Center for Jewish History

An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Center for Jewish History is one of the great public Jewish historical and cultural institutions in the world. Opened to the public in October 2000 as the campus to its five Partner organizations - American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS), American Sephardi Foundation (ASF), Leo Baeck Institute (LBI), Yeshiva University Museum (YUM), and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (YIVO) - the Center has achieved recognition as a venue of unrivaled historical documentation and scholarship, imaginative exhibitions of Judaic art and artifacts, and vital public dialogue.

Before becoming part of the Center, all five partners were long-established and highly respected individually for their vast contributions to the preservation and presentation of specific aspects of Jewish history and culture. Together they provide a combined resource and a synergy never before available to scholars, art enthusiasts, genealogists, and many other visitors interested in delving into the Jewish experience, Jewish achievements, and Jewish identity. The collections of its Partners total more than 500,000 volumes and 100 million archival documents, and include thousands of pieces of artwork, textiles, and ritual objects, as well as music, films, and photographs. They comprise, taken as a whole, the largest repository of the modern Jewish experience outside of Israel.

Visit us at www.cjh.org for more information.