November 26, 2008
Contact: Katherine Tane
Tel: 952-381-3360
Email: history@jhsum.org

New Directors Bring Considerable Experience

The Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest is thrilled to welcome three new members to the board of directors: Shiri Cooks, Deborah Morse-Kahn and Rabbi Jonathan Perlman.

Originally from Israel, Shiri Cooks has lived in the United States for 25 years. As a professional teacher, Shiri has taught students from ages six months to eighteen years. She was the Family Education Coordinator at Talmud Torah, taught Hebrew at Torah Academy, and was the Hebrew Language Associate at Carleton College. In her seventh year at Temple Israel, Shiri is the First Grade Level Coordinator and teaches Kindergarten and first grade.  With her experience in Jewish education, she will offer insight into how to connect future generations with their Jewish past. “I am a student of history and have devoted my life to teaching. I joined the board with the hope of supporting JHSUM in educating the community and telling the rich stories and memories of Jewish life in the upper Midwest,” said Shiri Cooks.

“I believe the work of the JHSUM fills a very important gap in the documentation and recordation of the story of Jews who settled in, or passed through, this part of the country,“ said Deborah Morse-Kahn. “Both urban and rural, we have deep roots in the Upper Midwest, made a difference in the lives of the communities we chose, and still maintained our cultural and religious identifications.” Deborah is the founder and director of Regional Research Associates an organization providing research collaboration and support for local and regional studies, conferences, and publications.  She has published numerous articles in journals and newspapers. Currently, she is a member of the Minneapolis Historic Preservation Commission and consults on “The History Detectives” television show. She brings to the board a unique understanding of the intersection between culture, history, and physical environment. “The JHSUM is an invaluable repository of the stories and the artifacts of our presence in this region, and I am so pleased to be able to bring historiographic, archival and research skills to this organization,” Morse-Kahn said.

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman is the spiritual leader of Temple Sholom in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  A native of Minneapolis, he has worked in the field of Jewish education for Jewish Community Centers and has also served as a pulpit rabbi in New Jersey, North Carolina and Massachusetts.  His work as a community leader and spiritual guide across the country has enabled him to speak from a broader understanding about the similarities and differences between Jewish stories in the Upper Midwest and in other parts of the county. “Communities I’ve lived in have died and been reborn or experienced constant relocation of Jews. Many have mysteries that have never been unraveled,“ said Rabbi Perlman. “The Twin Cities has always thrived as a Jewish community and I am curious to discover why –despite climate, size, anti-semitism, and distance from other communities—it succeeded as one of the most successful, innovative, and sustainable communities in the country.”  

Along with the rest of the board, the three new members will serve and support JHSUM’s vision for 2010 to operate with a long-term facilities plan in place and a staffing model supporting multi-generational audience development, collection growth, and successful collaborative programming through sustained funding streams.

About the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest

For nearly 25 years, JHSUM has been gathering and presenting the stories of the Jewish people of the Upper Midwest. Everyone is an important part of the story. The Society encourages individuals to donate personal stories, documents, photographs and artifacts to its collections.  JHSUM collections are housed in two prominent locations: the Eloise and Elliot Kaplan Family Jewish History Center on the Barry Family Campus in Minneapolis and the Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives in the Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota. JHSUM is a partner agency of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and the United Jewish Fund and Council of St. Paul.