Challenge and Change: History of the Jews in America
Museums
Aliyah Bet and Machal Virtual Museum
This virtual museum exhibits the names, vital statistics, photographs, history and experiences of the approximately 1,500 Americans and Canadians, including Jews and Christians and some women, who risked their lives in the service of the Jewish people from 1946 to 1949, serving on the ships to smuggle Holocaust survivors past the British blockade into Palestine (Aliyah Bet) or as volunteers with the Israeli armed forces (Machal).
The American Family Immigration History Center
http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/
Located in the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and on the World Wide Web, the American Family Immigration History Center (AFIHC) allows visitors to explore the extraordinary collection of immigrant arrival records stored in the Ellis Island Archives. Searching their archives can help inform your own family's story--inspiring a new sense of your place in the larger story of American immigration.
The American Jewish Historical Society's Jewish Museum in Cyberspace
www.amuseum.org
Looking for famous American Jews, take a Virtual Tour through 500 years of Jewish-American history -- from the Jews who helped Columbus to Barbra Streisand - illustrated by medals specially commissioned by the Jewish-American Hall of Fame. Test your Jewish I.Q. by taking Quizzes about the personalities, places and events that have been honored by the Jewish-American Hall of Fame -- baseball great Hank Greenberg, violin virtuoso Isaac Stern, composer George Gershwin, Statue of Liberty poet Emma Lazarus, Israel Prime Minister Golda Meir, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, musical genius Leonard Bernstein, humanitarian Elie Wiesel, and many more. Nominate someone for the Jewish-American Hall of Fame.
American Jewish Legacy
http://www.ajlegacy.org/
The American Jewish Legacy (AJL) is a national effort to preserve and document the unique, rich history of traditional Jewish congregations, individuals, and communities in the United States from Colonial times to the present.
Beth-Hatefutsoth, The Museum of the Jewish People
www.bh.org.il/index.html
Beth-Hatefutsoth, the Museum of the Jewish People, contains data bases of Jewish communities, family names, Jewish Genealogy Center, Jewish Music Center, visual documentation center, and online education and exhibitions.
The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum
www.thebreman.org
The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta, GA, is involved in a continuing effort to document the once-dynamic Jewish communal life that existed in scores of small cities and towns throughout the State of Georgia. View the archive and collections sections.
The Jewish Heritage Foundation of North Carolina
http://www.jhfnc.org/
The Jewish Heritage Foundation of North Carolina (JHF) is the only independent organization devoted exclusively to Jewish history and culture in North Carolina. Originally the Rosenzweig Museum, it became the JHF in 2002, broadening its statewide mission to collect, record and preserve the history of the Jewish people of North Carolina. The JHF continues to operate the Rosenzweig Gallery as a showcase for Jewish art. The JHF also serves in a Custodianship role to collect, preserve and redistribute Jewish ritual objects that are at risk of loss as rural Jewish communities disappear. Click "Heritage Programs" for the online story of "Migration : Jewish Settlers of Eastern North Carolina" and click "Online Collection" to view a variety of artifacts from their collection.
The Jewish Museum (New York)
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/site/pages/
In 2004, The Jewish Museum celebrates its Centennial year, marking the gift, in 1904, of 26 Jewish ceremonial art objects to The Jewish Theological Seminary by Judge Mayer Sulzberger. Over the past 100 years, the Museum has assumed its role as a major cultural institution for New York City and the world. The Jewish Museum is an art museum exploring Jewish culture. There is an online "virtual" exploration of the institution in which past and present meet to pose questions and foster dialogue about the future.
Making Connections in Art and Jewish Culture
Explore the collection interactively. This online exhibition includes sixty works, from ancient artifacts to contemporary art and television clips, and traces their interconnections.
The Flash plug-in is required to view this feature.
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The Jewish Museum of Florida 
http://www.jewishmuseum.com/
The mission of the Jewish Museum of Florida is to retrieve, preserve and pass on to future generations material evidence of the Jewish experience in Florida since 1763, when Jews were first allowed to live in the state. The Museum is housed in a historic Art Deco building that was formerly an Orthodox synagogue. A growing Collections & Research Center, Films, Public Programs, a Timeline of World, American and Jewish history. View online the Mosaic Photo Collection, with 973 images of Jewish life in Florida, from the Florida State Archives Photographic collection. There is conjecture that Jews, living as conversos, were among those in America's first settlement in St. Augustine, Florida in 1565.
