This page connects researchers to other repositories and collections of material related to the study of Jewish life and history, especially in the Midwest. Researchers will find links to various historical societies, research centers, and other organizations dedicated to the study and preservation of Jewish life and culture; many of their websites include selections of digitized material from their holdings. This page also links to independent digital archives and projects.
American Jewish Historical Society: Research Collections for Midwestern Jewish History
The American Jewish Historical Society is the oldest ethnic, cultural archive in the United States. In addition to their own extensive resources, the Society provides links to other research collections for studying Jewish history, including collections based in the Midwest. Researchers will find links to relevant repositories in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio.
German Iowa and the Global Midwest
An online archive that was developed to support German Iowa and the Global Midwest, a public humanities project at the University of Iowa. It brings together source material on German immigration to Iowa from the State Historical Society of Iowa, the Iowa Women’s Archives, Special Collections at the University of Iowa, the Davenport German American Heritage Center, and additional collections throughout the state.
Iowa Jewish Historical Society (Des Moines)
The Iowa Jewish Historical Society (IJHS) is an educational institution whose mission is to inspire people from every background to connect with and preserve Iowa’s Jewish history and culture. IJHS was established by the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines in 1996.
Nebraska Jewish Historical Society
The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society was founded in 1982 by Mary Arbitman Fellman and Oliver Pollak to collect, publish, and display materials which pertain to the family, business and social histories of the Jewish Community of Nebraska and Council Bluffs.
The Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies
Established in 2009 at the University of Nebraska, the Natan & Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish studies’ mission is to create, coordinate, and promote interdisciplinary programming focused on teaching and scholarship in: Israel Studies, Jewish Studies, and the history, politics, cultures and societies of the Middle East.
“More Than Housewives: The Forgotten Lives of Iowa’s Jewish Women,” recorded webinar presentation by Dr. Jeannette Gabriel, Director, Schwalb Center for Israel & Jewish Studies