A premier center preserving New England Jewish history, exploring Jewish heritage, and advancing understanding of the American Jewish experience.
Jewish Neighborhood Voices
New at the JHC! Explore “Jewish Neighborhood Voices,” an online exhibit based on oral histories with individuals growing up in three historically Jewish neighborhoods of Greater Boston in the 1920s through the 1950s.
Events
Online Event
Imagining Early American Jews
February 17, 2026
Dr. Hoberman will offer a timely and original talk to explore how interpretations and representations of the past are key to understanding Jewish American history and identity.
In Concert: How Jewish Women Built Community Through Music
March 19, 2026
From mandolin clubs to musical theatre, Jewish women found joy, bonds, and purpose through musical self-expression in the early twentieth century. JHC Historian in Residence Madeline DeDe-Panken explores how music was a means for women to navigate changing societal expectations, including pursuing education and careers.
Online Event
Declarations of Americanism: Jewish-American Displays of National Identity
April 16, 2026
In this talk, JHC Historian in Residence Madeline DeDe-Panken considers why Jews leaned into American iconography throughout the 19th and early 20th century and how such displays shaped Jewish life in America.
In The Spotlight
L to R: Obermayer Judaica Collection cover page, Arthur Obermayer in lab setting, Arthur Obermayer "Tree Incident" clipping.
Now Available Online: Arthur S. Obermayer Papers
The papers, available digitally as of Summer 2025, contain correspondence, business records, news clippings, photographs, sound and video recordings, awards, reports, and notes documenting the personal, professional, political, and charitable work of Arthur S. Obermayer, a Boston-based scientist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
L and R, postcards sent from William to Minnie. At center, a photograph of William and Minnie just married.
Now Available Online: Marcus and Feldman Family Papers
The papers, available digitally as of July 2025, consist of William Marcus’s service and naturalization records, correspondence between William Marcus and Minnie Feldman over a one-year period of time while William was serving in WWI, and more.
Joanne Fox Brumberg with a goat in Lynn, circa 1949, Jewish Neighborhood Voices collection in the JHC archive.
Jewish Neighborhood Voices Exhibit
Explore the JHC's new online exhibit about Jewish immigrant neighborhoods.