The Jewish Museum of Maryland
http://www.jhsm.org/
The Jewish Museum of Maryland is America's leading museum of regional Jewish history, culture and community. The Museum interprets the Jewish experience in America, with special attention to Jewish life in the state of Maryland. The Museum was founded in 1960 to rescue and restore the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue, and has become a cultural center for the Jewish community and for those interested in Jewish history and traditions. Online resources include: Baltimore Jewry: A Historical Timeline, a regional history of the Jews from the 17th century to present; JMM Collections Database , a searchable database for over 40,000 objects, photos, or documents; Family History Research, have the museum's professional genealogists research your family history.
The Judah L. Magnes Museum
http://www.magnes.org
Founded in 1962, The Judah L. Magnes Museum collects, preserves, and exhibits art and artifacts reflecting the diversity and complexity of the Jewish experience throughout history. They promote understanding by fostering dialogue and exploring links between Jewish and other cultures. Go to "Collections & Research", select a collection and view a slide show of museum artifacts and additional information.
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
http://www.tenement.org
Tenement.org features a virtual tour of the museum describing the lives of Jews and other immigrants on the Lower East Side during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Between 1863 and 1935, 7000 tenants lived in 97 Orchard Street. The lives of some of these residents are the basis of the Virtual Tour. The tour features pictures and an audio function as well as maps of typical tenement houses.
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/
Look up some of your favorite (Jewish) baseball players who are enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
National Museum of American Jewish History
http://www.nmajh.org
This site has a timeline covering American, American Jewish and European Jewish history. The timeline begins in 1492 and ends in 1992.
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Sting Like a Maccabee This exhibition spotlights artifacts from a time when Jewish boxers dominated the sport, including posters, photographs, boxing apparel, training equipment, films, title belts, and personal items. |
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Synagogue Postcards: Souvenirs of Community From the collection of the National Museum of American Jewish History. Send a postcard to an online friend! |
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The National Museum of American Jewish Military History
http://www.nmajmh.org
The National Museum of American Jewish Military History, under the auspices of the Jewish War Veterans of the USA, documents and preserves the contributions of Jewish Americans to the peace and freedom of the United States, educates the public concerning the courage, heroism and sacrifices made by Jewish Americans who served in the armed forces, and works to combat anti-Semitism. Take a virtual tour of the museum as well as read about the role of Jewish women in the United States armed forces and American Jewish military heroes.
The Oregon Jewish Museum
www.ojm.org/
The Oregon Jewish Museum was founded in 1989 by a volunteer group, committed to providing Oregon with a museum dedicated to Jewish art and history. In 1996, OJM merged with the Jewish Historical Society of Oregon. The extensive archive collection of the Historical Society, documenting Jewish life in Oregon for 150 years, is now part of OJM's permanent collection.
Click on any image to browse that collection
| Aber Collection | Berger Collection | Miriam Cups |
Matzah Covers | General Museum Collection |
The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine (New Jersey) History
Begun over 100 years ago, Woodbine was purchased by the wealthy German philanthropist, Baron de Hirsch who established a fund to assist the immigrating Russian Jews coming to America in the 1890s. Woodbine was the experimental agricultural-industrial colony envisioned by the Baron de Hirsch Fund trustees. Read about this community's history through the online exhibit; click on "Exhibit" on the home page.
Skirball Cultural Center
http://www.skirball.com
This site offers several exhibits online. It also features an interactive exhibit called "Visions and Values: Jewish Life from Antiquity to America". This exhibition traces the history, accomplishments, and values of the Jewish people over four thousand years, culminating with their experiences in the United States and contributions to American culture." The other online exhibits are: Myer Myers: Historical Overview / True Wedding Stories / The Nuremberg Papers (the original text of the Nuremberg laws bearing Hitler's signature is pictured in this exhibition).
Spertus Museum
http://www.spertus.edu/museum
The largest Jewish museum between the two coasts, Spertus Museum houses a collection of over 10,000 objects, artifacts, and works of art spanning 3500 years of Jewish history, and features exciting permanent and temporary exhibitions. Has an interactive exhibition.
Truman Presidential Museum and Library
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/israel/
In 1998, the Truman Library commemorated the 50th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel. This site contains a treasure trove of documents and photographs. Click on the following links for more information on the Recognition of the State of Israel: Archival materials; Student research files; Photographs; Historical Background; Chronology.
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