Center for Jewish History

The Center for Jewish History is the foremost Jewish research and cultural institution in New York City. Opened to the public in October 2000 as the campus of five historical and archival organizations – American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research – the Center houses the largest repository of Jewish historical documentation outside of Israel.

Narrating the bulk of modern Jewish history, the collections encompass archival documents, volumes, and museum objects; range from the early-modern era in Europe and pre-colonial Sephardic communities across the Americas, to present-day materials from around the world, including every known portrait of American Jews painted before 1865; unparalleled numbers of Jewish communal organizations in Europe and their partners in immigration in North America; unpublished manuscripts and early first editions of known and esteemed authors; rare newspapers dating back to the 18th century in America and the Sephardic world; and some of the world’s most extensive documentation of the Holocaust, the global reaction, and post-war restitution efforts.

The Center offers fellowship opportunities for a range of researchers, from graduate students to senior scholars from across the U.S. and around the world, and hosts Scholars Working Groups, a Professional Development Series, and numerous scholarly seminars that create a thriving scholarly community. 

Host Institutions: Center for Jewish History