THE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MIDWEST: THE FIRST 20 YEARS
Over twenty years ago, a few Twin Cities individuals interested in documenting Midwestern Jewish settlement created the Minnesota Jewish Historical Society.Since that time, the organization has blossomed to over 900 members, acquired two permanent homes, changed its name and scope, and served as a vital resource for Jewish history in the region.
Minnesota Jewish Historical Society: Getting Started
Under the leadership of Sharron Steinfeldt, the Society’s early founders were spurred to action following Dr. Marilyn Chiat’s Minnesota Settlers Project.Theresa Berman, Norman Diamond, David Krawetz and Idell Silberman were among the founders and serve as early presidents.
The Society made its first home at HamlineUniversity’s Bush Library.In the first years, volunteer member and historian Linda Schloff set to work organizing the early archival donations.Schloff became the Society’s first paid staff member in 1987 and currently serves as the organization’s director.
Significant projects in the 80’s included archiving large collections from institutions such as the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, the United Jewish Fund and Council of St. Paul, gathering synagogue records and holding parlor meetings on special topics in Jewish history.Society volunteers gathered oral histories and began working on genealogy projects.Early meetings included themes such as Jewish camps, WWII American and Soviet Jewish Veterans, Jewish sports figures and a Dakota Reunion.
Jewish Historical Society of the Upper
Midwest:
Growth and Critical Acclaim
In 1992, the Society changed its name to the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest (JHSUM) to reflect the expansion of its collection to include the Dakotas, Western Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.JHSUM has published three issues of its journal, Upper Midwest Jewish History.
The Society’s most ambitions undertaking in the 1990’s was an exhibit focused on Jewish women in the Upper Midwest.Unpacking on the Prairie opened 1996 at the MinnesotaHistoryCenter to great acclaim.Lectures, a Jewish women’s art exhibit and other programs throughout the year rounded out the experience.The exhibit traveled for seven years and the award-winning Web exhibit, www.jewishwomenexhibit.com, remains an important resource today.
JHSUM produced a sell-out documentary video about a large Jewish neighborhood, We Knew Who We Were: Memories of the Minneapolis Jewish North Side, in 2000.The success of that project led to a collaboration with the University of St. Thomas, the Center for Jewish-Christian Learning, and the North Side’s Ascension Parish to create service learning projects to explore the history and changes at the parish and in the neighborhood.
In 2003, the Society mounted the exhibit Jewish Teen Life in the Twin Cities, 1945-1970 in collaboration with the Minnesota Historical Society.
Two Locations: One Mission
After a fire at HamlineUniversity in 2001, JHSUM moved to a temporary location at Sholom Home East.The Society’s burgeoning archives needed a new home as well.Through the efforts of former Governor Elmer L. Andersen and Rabbi Bernard L. Raskas, JHSUM moved the largest archival collections to the University of Minnesota’s Andersen Library in May of that year.In September of 2002, the collection was renamed the Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives.
With support from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s Securing Our Future Community Capital Campaign, the Society’s offices and remaining collection moved to a new headquarters on the Barry Family Campus in May of 2003.The Eloise and Elliot Kaplan Family Jewish History Center houses both the offices and the family history archives, including the Sharron and Oren Steinfeldt Family Photography Collection and the Ackerman Family South Dakota Collection.For the first time, JHSUM’s office is situated on a campus with many other major Jewish organizations, including the Sabes JCC, the Minneapolis Jewish Day School and the Talmud Torah of Minneapolis.
As JHSUM celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is clear there are many accomplishments to celebrate and much work left to do.With the support of new and veteran members, dedicated staff and committed board of directors, the Society looks forward to continued success in the pursuit of historical preservation and education .
