Center for Jewish History
Posts by

Center for Jewish History

L’Shana Tova! Turn-of-the-Century New Year’s Cards from the Collection of Yeshiva University Museum

By Lauren Gilbert
Director of Public Services, Center for Jewish History

L’Shana Tova! Turn-of-the-Century New Year’s Cards from the Collection of Yeshiva University Museum

The commercial greeting card industry grew rapidly around the turn of the last century in Europe after the introduction of the picture postcard along with technical innovations that permitted cheaper mass production of color prints. Pre-printed cards became commonplace…

5393 0

Campfire Magic: Pluralism of Jewish Summer Camping

Campfire Magic: Pluralism of Jewish Summer Camping

Today, many think of summer camp as a uniquely Jewish phenomenon. In reality, Jewish educational camps developed as a branch of American organized camping. At the turn of the 20th century, camping was a major tenet of American Progressivism and the Fresh Air Movement, which sought to provide relief for poor immigrants in overcrowded cities during the…

8060 0

“A Very Ticklish Problem”: The AJC Response to the Rosenberg Trial & Execution

By Lauren Gilbert
Director of Public Services, Center for Jewish History

“A Very Ticklish Problem”: The AJC Response to the Rosenberg Trial & Execution

Convicted of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed 70 years ago on June 19, 1953, the first and only American civilians to face the death penalty for espionage. At the time, many…

6568 1

Kosher Food Production in the United States and the Manischewitz Empire

By Ella Jordan-Smith
Reference Services Librarian, Center for Jewish History

Kosher Food Production in the United States and the Manischewitz Empire

The Jewish population in the U.S. currently makes up just under 2.5% of the total population, with an even lower percentage keeping kosher. Yet, over 40% of the packaged food produced in the U.S. is labeled as kosher, and American food production…

6872 1