We show the most general sources at the top, the most
specific at the bottom.
Unless noted otherwise, all sites are free and do not require
registration.
Suggestions for this list are welcome. Please
contact us.
Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia has more than 1.5 million online
articles in English and grows at about 1,000 articles a day! Its greatest strength is its openness — anyone
can add or edit articles. Example, I expanded its article on
Abba Hillel Silver and added a link to our pages. That
openness is also its greatest weakness, particularly on topics where there
are different views of "the facts."
American National Biography Online
Online profiles of more than 18,000 American men and women from all
walks of life. It requires a paid subscription. Hopefully your library or school will have
one.
ANB's biography of Abba Hillel Silver is
posted
on our Silver pages.
Jewish Virtual Library
Not limited to Jewish history or the American Jewish
experience, this is the web's most comprehensive online Jewish encyclopedia
and says it offers more than 10,000 articles and 5,000 photographs. Its search feature helps you find answers to
your questions, text is often hyperlinked to other topics. and there is a glossary.
We suggest visiting
Judaic Treasures of the Library of Congress. If you are planning a trip
to Israel, the
Virtual Israel Experience is recommended. While not an open site
like Wikipedia, JVL editor Dr. Mitchell Bard has responded to our
suggestions and has linked to our Silver pages.
American
Israelite new
Founded in 1854 and still publishing, in 2013 a searchable archive went
online. Requires per page fee or a paid subscription. As of this date
(10/14) we know of no library offers free access.
Link to the search screen.
Jewish Encyclopedia - 1906 edition
This website contains the complete contents of the 12-volume
Jewish Encyclopedia, originally published between 1901-1906. More than
15,000 articles and illustrations. Just remember that you are looking at 100
year old articles.
Encyclopedia Judaica - 2007 edition new
The second
edition of the
22 volume 2007 Encyclopaedia Judaica is
available online through the JECC. With 21,632 signed entries by scholars
from around the world and 17,000 pages. To obtain a password for use,
contact the Ratner Media and Technology Center 216-371-8288. Then
click on this link.
The Concise Dictionary of American Jewish Biography
Edited by Jacob Rader Marcus and Judith M.
Daniels 1994
Brief biographies of approximately 24,000 American Jews, from colonial times
through around 1985. There are 26 pdf documents online, A - Z.
Jewish-American
History on the Web
Amazing that this site is the work of one person: Leah M
Berkowitz of Southfield Michigan. Special treasures include an extensive
(but not highly selected or annotated)
Links
page, and the text of
The Occident and American Jewish Advocate, one of the first
Jewish-American periodicals (1843 - 1869).
American
Jewish Historical Society
This site originally emphasized support for the society's work, but has been
adding more material for online viewing. Recommended are
Chapters in American Jewish History,
with more than 100
searchable online essays, and a treasure: ADAJE
American
Digital Archive of the Jewish Experience, freely searchable
journals. (Your browser or firewall must be set to accept cookies from this
site.) Their page of
internet
resources (links) is very extensive, but not selective or annotated.
Center for Jewish History
Features
web exhibits, many of them large, all of them beautifully presented
on your screen. Visit
Jews in America:
Our Story which draws from the resources of the CJH's five
partner organizations.
American Jewish Yearbook
The American Jewish Committee's
archives website
has made available on the internet
American Jewish Year Books from 1899 through 2007 (.pdf). Much
information, but each year is a 6 - 9 Mb file, so a high speed connection
and some patience are strongly recommended. Includes information on local
Jewish organizations, including synagogues.
American Jewish Archives
The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the AJA, through its archives, is a
resource for American Jewish history. Its website now has some virtual
exhibits and is also a place for synagogue archives and genealogy. See
First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies. For serious
scholarship on American Jewish history, the latest issue of
its Journal and some past issues can be
read online.
From
Haven to Home
"From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America", an exhibit that
featured more than 200 treasures of American Judaica from the collections of
the Library of Congress, augmented by important loans from other
institutions, is now closed. It has been preserved on the web.
The Jewish
Museums
The list of Jewish museums (see
list 1
or
list 2
or
list 3
) grows longer each year. Almost all now have websites to encourage
you to visit and join. A growing number offer virtual exhibits.
Unfortunately some of these exhibits display a few artifacts elegantly with one
line captions: a balance that appeals to the graphic artists who design such
pages, but not to those with an interest in history.
A short list of recommended museum sites:
The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
The site of Professor David Wyman, author of The Abandonment of the Jews:
America and the Holocaust 1941-1945, combines reporting on the holocaust
and covering related current issues. We recommend
Articles
and
Educational Materials. Until this content-rich site adds a "search"
feature, your Google™
or similar toolbar with a "search site" feature" will be useful.
U.S. Government Policy
towards Israel
Chapter
One of Donald Neff's Fallen Pillars: U.S. Policy towards Palestine and Israel
since 1945, shows the development of U. S. policy from 1897 through the
death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945, discussing Brandeis, Wise, Silver and
others.
Link Lists (pages
that list other sites to visit)
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