s-2000s), and limited digital access to hundreds of HIAS client files.

Learn more from AJHS: HIAS Institutional Records Archival Processing Project and its companion blog OnTheRescueFront