May 01, 2008
Eighteen years have passed since the United Jewish Federation of MetroWest NJ voted to approve the establishment of the Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest.
Finding the JHS is not difficult. The Society is located on the first floor of the Alex Aidekman Jewish Community Campus in Whippany, where we maintain a climate-controlled archive with what the New Jersey Historical Commission called “an enviable collection of papers relative to the Jewish experience in northern New Jersey.”
Working on the principle that all history is personal, we at the JHS want to stress that the history in our archives belongs to you, the readers of the New Jersey Jewish News. Our history dates back to 1845.
The Society’s first public recognition came in 1994 at a gathering in Omaha, Neb., where the American Association for State and Local History honored the society’s outstanding achievements in preservation and interpretation of local, state, and regional history.
Young by some standards, the JHS has received support and commendation from the NJ Historical Commission, NJ Council for the Humanities, Wakefern Corporation, the Bildner Family Foundation, Schering Plough, the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, and the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, putting it in a league with older, more established historical societies.
Our collections come from Essex, Morris, northern Union, and Sussex County synagogues, of which many of you are members; from Jewish institutions and volunteer organizations that rely on you for membership and support; and invaluable private collections.
The JHS extends all efforts to gather, preserve, and make accessible institutional records, photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the remarkable story of the founding, growth, and accomplishments of our MetroWest community. It is no small task.
Credit for the founding of the JHS goes to Ruth and Jerry Fein and Saul Schwarz. Growing and expanding its offerings are credited to an able board of trustees and the Society’s five presidents, including Ruth Fein, Warren Grover, Bob Max, Dr. Jerome Horowitz, and its incoming president, Howard Kiesel. These individuals continue to grapple regularly with problems associated with finding creative ways to raise money to support the Society’s activities.
It’s hard to pick and choose from the many amazing historic firsts that belong to MetroWest history. Did you know that early Newark settler Louis V. Aronson, discoverer of the first non-sulfurous match (later known as the Ronson lighter) “suspended” his patent until the end of World War I so the U.S. Army could use the invention unencumbered? That author Philip Roth is MetroWest’s “native son?” That Mount Freedom in Morris County was home to a vibrant hotel resort industry equivalent to New York’s Borscht Belt? That Albert Einstein had very close ties to our Jewish community? That Louis Bamberger, owner of L. Bamberger & Co. department store, is heralded as New Jersey’s merchant prince?
There’s more to tell. You’d be amazed at the array, quality, and rarity of the society’s collections. Researchers can peruse the important history of New Jersey’s Jewish hospital, Newark Beth Israel; accounts of Newark’s mutual benefit societies, or landsmanshaften; accounts of the Y that date back to 1877; the institutional history of 22 Morris and Sussex County synagogues; and a complete run of issues of the New Jersey Jewish News, to mention a few.
Our photograph collections, stored in our digital library, are truly noteworthy. You can find a comprehensive list of our collections on our Web site. If we don’t have what you’re looking for, chances are we can find out who does.
You can be assured of coming to one of our traveling exhibitions and seeing yourself, a relative, or a friend in our exhibitions. MetroWest faces and places are the subjects of “Who’s Minding the Store?,” “Born at the Beth,” the “Jews of Morris and Sussex,” and “Weequahic Memoirs,” the soon-to-open exhibition of Newark’s legendary neighborhood.
The JHS is not the only MetroWest agency celebrating a milestone anniversary this year. The Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled and the Rachel Coalition are celebrating their 10th anniversaries. Both agencies requested that the JHS prepare an exhibition of their respective histories.
In addition, we make MetroWest history available through an active speakers bureau and public forums. JHS members receive biannual newsletters, e-mail “Jottings,” and notices of all programs.
On this, the occasion of the society’s 18th anniversary, we are asking MetroWest residents here and around the country to become members of our exceptional historical society. To become a member, please contact Irene Segal or call 973-929-2703 to request an application.
Don’t lose your place in our MetroWest history. Become a member today.
Linda Forgosh is the curator and outreach director of the Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest.- Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com
