Launching our online catalog

Today over 30 people came to our historic synagogue to learn about our new online archival catalog. Our archivist, Wendy, didn't just show everyone how to navigate the catalog, but also some of the treasures in our collections.

Among those who braved the heat were staff members from some of our sister organizations, including the National Building Museum, German-American Heritage Museum, Montgomery County Historical Society, and Library of Congress. The event was also a special tribute to Janice Goldblum, our volunteer collections committee chair and an archivist for the National Academies. We were proud to honor Janice's 20 years of service!

Miss the event? Never to fear--I live-tweeted it, so you can catch up here.

Object of the Month: August 2010

To honor our 50th anniversary, we invite you to peek into our archives each month.

From the Archives...
Camp Louise Bracelet


Archives Record
Object #: 2005.1.1
Donor: Penny Feuerzeig
Description: Metal chain bracelet. Individual letter charms on the bracelet spell out CAMP LOUISE.

Background:
Located in western Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains, Camp Louise was founded by Lillie and Aaron Straus and Baltimore’s Jewish community in 1922 to provide a week’s rest to immigrant women who worked in sweatshops. With assistance from Ida Sharogrodsky of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, it evolved into a summer camp for girls. Nearby Camp Airy for boys opened in 1924. The Jewish Community Center in D.C. gave scholarships for local children to go to these camps until it opened its own camp in 1942.

Click here to learn more about the camps today!

Do you have materials documenting your summer camp experiences? To donate, contact us at info@jhsgw.org or (202) 789 0900.