The American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS)

Next week join Lila Corwin Berman, author of The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex: The History of a Multibillion-Dollar Institution, and Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor at Slate, for a discussion about the history of American Jewish philanthropy and what that history might tell us about money, politics, and the public good in American and American Jewish life today. To RSVP: https://ajhs.org/programs #jewish #jewishhistory #philanthropy #history #books #booktalk

Justine Wise Polier and Eleanor Roosevelt conversing with Women's Division members at Annual Hanukkah Luncheon 1955. Justine Wise Polier was the first woman justice in New York where she served for 38 years. Known as an activist judge, she believed that the law should be used to create social change, preferring to use the judicial process in a rehabilitative rather than punitive way. Justice Polier promoted the rights of children, minorities, and those trapped in poverty. She... was openly critical about the flaws in the justice system that continued to fail the children it was meant to protect, recognizing the powerful systems of poverty and racism that were behind the reason why most children appeared in her court. Justice Polier co-wrote New York State’s first anti-discrimination law, was behind the founding of Citizens Committee for Children, and eventually became Vice President of AJ Congress. Part of the American Jewish Congress records at AJHS. #jewish #jewishhistory #history #justice #jewishwomen #womeninhistory #advocacy See more

Young men and women working on writing for publications at Camp Wel-Met, 1948. Camp Wel-Met was founded in 1935 under the name Metropolitan Jewish Centers Camp Association and overtime became one of the nation's largest sleep-away camps. It was known for its no frills activities and facilities, and is fondly remembered for the joyful community building that it fostered. Wel-Met has since dissolved, but the name is still used today by a camp in the Bronx, NY. Photographed by: Heinz H. Weissenstein. Part of the National Jewish Welfare Board Records at AJHS. #jewishhistory #jewish #history #camp #community #friendship

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Joachim Prinz and Shad Polier at American Jewish Congress event in 1963. * Today we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a baptist minister and activist who worked tirelessly advocating for the voting rights, labor rights, and human rights of the Black American community. Though tactics such as sit-ins, marches, boycotts, and protest he was able to bring the urgent issue of civil rights protections to the forefront of political discussions a...nd legislation. He was assassinated for these efforts in 1968. Seen with him here: Shad Polier, American lawyer and civic leader for anti- discrimination rights of labor and minorities. As well as Dr. Joachim Prinz, a rabbi who escaped Nazi Germany and was President of the American Jewish Congress who co-organized the August 28, 1963 March on Washington with Dr. King. #ajhsnyc #mlk #mlkday #drmartinlutherkingjr #civilrights #votingrights #activism #ajcongress See more

"AJ Congress Serves America, the Jewish People, Human Welfare!" Photo taken at the AJ Congress National Convention, Women's Division in 1953. AJ Congress was founded to advocate for equal rights for all Americans regardless of race, religion, or national ancestry. #jewish #jewishhistory #history #jewishamerican

The AJHS offices are closed today in observance of the 2020 General Election. We encourage everyone to embrace and support the democratic process happening all around the country including but not limited to standing in line to vote, volunteering or working at polling locations, and participating in election protection work.

When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was growing up, she found inspiration in the trail-blazing accomplishments of Henrietta Szold and Emma Lazarus. In this segment, we pay homage to RBG by drawing on our own archives to lend more dimension to her heroes. We'll also uncover an unexpected archive that provided one of the late Justice's first gleanings of feminism and look at a speech RBG sent us to preserve. Join AJHS archivists and historians, as well as guest scholar Dr. Judith Rosenbaum of the Jewish Women's Archive, as we honor the resilience and innovation of past leaders and find inspiration for the future. The LIVE FROM THE ARCHIVES series has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor

Yesterday an inspiring group of Beth Chai students "zoomed back in time" to visit Emma Lazarus in her sitting room and put pen to paper to write their own poems for the Statue of Liberty. To learn more about our digital curriculum and virtual fieldtrips featuring the immersive "Emma's Sitting Room" Exhibit generously funded by the NEH, visit https://ajhs.org/emma-lazarus-project.

