Browsing tag

jewish history

Shad Polier and the Civil Rights Movement

To commemorate the end of Black History Month, our new intern Poorvi Buller looked through an American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) collection of Shad Polier’s papers for quotes that are emblematic of this lawyer and activist’s commitment to protecting civil rights. Tomorrow, we will be tweeting these quotes out to remind all those in our community of the lasting significance of the civil rights movement, and…

1486 0

Kindertransport

As part of the Kindertransport movement, thousands of Jewish children from Central Europe were allowed to immigrate to Britain. There, most lived with host families throughout the war. Above is a list from 1934, matching refugee children with families in Britain. Image: Courtesy of Leo Baeck Institute The Center for Jewish History insists upon the most genuine of American and Jewish values: religious freedom, human…

1442 0

Isidor

Isidor  A. Popper, an early 20th century immigrant to New York City and an entrepreneur, signed the above affidavit in 1938, sponsoring the immigration of Vienese refugees Alice and Gisele Popper (even though they were not actually her relatives). Popper signed 32 such documents, which were most successful when promoted by a family member. Here, you can see the desperate letters that Alice wrote to Isidor,…

1530 0

Edmund Immergut

Austrian refugee Edmund Immergut found safe harbor in Shanghai, China, where he arrived in the 1930s. Over 10,000 Jews escaping Nazi rule lived in Shanghai during the war. See more of his documents from his time in Shanghai here. Image: Courtesy of Leo Baeck Institute The Center for Jewish History insists upon the most genuine of American and Jewish values: religious freedom, human equality,…

1214 0

Chutzpah in Style: Hats and Deeds of Rose Halprin

#Out of the Archives By Andrey Filimonov  "Rose Halprin’s joie de vivre was reflected in her love of the arts and of people. The resplendence and distinctiveness of her hats was proverbial, but beneath that varied headgear was a Yiddisher kop—a brilliant, analytical Jewish mind—together with a warm and sensitive Jewish heart.“ – Rabbi Israel Goldstein Rose Halprin in 1948; Hadassah Archives on Long-term…

3005 0

Into the Woods: Blau-Weiss, the German Zionist Hiking Group

Image: Courtesy of Leo Baeck Institute By James Benjamin Nadel, Communications Outreach Associate As the summer ends, and opportunities to explore the great outdoors grow fewer, I wanted to draw attention to the little discussed history of Jewish hiking organizations. Several of these youth groups existed in pre-World War II Europe, but one stands out in particular for its unique engagement with various cultural…

2289 0

In Plain Sight: The Marvelous, Unlikely History of Bard Professor Justus Rosenberg

By James Benjamin Nadel, Research Intern You might not expect a 95 year old literature professor to emphasize youth when discussing his life. But that is exactly how Justus Rosenberg described his upcoming talk at the Center for Jewish History to me. “I will do it from the perspective of a teenager…it is for someone like you.” Next Wednesday, Justus will be discussing his…

1497 0

Today in History: King David Hotel Bombing

By Emily Burack, Research Intern Seventy years ago, on July 22, 1946, the bombing of the King David Hotel occurred in Mandatory Palestine. The Irgun Zvai Leumi (Irgun), a group that played a key role in the Jewish underground, orchestrated the attack in response to a day known as “Black Sabbath,” June 29, 1946, when British officials arrested nearly 3,000 Zionist officials and raided…

1834 0

2015 Center for Jewish History Lapidus Summer Fellow Charles McDonald Interviewed by Radio Sefarad

The extensive interview is about Jewish conversion and citizenship in contemporary Spain and can be found here. The Center for Jewish History creates opportunities for scholars to immerse themselves in explorations of the primary source materials preserved within its walls. For the past 13 years, the Center’s Fellowship Program has offered financial support to a diverse group of more than 60 humanities scholars at…

1802 0
Load more