June 28, 2024 By Nimrod Lin The Mandate Origins of Israeli Democracy As part of the joint CJH-Brandeis University initiative on the history of Israeli democracy, we are happy to present a selection of blog posts from members of the inaugural cohort of fellows from the Schusterman Center’s Institute for Advanced Israel Studies. Especially in the current period of acute crisis, CJH is committed…
An Introduction to Researching the First Zionist Congress at the Center for Jewish History 120 years ago, on August 29, 1987, Theodor Herzl convened the first Zionist Congress in the city of Basel with 200 participants from 17 countries. “If I were to sum up the Basel Congress in a single phrase—which I would not dare to make public—I would say: In Basel I…
#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…
By Janine Veazue Oral history is distinguished from other forms of interviews by its content and extent. Oral history interviews seek an in-depth account of personal experience and reflections, with sufficient time allowed for the narrators to give their story the fullness they desire. The content of oral history interviews is grounded in reflections on the past as opposed to commentary on purely contemporary…
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…
