The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Savannah Jewish Archives

Savannah Jewish Archives
c/o Georgia Historical Society
501 Whitaker Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 912-651-2125

Repository URL: http://www.georgiahistory.com/containers/99

Repository description (CRHP): The Savannah Jewish Archives holds over 100 oral history interviews, many of which describe the direct involvement of the Jewish community in the Civil Rights Movement in Savannah and across Georgia.

Repository description (extant): The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is committed to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of all the people of Georgia regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity. GHS has enjoyed a long and supportive relationship with the Jewish community and has actively collected materials related to the community for more than a century. The Savannah Jewish Archives is one in a series of associations between GHS and the Jewish community that includes past and current GHS board members and officers, past GHS presidents, GHS publications on prominent Jewish families, and GHS buildings named after Savannah's Jewish leaders.

The Georgia Historical Society serves as the custodian for the Savannah Jewish Archives, the largest collection of materials related to Savannah's Jewish community and its history. The Savannah Jewish Archives is an independent agency, funded by memberships through the Savannah Jewish Federation.

Established by the Savannah Jewish Federation in 1995, the Savannah Jewish Archives (SJA) preserves the heritage of the Savannah Jewish community. The Archives' mission includes the acquisition and preservation of materials that have permanent historical value to the Savannah and greater Chatham County Jewish community. The Savannah Jewish Archives is funded by the Savannah Jewish Federation and through the generous support of its members.

Subjects included in SJA's collections include, but are not limited to, religion, education, culture, history, and genealogy from the 1750s to the present. SJA's collections include manuscripts, photographs, artifacts, books, pamphlets, audio-visual materials, oral histories, and the Savannah Jewish News from 1945 through the present.


Documented within the collections are: Jewish businesses, individuals, families, congregations, publications, civic organizations, and societies. The three local Jewish congregations, Mickve Israel, B'nai B'rith Jacob, and Agudath Achim, as well as the Jewish Educational Alliance and Savannah Jewish Federation are all represented in the collections.


The Savannah Jewish Archives are housed at the Georgia Historical Society (GHS). Georgia Historical Society staff provides archival care for and reference access to the collection. GHS library hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, noon until 5:00 p.m., and the first and third Saturday of each month (please check the GHS website calender or call to confirm regular hours and check holiday closures). Research fees may apply for non-members of the Georgia Historical Society.

Repository type: Local History Organization

Collections:

Savannah Jewish Archives oral history collection