D
r. Jacob Rader Marcus (1896-1995) established
the American Jewish Archives (AJA) in 1947
to preserve the continuity of Jewish life and learning
in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Today, the AJA has
become the world’s largest free-standing archival re-
search center dedicated exclusively to the study of the
American Jewish experience. Its 12,000 linear feet of
catalogued collections contains robust documentary
evidence of the history of North American Jewry, in-
cluding iconic holdings that are essential to the world’s
understanding of American history.
The AJA is a global learning center for rabbis,
scholars, educators, researchers, and students of nu-
merous academic disciplines. Through the strategic
development of a range of innovative programs, out-
reach structures, and leading technologies, The
Marcus Center – and its treasured resources – are now
poised to inspire coming generations with the fascinat-
ing stories of Jewish life in North America.
The AJA’s burgeoning Fellowship program now in-
cludes more than 350 scholars –academic leaders of
the future – from over 20 countries. While interacting
with peer researchers and HUC-JIR faculty, Fellows –
primarily Ph.D. candidates – are immersed in the dis-
covery of rich perspectives on the past and inspiring
portraits of American Jewish leadership.
Recently, the AJA began offering a series of
leadership development programs for high school
and college students who are interested in learning
about the American Jewish experience. Many of
these young people will become leaders of the Reform
Movement in the years ahead. Six specialized pro-
grams provide unique, campus-based Jewish learning
opportunities that are drawn from the archival stacks
and led by HUC-JIR’s dynamic faculty and students.
The students have a chance to “stand on the shoulders
of giants,” and gain a greater understanding of the
roles that their Jewish forbears have played in shaping
the course of history on the North American continent.
The AJA’s historically significant collections – and
their capacity to advance the understanding of Ameri-
can Jewish history and the American nation as a whole
–
continue to enhance the College-Institute:
•
In 2011 the National Historical Publications and
Records Commission (NHPRC) - under the auspices
of the National Archives and Records Administra-
tion (NARA) - selected the AJA from among many
other highly respected applicants to receive a pres-
tigious grant to increase public accessibility to the
AJA’s records documenting the broad scope of
American Jewish society. Funding provided by
NHPRC’s Basic Processing of Historically Significant
Records Project will be devoted to processing the
papers and records of rabbis, synagogues, social
groups, individuals, and organizations that reflect
the history of American Jewish life.
•
In 2011 the AJA was selected to preserve and
disseminate the records of the internationally
renowned Mandel Supporting Foundations,
established by Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel
of Cleveland, Ohio, to foster non-profit organiza-
tional leadership through innovative education
programming.
•
The website of the American Jewish Archives was
selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress’s
‘
Single Site’ Project in 2010 – underscoring the his-
torical significance of the AJA’s holdings.
The vast scholarly resources of the AJA are
now utilized in ways previously unimagined – from
international distance learning programs via the
Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati International Learning
Center’s electronic classroom to the digitization of
expansive collections and extensive online resources.
These resources include the entire run of the
AJA
Journal
,
the papers of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, and
digitized copies of editorials from the
American Israelite
during the years that Wise was the paper’s editor
(1854-1900).
Increasingly, access to the AJA’s
remarkable holdings is merely a click away.
Outreach programs for laity – including the AJA’s
popular “Travels in American Jewish History” program
–
provide opportunities to learn about world events,
historical figures, and fascinating eras in American
Jewish history.
David Ben Gurion said that, “We Jews cannot live
in the past, but the past must live in us.” Indeed, the
American Jewish Archives illuminates our storied past
in order to create an even brighter future.
Visit
AmericanJewishArchives.org
to explore the
treasures of American Jewish life.
A Publication of
Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion
The
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
FLUSHING, NY
PERMIT NO. 1018
The American Jewish Archives:
Leading the Way in Preserving
American Jewish History
Rabbi Gary P. Zola,
C ’82, Ph.D. ’91;
Executive Director, The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives;
Professor of the American Jewish Experience, HUC-JIR/Cincinnati
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Wishing You a
Happy, Healthy,
and Peaceful
5772
Nathan Hilu,
Shanah Tovah,
from “Nathan Hilu's Journal: Word, Image,
Memory,” presented by the Irma L. and Abram S. Croll Center for Jew-
ish Learning and Culture at the HUC-JIR Museum/New York.
Rabbi David Ellenson,
Ph.D.,
President
Irwin Engelman,
Chairman, Board of Governors
Rabbi Michael Marmur,
Ph.D.,
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jane F. Karlin,
Ph.D.,
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Jean Bloch Rosensaft,
Editor;
Assistant Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs
Allison Glazer,
Assistant Editor; National Public Affairs Coordinator
Design:
Dorit Tabak
;
Photography:
Bill Aron; Isaac Harari; Richard Lobell;
Janine M. Spang; Marvin Steindler
The Chronicle
is published by the National Office of Public Affairs
At the White House reception for Jewish
American Heritage Month in May 2011,
Dr. Gary P. Zola shows Congresswoman Debbie
Wasserman Schultz the Medal of Honor given
to Civil War hero David Urbansky. This medal,
preserved at the AJA, is believed to be the
oldest surviving Medal of Honor given to an
American Jew. Dr. Zola was recently appointed
by President Obama to the Commission for the
Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad –
established to encourage the preservation and
protection of the cemeteries, monuments, and
historic buildings associated with the foreign
heritage of United States citizens. Dr. Zola is
the first member of HUC-JIR’s faculty to
receive a presidential appointment.
Brookdale Center, One West Fourth Street, New York, NY 10012-1186
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