Our Mission:To preserve and protect collections of written, visual and audible materials
that document the history of the Dallas Jewish community, to
make these materials available to the public and researchers, and to
keep the past as a living legacy for our community
Our Vision:To help present and future generations
connect with Jewish Dallas
2015 – 2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident
Jim SchwartzVice President
May Sebel Liz Liener
SecretaryLori Ordiway
TreasurerStuart Rosenfield
ParliamentarianDeborah Konigsberg
Board of DirectorsMarc AndresMichael B. CohenScott CytronSharyn FeinCliff FriedmanNeil GoldbergDavid GolmanPauline GraivierJoan GremontHarriet Gross
Past PresidentsJames AlexanderRuth Andres Robert Beer z”l Roz BenjetRachel BortnickReid HellerGinger JacobsMark E. JacobsRuth Brown Kahn z”l
Sara R. LevineDr. Joel RoffmanMark SchorMilton Tobian z”l
Michael WaldmanAndrea Weinstein
Executive DirectorDebra Polsky
Hylton JonasRachelle KrasoffBrett LazarusEsther MeyersMarilyn PailetMatt PrescottJo ReingoldRobin SachsBrad SchweigEllen Ungerman
Our Archive:The Dallas Jewish Historical Society serves as a repository for the entire Jewish community of Dallas. In its
holdings are personal and family papers, recorded oral histories, artifacts, and
records of the various organizations which comprise the Jewish community
in Greater Dallas.
Our Archive Yesterday:
Our Archive Today:
DJHS Oral History Collection:It’s not every day that you can hear from past Jewish movers and shakers who’ve made an impact on the Dallas Jewish community. At the DJHS, we make that
thought a reality. Featuring more than 500 interviews in a variety of formats, we bring you history from those
who have paved the way and shared some of the greatest words and experiences, whose incredible
stories celebrate our history, our diversity and their wealth of dedication to making
our community a better place.
DJHS Oral History Collection:
2015 – 2016 DJHS GOALS• Oral History Awareness - place current oral
history interviews on the DJHS website for viewing and comment by the public
• Engaging people with the Archive - outreach to organizations, articles in the TJP regarding our holdings and Dallas Jewish history, increased volunteer activity
• Bring the expertise of DJHS to the community through a Speaker's Bureau
• Financial stability through engaging fundraising events, sponsorship and membership development
• D - Digitization of current Oral History video and audio tapes as well as the Ellis M. & May Titche WW II correspondence collection
• J - Jumpstart our Genealogy group, L'Dor Vador: What's Your Story?, and Oral History Volunteer programs to reach out to new audiences and both “Natives & Newcomers” whose stories have been missed
• H - Host accessioned Archive Collections on the DJHS website through Finding Aids & Special pages
• S - Secure adequate funding through grants, events and endowments to ensure the health and future growth of the Dallas Jewish Historical Society and to meet ongoing physical and equipment needs
2016 – 2017 DJHS GOALS
Dallas Jewish Migration Project• Roots to Boots: South African Jews in
Dallas
Thanks to the efforts of Joan Gremont, Esme Jacobson, Lynette Rakusin and Marc Jacobson, a new program idea was brought to the DJHS Oral History committee in 2013. In May 2015, 98+ interviews later, we held the One Story at a Time… Roots to Boots: South African Jews in Dallas, featuring journalist Roger Cohen.
DJHS Year in Review
JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER
New Board Brunch
JCC Maccabi Exhibit “Sports @ the J”
Volunteer orientation
Bea Kaplan – Garment Bag Project
Oral Histories continue
Sister Steinberg acquisition
DJHS/JCC Film Fest Event
Presentation to the Dallas Genealogical Society
North Texas Giving Day
DJHS Year in Review
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER
Tiferet/DJHS Bus Tour
Roz Benjet & Harriet Gross present “They Made It Big in Big D: Three Jewish Women Mayors” at the 2015 Southern Jewish Historical Society Conference
Lorch Collection donated by Carol Wadel
UNT Special Collections & Archives class visits DJHS, receives training from Archivist, Ms. Ferguson.
Chanukah Exhibit featuring the personal Dreidel collection of Debra Polsky
Nick Kotz Bookfest & Trailblazer Reception
DJHS receives unsolicited Grant from Dynamic Growth Strategies
DJHS receives the Heritage Presentation Award from the Dallas Genealogical Society
DJHS Year in Review
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
SMU Intern begins for One Story at a Time… Roots to Boots: South African Jews in Dallas
Ron Wolffson Bookfest & Trailblazer Reception
DJHS presentation for CHAIs of Dallas
Dallas Kosher Chili Cook Off
DJHS receives volunteers from Richland College Anthropology Club
DFW Metroplex Archivist meeting
JFS Klein Internship Volunteer Fair
DJHS Year in Review
APRIL MAY JUNE Jewish American
Heritage Month Exhibit installed at the Frankford Renner Dallas Public Library
Volunteer Appreciation Reception “You Rock!”
NCJW Research & Digitization Project
Last Capital Campaign committee meeting
Submission to Southern Jewish Historical Society newsletter, the Rambler
One Story at a Time… Roots to Boots: South African Jews in Dallas featuring author Roger Cohen
DJHS Annual Meeting, featuring Bryan Stone, Ph.D.
Walter Levy turns 94! Happy Birthday!
P & A Presentation
Preserving the Cultural Heritage of Dallas Panel @ the Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture
Temple Shalom/DJHS Bus Tour
DJHS 2015-2016 AcquisitionsAug. 2015:
• The Sylvia Margules Trugman Collection – Items added to existing collection.
• The Sharon Ornish Collection – Established
• The Frances (Sister) Steinberg Collection - Established
• Anita Friedman Collection – Established
Sept. 2015:
• The Wadel Family Collection – Collection established through a donation from Carol Wadel.
Oct. 2015:
• Barbara Rosenberg donated a fabulous collection of materials from her campaigns for Justice of the Court of Appeals, Fifth Supreme Judicial District, as well as a family scrapbook, and several other items to establish The
Barbara Rosenberg Collection.
• Anita Zusman Eddy donated several documents for inclusion in the Jewish Community Relations Council Collection.
DJHS 2015-2016 AcquisitionsNov. 2015:
• Mark & Susan Preston donated Mark’s father’s Russian passport with the seal and typography of Czarist Russia issued to Samuel Pistinivicz in 1909 traveling from Libau, Latvia, Russia.
• Gary Wolff donated original incorporation documents for inclusion in the Jewish Federation Collection.
• David Passman donated Dallas Holocaust Museum semi/tri-annual newsletters. Dates are: Spring 1992 and Fall 1997 through Winter 2008-2009.
Dec. 2015:
• Herb Weitzman donated a copy of his book Born to Build: How Dallas Became a Shopper’s Paradise.
• Robin Zweig (Jewish Family Services) donated a DVD of Oral History Interviews of members of the Golman family. For the Love of Family, made by Jason Traub of the Golman family, was shown at the Jewish Family Services luncheon honoring the Golman family.
DJHS 2015-2016 AcquisitionsJan. 2016:
• Nurit Amit donated a small decorative box that was given to her grandfather Itzhak Gruenbaum by a detainee on Cyprus in 1947. Nurit moved to Dallas in the 1970’s and is interested in donating her oral history as well as her family papers. Both her children attended Forest High School.
Feb. 2016:
• The Chais of Dallas established a collection with their donation of 176 digital images, along with the organization’s historical membership information, and an oral history interview of Al Creemer and Sandi Black discussing the history of the organization.
• Liz Liener donated her Uncle Stuart Meyer’s copy of Shearith Israel’s 50th Anniversary Book The Golden Book of Shearith Israel. The text includes committee members’ signatures and is an excellent addition to our holdings
DJHS 2015-2016 AcquisitionsMar. 2016:• Patricia Titche & Lee Harrell donated
Ellis M. Titche WWII Correspondence to be added to the already existing Ellis M. Titche Collection. The collection was given in memory of May Levy and Ellis M. Titche. The letters document the conversation between Ellis and May when Ellis was stationed in Europe during WWII.
• Franklin David Cole donated papers establishing the Cole Family Collection, which includes his of his parents on their wedding day here in Dallas in 1948, their wedding license and Ketubah, their naturalization papers, and paperwork documenting his father’s official and legal name change approved by The Honorable Sarah Hughes, along with a news clipping of an article discussing the
story. • Shirley Rovinsky donated what
appears to be scrapbook pages from the estate of Hilda Cobbel. The collection preservation and cataloging is currently in process.
• The Aaron Family JCC donated 2 photographs in card board photo folders – one of 2016 JCC Past Presidents Luncheon and one of Maccabi 2015 Team Dallas. The items have been added to the exiting Aaron Family JCC Collection.
• Debra Polsky donated her copy of "The Other Side of the Hudson. A Jewish Immigrant Adventure" by Kenneth Roseman.
DJHS 2015-2016 AcquisitionsApr. 2016:
• Jackie Hager donated a sweater that was given to her by Millie Calise, who used to run the Wolfe Brothers Clothing Stores. The sweater was a prize in a 1948 contest to see who could sell the most bonds for Israel, and Millie won! The beautiful sweater, which is dark blue and adorned
with Stars of David was donated
in memory of Millie (Malka) Goldman Calise.
May 2016:
• Steve Golman donated pictures and paperwork of George Golman & Billy Heroman along with a copy of a recorded oral history conducted by SMU.
June 2016:
• Meyer Denn donated slides of Jewish Life in Poland prior to WWII.
FY 2016 Volunteer & Internship Program Overview
Staffing: This fiscal year, 60 people donated their time and energy in the DJHS Archive, as Oral History Volunteers, at our events and programs, and as members of various committees. Since July 1, 2016, we have increased total scheduled volunteer hours from 6 hours served per week to 76 hours served per week in the archive.
1332 Volunteer Hours Served (as of 5/31/16 & excluding OH Volunteers & Committee Members)
FY 2016 Volunteer & Internship Program Overview
Volunteer Projects: • Archival Processing & Arrangement• Oral History Summaries and
Transcriptions• Photograph Digitization, Preservation,
& Identification• Old Format Oral History Inventory &
Arrangement
• Exhibit Documentation & Description
• Digital Images Organization & Preservation
• Creation of Preservation Materials• Reference Files Inventory, Digitization,
& Organization• Reconciling Archival Donor Records &
Systems• Archival Donor File Scanning and
Organization• Program and Event Volunteers
FY 2016 Volunteer & Internship Program Overview
Volunteer Projects continued: • Historic Bus Tours - Volunteers helped to identify specific addresses for
businesses, homes, and organization meeting places as we continue to codify our Bus Tours.
• National Council of Jewish Women: Centennial Book Project - This past month we completed a two day long intensive scanning and imaging project, utilizing 1 staff person and 3 volunteers to help digitize over 100 items.
Looking Forward…
Installation of the Volunteer Workstation & Digitization Center
Posting of DJHS Collections Finding Aid on website
Digitization of the Ellis & May Titche WWII Correspondence Collection
Anne Sikora Humanitarian Award Luncheon Implementation of new CRM System
Upgrade of DJHS technology systems: Computers, IT equipment, and Data Storage Solutions
Establishing an Online Exhibit Space
Fully integrated Collection Management Software
Dedicated Archive Endowment FundAll current & future Oral Histories accessible
online
Beyond 2017… 2021: Dallas Jewish
Historical Society turns 50!
20172016
TRAILBLAZERSOur Trailblazers
membership provides necessary financial
support for the Dallas Jewish Historical Society—our archive, our office,
our staff and our outreach into the
community.THANK YOU!!
Membership Giving Clubs 2015-2016
Explorer $1000+
Carol and Steve AaronRuth Andres
Mimi and Mitchell BarnettSherry and Kenny Goldberg
Ginger JacobsAnn Kahn
Elya NaxonStan and Barbara Rabin
Leslie and Howard SchultzRenee Stanley, Ph.D.
Andrea and Loren Weinstein
TRAILBLAZERSOur Trailblazers
membership provides necessary financial
support for the Dallas Jewish Historical Society—our archive, our office,
our staff and our outreach into the
community.THANK YOU!!
Membership Giving Clubs 2015-2016
Debbie and Marc AndresRoz and Merv BenjetJenifer and Michael BlumScott CytronAlan FolzCyd and Cliff FriedmanLisa and Neil GoldbergPauline GraivierHarriet GrossAngela HorowitzMark JacobsAndrew JacobsVeronique and Hylton JonasLiz and Robert Liener
Esther and Michael MeyersLori and Trace OrdiwayJanine and Charles PulmanBrian RatnerPeachy RudbergKathryn and Andy SchultzSuzy and Jim SchwartzMay SebelNita Mae TannebaumNatalie and Michael WaldmanJolene and Harv WeisblatSarah YarrinBarbara and Donald Zale
Pioneer $500+
Thank You to all of our Supporters!
You ARE Dallas Jewish History