DAY // WAY 6: Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest

jhsum logo

The What?

The Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest (JHSUM) is the leading organization in the Upper Midwest dedicated to telling the story of 170 years of Jewish history in the region. Founded in 1984, JHSUM provides programming, publications, exhibits, and curriculum to the local and regional community, as well as offering reference and reproduction services to all interested users.

Archives now housed at University of Minnesota

In 2012, JHSUM gifted nearly 1,000 linear feet of paper archives and thousands of photographs to the University of Minnesota Anderson Library Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives.
This provides permanent housing at the University and makes this exciting, rich historical treasure to stay open to the public.

What’s in the archives?

The archives are filled with synagogue and Jewish institutional records, as well as historical materials from rural Midwest communities, family and personal histories, oral histories, photographic and film collections, and genealogy materials. The collection is particularly strong in the areas of Jewish homesteading in the Dakotas, Northern Minnesota Iron Range Jewish communities, Minneapolis and St. Paul synagogue records, Jewish women’s organization records, and materials reflecting life on Minneapolis’s North Side Jewish community. Visit the archives online to search the database and schedule a visit to the archives in person.

Now that collection preservation is handled by the University, JHSUM is focused on interpretation, education, and programming—including increasing the number of public displays of historical materials.

Where can I see materials on display?

  • The Sabes JCC’s Kaplan Family Jewish History Center, Tychman Shapiro Gallery
  • Shared Walls Exhibition Areas at the St. Paul JCC
  • Sholom East Display Case
  • Sholom West / Knollwood Plaza Exhibit Spaces

scrap storiesWhat’s next?

“Peddlers to Processors—Scrap Stories from the Upper Midwest” is an exhibit that runs from April 3 to May 26, 2016 at the Sabes JCC.

Learn how the barely tolerated Jewish junkman, who picked up everything from bones and bottles to rags and iron, became a leader in the Green Revolution. You may find your grandparents’ story here. Produced by the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest.

On display in the Tychman Shapiro Gallery & Shared Walls Exhibition Areas www.jhsum.org

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