Partnerships

In order to advance awareness and understanding of Jewish history, the Jewish Heritage Center is committed to collaborating with other organizations, individuals, and projects in the historical, archival, genealogical, cultural, and Jewish communal fields. Below are organizations and programs with which the JHC is an active partner.

The New England Jewish History Collaborative is a consortium of Jewish history and genealogy organizations from all six New England states, whose goal is to raise awareness of the history of Jewish New England and the resources available to study it. The Collaborative formed in 2019 out of the recognition that the Jewish experience in New England, and how it contributes to the larger American Jewish story, has heretofore been little studied and understood.

The Collaborative’s purpose is threefold:

1. to identify the unique history and characteristics of the New England Jewish experience;
2. to attract scholars and the public to discover and use the rich resources available about New England Jewish history; and
3. to discuss collaborative initiatives within the New England Jewish history community.

In its first collective effort, the New England Jewish History Collaborative created both this Resource Guide and a website to help people learn more about the history of Jewish New England and the resources available to study it. It introduced these resources, and kicked off the public phase of its work, in an online event about New England Jewish history in January 2021. Going forward, the Collaborative plans to work together to stimulate partnerships and projects about Jewish history, promote new research and scholarship, and co-sponsor events and conferences.

The founding member organizations of the New England Jewish History Collaborative are:

• Documenting Maine Jewry;
• Jewish Cemetery Association of North America (headquartered in Maine);
• Jewish Federation of New Hampshire;
• Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston;
• Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford;
• Jewish Historical Society of Western Massachusetts;
• Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association;
• Vermont Jewry/The Lost Mural; and
• The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at New England Historic Genealogical Society.

On January 24, 2021, the New England Jewish History Collaborative held its first event, titled "What is the New England Jewish Experience?” View the recording of the event here.

To view the resource guide created by the Collaborative, click here. The Collaborative will continue to add and update information in this Resource Guide on an ongoing basis and welcomes submissions, suggestions, and comments.

  The JHC is a Cultural Partner of Jewish American Heritage Month.

In partnership with the Jewish Arts Collaborative, Vilna Shul, and Chef Michael Leviton, Kitchen Explorations is a culinary journey through historic Boston that explores the role of the cultural kitchen in shaping our history.

In March 2021, we explored Passover recipes in the archives of the JHC--watch the recording here.

Stay tuned for more food and culture using recipes from our archives! 

The JHC is pleased to participate in Massachusetts Historical Society’s National History Day efforts to make archival resources available to participating students. More information on National History Day in Massachusetts can be found on their website.