May is Jewish American Heritage Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.
Richard Schifter Family Papers
The Richard Schifter family papers consist of correspondence, documents, printed material, and photographs, related to the lives of the family of Richard Schifter and his parents, Paul and Balbina Schifter, in pre-World War II Austria, Richard's immigration to the United States in 1938, his subsequent education and service in the U.S. Army during World War II, his parents' deportation to Poland, and Richard Schifter's unsuccessful attempts to help his parents in Nazi-occupied Poland.
Richard Schifter Family Papers »
Americans and the Holocaust: Richard Schifter »
Image Credit: Richard Schifter with his mother Balbina, shortly before Richard immigrated to the United States on his own., ca. 1938. US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Jewish American Heritage Month—National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration is proud to observe Jewish American Heritage Month and to recognize Jewish contributions to American culture, history, military, science, government, and more. (National Archives)
Visit the Site »
Image Credit: A portrait of Albert Einstein by Elin Waite. (National Archives Identifier 6343429)
American Archive of Public Broadcasting's Jewish American Heritage Collection
The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) is a collaboration between the Library of Congress and GBH. The AAPB's Jewish American Heritage Collection provides nearly 400 public television and radio programs from 1945 to 2017 that are available online and focus on social, cultural and religious aspects of Jewish life in America.
View the Collection
Image Credit: Image courtesy of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
The National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places showcases historic properties listed in the National Register and National Park units that commemorate the events and people that help illustrate Jewish Americans' contributions to American history. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. It is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. (National Park Service)
Visit the Site »
Image credit: Historic American Buildings Survey. Beth Sholom Synagogue, Old York & Foxcroft Roads, Elkins Pk, Montgomery County, PA. 1933. (Library of Congress).
Jewish Veterans of World War II
Fighting Nazi Germany took on special significance for one group of U.S. servicemen in the European Theater. Even those Jewish soldiers and sailors who were serving elsewhere in World War II understood that defeating the Axis would be a defeat for blind hatred of any ethnic group or nationality.
Go to the Library of Congress's; Veterans History Project »
Image credit: Irving and Lilyan Oblas, 1944.
For Teachers
Put the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Browse ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids.
Educational Resources »
Image Credit: Jewish refugee children, enroute to Philadelphia aboard liner President Harding, waving at the Statue of Liberty (Library of Congress)
Event Highlights 2022
Virtual Event
Tuesday, May 10
When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill
Howard Mortman's When Rabbis Bless Congress is an unprecedented examination of 160 years of Jewish prayers delivered in the literal and figurative center of American democracy. With exhaustive research written in approachable prose, it tells the story of more than 400 rabbis giving over 600 prayers since the Civil War days. The book is an important addition to our understanding of Congress and Jewish contribution to America. Joining Mortman in conversation will be Brian Lamb, founder and former CEO of C-SPAN.
Brought to you by:
