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.
ABOUT SJA
| Herman Myers (1847-1909) Savannah's 1st Jewish mayor |
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. The GHS library's hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. (near major holidays, please call to confirm regular hours). Research fees may apply for non-members of the Georgia Historical Society.
SJA MEMBERSHIP AND DONATIONS
The Savannah Jewish Archives maintain a separate membership from the Georgia Historical Society. Membership is an important part of maintaining the Savannah Jewish Archives and ensuring that the records of the Savannah Jewish community are preserved and available for future generations.
The public is encouraged to donate family papers, organizational records, genealogy information, and photographs to SJA for preservation and research.
Membership is available at four levels and goes directly to supporting the Savannah Jewish Archives:
| Abraham Buchenholz c.1900 |
Benefactor: $500
Founder: $250
Friend: $100
Member: $ 50
To support the Savannah Jewish Archives, please click here.
SJA PUBLICATIONS
The following Savannah Jewish Archives publications are available for purchase through the Georgia Historical Society Shop.
Picturing Savannah's Jewish Community
By Kaye Kole and Valerie Frey Stone
Savannah Jewish Archives, 2008
Our first two books included images primarily from the late nineteenth century and the first part of the twentieth century. With this third volume, however, we are showcasing our efforts to preserve the present for the Savannah Jewish community of the future. You will find recent images and faces from some of the families who have more recently become a part of our rich community.
Voices of Savannah: Selections from the Oral History Collection of the Savannah Jewish Archives
Compiled by Valerie Frey, Kaye Kole, and Luciana Spracher
Savannah Jewish Archives, 2004
As part of an ongoing effort to make the Savannah Jewish Archives' holdings accessible to the public, the SJA proudly presents Voices of Savannah: Selections from the Oral History Collection of the Savannah Jewish Archives. This work offers previously unseen photographs from the collections of the SJA while also drawing narrative text from more than a hundred oral history interviews collected from and by local Jewish residents.
The Jewish Community of Savannah
By Valerie Frey and Kaye Kole
Arcadia Publishing, 2002
The Jewish Community of Savannah celebrates the colorful history of one of the nation's oldest established Jewish communities. Vintage photographs culled from the Savannah Jewish Archives reveal what life was like in days gone by. Early twentieth-century scenes depict Savannah Jews not only in times of steadfast worship and engaged in earnest business efforts, but also in lighter moments of celebration and recreation.
Also available for purchase:
Mordecai Sheftall: Jewish Revolutionary Patriot
By B. H. Levy
Georgia Historical Society, 1999
The Minis Family of Georgia, 1733-1992
By Kaye Kole
Georgia Historical Society, 1992
CONTACT SJA
The Savannah Jewish Archives is administered by the Georgia Historical Society's Senior Archivist, Lynette Stoudt. For more information or to donate materials, contact SJA.
| Jewish Immigrant, Fester Mayer & his wife |
Savannah Jewish Archives
c/o Georgia Historical Society
501 Whitaker Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Phone: 912.651.2125, ext. 34
Fax: 912.651.2831
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