American Jewish Portraits Database
Hosted by the American Jewish Historical Society, this searchable database provides access to images of American Jews before 1865. The site can be searched by keyword, portrait name, artist name and artist date.
An Oral History of the Pittsburgh Jewish Community
Created by the Pittsburgh Section of the National Council of Jewish Women, this site provides access to more than 500 oral histories of Jewish life in this part of Pennsylvania. You can browse or search by name, geographic index or subject.
Bronx Jewish Historical Initiative
Information on the history of the Jews in this part of New York City, including details on their neighborhoods, synagogues and well-known residents.
Created in 1995, the goal of this site housed at Brown University is to document the history of this region in New York that was played an important role in American Jewish history. The site has a database of hotels and bungalow colonies along with links to relevant sites and online discussion groups for those who spent time in this region.
Documenting Maine Jewry
This project documents the history of Jews in Maine since the 1800s. The database is searchable by a variety of fields. The collection contains oral histories, audio interviews, photographs, documents, a burial index and links to library collections.
Early New York Synagogue Archives
A joint effort of the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, the American Jewish Historical Society, and the Center for Jewish History, this site provides access to the digitized records of five major New York synagogues that date back to 1730: Shearith Israel, Bnai Jeshrun, and Ansche Chesed, the Kane Street Synagogue and the Eldridge Street Synagogue.
From Haven to Home: The Library of Congress Exhibit on Jewish Life in America
This site from the Library of Congress celebrates 350 years of Jewish life in America. There is a timeline, an interactive exhibit, a section of immigration and more than two hundred treasures of American Judaica from the collections of the Library of Congress.
Interactive Timeline of American Jewish History in the Twentieth Century
Decade by decade events depicted in artifacts from the American Jewish Committee Archives.
Jewish American Heritage Month
“ The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Association, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and US Holocaust Memorial Museum have joined together to create a portal providing links to resources. In addition to learning about the various events that will be taking place during this month, students can listen to oral histories of select Jewish-American soldiers who fought during World War II. They can view online exhibitions, watch presentations, and study images that document Jewish-American experiences. Teachers will find links to lesson plans and other teaching resources that can be used to enhance classroom activities.”
Jewish Atlantic World
In the collection, you will find over 5,000 images related to Jewish life in early America. The database includes both photos of material culture (gravestones, ritual baths, synagogues, houses, furniture, etc.) and archival documents (probate records and land evidence) from many of the key ports where Jews settled in North America and the Caribbean, as well as several crucial ports from which they immigrated (Amsterdam, London, Hamburg).
Jewish Heroes and Heroines of America
This site provides 150 biographies of famous American Jews from colonial times to the present taken from the book Jewish Heroes and Heroines in America published by Seymour Brody.
Jewish-American History Foundation
The site provides materials about Jews in the Civil War, Jews in the Wild West, the history of Palestine in the 19th century and the full searchable text of The Occident and American Jewish Advocate, a periodical published from 1843-1868.
Jews in America
Created by The Center for Jewish History in New York, this site provides a portrait of the American Jewish community through a searchable gallery of images, photos, documents, and artifacts from the collections of its five member groups. An interactive timeline, links to relevant websites, and in-depth essays are available as well.
Jews of the West
Created by Harriet Rochlin, this site features material about the author and her books on pioneer Jews. Of particular note is the extensive list of Western Jewish historical societies and archives.
Mapping Jewish Los Angeles
Through this site, you can experience the history of the Jews of Los Angeles, California. This is a partnership between the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies, the UCLA Library and Special Collections, the University of Southern California.
Rauh Jewish Archives
“The Rauh Jewish Archives was founded in 1989 to collect, preserve, and make accessible the documentary history of Jews and Jewish communities of western Pennsylvania,” particularly Pittsburgh.
Remembrance of Synagogues Past: The Lost Civilization of the Jewish South Bronx
Created by the late Dr. Seymour J. Perlin, this site provides information, photos, a glossary and bibliography about Jewish life in the Bronx, New York, with a special focus on the synagogues in the South Bronx.
Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project
From the University of Las Vegas comes this site that “serves as a gateway to primary sources about the Southern Nevada Jewish experience and includes oral history transcripts, audio clips, newspapers, historical documents, photographs, scrapbooks, videos, and more.”