Sharing Stories at the Center for Jewish History
A recent visit to the Center for Jewish History became more than a tour for a group of Big Apple Greeter volunteers. Inspired by the exhibit they saw, the Greeters forged deeper connections with one another by sharing their own stories.
The Center, located just off Union Square in Manhattan, is a collaborative home for the archives of five partner organizations: the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
With the largest archival collection of Jewish history outside Israel, the Center is both a hub for researchers and a destination for anyone interested in learning more about Jewish history.
The Greeters gathered for a tour of one of the Center’s free exhibitions, And That’s True Too: The Life and Work of Lore Segal.
Segal was born in Vienna in 1928, grew up in England after leaving Austria in 1938 on one of the earliest Kindertransports, and eventually settled in New York City where she became a well-known writer and translator.
Segal’s story of immigration and assimilation prompted several in the group to share their families’ experiences of leaving Europe in the 1930s and finding new homes in the US, particularly in New York. The exhibit was especially meaningful for Greeter Marian Goodside, who spotted a photo that included her aunt, as well as Segal.
In addition to rotating exhibits, the Center for Jewish History offers lectures, book talks, film screenings, musical performances, and holiday celebrations.
Many of the exhibits and other public programs are free of charge. With the exception of some holidays, the free exhibit spaces are open every day but Saturday.