Connection and Community: Documenting 20th-century American Jewish Philanthropy and Public Service

FAIN: PW-285228-22

Center for Jewish History (New York, NY 10011-6301)
Rachel Miller (Project Director: July 2021 to December 2024)
Andrey Filimonov (Project Director: December 2024 to present)

Participating institutions:
Center for Jewish History (New York, NY) - Applicant/Recipient
American Jewish Historical Society (New York, NY) - Participating Institution

The arrangement and description of 1,475 linear feet of Council of Jewish Federations records dating from 1916 to 1999, as well as the digitization of 5,000 items selected from the collection. 

Jewish federations are collectively among the largest charities in the U.S. and the world. Federations were created by and for local communities at the turn of the 20th century to address social needs like immigrant relief, education, and elder care before state-led social service infrastructure was available. As Jewish federations grew, so did the necessity for collaboration among them, leading to the establishment in 1932 of the Council of Jewish Federations to coordinate efforts on a national scale. The Center for Jewish History and the American Jewish Historical Society will arrange and describe the records of the Council of Jewish Federations (1,475 linear feet), opening this prodigious collection to researchers for the first time. A selection of 5,000 items will also be digitized. The Council’s records hold tremendous potential for humanities research across many fields and appeal to a broad public interested the history of communities across the nation.