In the early 20th century @Hadassah would spearhead the growth of a national medical system in Palestine, with a policy of providing services to all regardless of race, color, or creed. With growing membership in the United States the group was able to fundraise and develop additional programs for childcare, school lunch, and recreation, along with creating a school for nursing. The organization stated that What we have sent to Palestine, is not a relief expedition, but rath...er an embryonic Department of Health, the nucleus of a permanent institution. * Hadassah founder Henrietta Szold (middle 2nd row) with administrative staff of the Hadassah Medical Organization, Jerusalem 1922. Dr. I. M. Rubinow, first director of HMO, is seated at Szold's right. * Our Live From The Archives program features our Hadassah Collection tomorrow, November 2nd at 1pm ET. Link in Bio! * #ajshnyc #hadassah #jewish #jewishhistory #medical #history #Health See more

AJHS has signed the Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah's Free & Fair pledge. In solidarity with dozens of other American Jewish organizations we will be closed on election day. * Grounded in the belief that it is our duty to make voting accessible to all and to remove all barriers that might stand in the way, we commit to closing for business on Election Day. For more information visit: https://www.free-and-fair.org/

On November 2nd join AJHS archivists and historians, as well as guest scholar Dr. Judith Rosenbaum of the Jewish Women's Archive as we honor the resilience and innovation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg & find inspiration for the future. https://ajhs.org/programs

Purim Party at Ludwig Satz's House in Sea Gate, Brooklyn, ca. 1925. Pictured are Yiddish Theater actors including Celia Adler, her son (the boy in front) and Lazar Freed.

When Moment Magazine presented the late RBG with their 2019 Human Rights Award, Justice Ginsburg cited Hadassah founder Henrietta Szold as an inspiring role model. Join us on Nov. 2nd as we pay homage to these 2 women and find inspiration for the future. ajhs.org/programs

Pictured here is Henrietta Szold sitting in her home in Jerusalem in 1922. Szold is most notable for her founding of the Hadassah organization; an American women's zionist movement focused on the health and well being of the people of Palestine and the support of a Jewish state. Do to her organizations efforts numerous health, social services, and education opportunities were developed in Palestine. These efforts created incredible opportunities for Jewish women at at ti...me when there were few to be found. She would eventually pass away in 1945 at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, a hospital she had helped to realize. On November 2nd we will be featuring the work of Henrietta Szold for our Live From the Archives program. Link in bio to sign up! * * * * #ajshnyc #hadassah #jewish #jewishhistory #history See more

October is Filipino American History Month. In our collections of the National Jewish Welfare Board we found this photo of American service men stationed in the capital of Manila, sitting down with family members and guests to a Passover Seder in 1925. This would have been just months after yet another set of proposals for Philippine autonomy failed to gain traction in the 68th Congress under President Harding. During the American occupation of the Philippines (1898-1946) Filipinos were pushing for independence all while living through many iterations of government with limited representation and influence in Congress. To protect US business interests American troops would continued to be stationed in the Philippines even after full independence was granted in July of 1946. * * * #ajhsnyc #jewishhistory #filipinohistory #history

Join us on Monday, Nov 2nd for a talk about the women who inspired the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We look to a speech that Justice Ginsburg gave upon receiving a human rights award from Moment Magazine. In it, she reflects on the work of important Jewish women who came before her; including Hadassah founder Henrietta Szold, and poet and activist Emma Lazarus. To register for this free program visit ajhs.org/programs.

It might be hard to see, but these students are working with trays of eggs in an incubation room! Hatchery's across the United States have seen an incredible increase in demand for young chicks throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people, looking for something to do, have taken an interest in raising backyard hens in order to have a regular supply of eggs, and an exciting new pet! We found this photo from 1900 in our Baron de Hirsch Fund Collection, of students at the W...oodbine Agricultural School in New Jersey. * * * * #ajhsnyc #jewishhistory #history #eggs #hatchery #farming See more

Due to COVID-19, students across the country have been experiencing their education differently, with classes moving online and even outside. We looked in our archives and found other moments of when our community spent time learning outside. Pictured here: Pupils at the Woodbine Agricultural School, New Jersey, 1900. Part of the Baron de Hirsch Fund Records in the AJHS collections. * * * *... #ajhsnyc #jewish #jewishhistory #students #farming #agriculture See more