We are celebrating the first anniversary of the Jewish Women’s Archive in the Flickr Commons.
The Jewish Women’s Archive is dedicated to uncovering, chronicling, and transmitting to a broad public the rich history of American Jewish women.
The Jewish Women’s Archive (JWA) uses technology for the purpose of collecting and sharing Jewish women’s stories. Its website, jwa.org, offers free access to a large number of resources on American Jewish women, “past and present, celebrated and unknown.”
The JWA states:
“Images of American Jewish Women and World War II: The stories and documents of American Jews who lived through World War II, as well as the materials they saved from the war years, are in danger of being lost forever.”
The JWA’s photostream consists of three sets.
The “In Service” set is comprised of photographs of Jewish American Women in service during WWII. Here is one photograph in this set, “Doing laundry in a helmet.”
Muriel Engelman’s service friend, Jan Shimp doing laundry in a steel helmet in a Normandy Cow Pasture. Note the laundry hanging out to dry on the tent ropes.
Doing laundry in a helmet
A second set is called “Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford.”
The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to collecting and preserving historical documents, photographs and memorabilia of the Jewish community of Greater Hartford. Established in 1971, the Society’s main commitment is to reach the largest audience possible through publications, exhibitions, seminars and educational programs.
This photograph below is of Libby Adler and Ann Mitnick Greenspan.
“Julian knew Ann’s husband Bernard Greenspan from Hartford. We became good friends in Harvard. There was a third couple from New York. We were all close friends. At night we played cards and went to the movies. There was a PX we could shop at.” ~Libby Adler
Libby Adler and Ann Mitnick Greenspan
The JWA’s third set is “Jewish American Women and World War II.”
The photograph below is of Helga Allweiss.
Picture taken just before she left Germany, after Kristallnacht.
Helga Allweiss
The Jewish Women’s Archive is collecting oral histories, letters, photographs, and other objects that document the experiences of Jewish American women during the Second World War.
The JWA suggests that you too can ”conduct an interview and collect photographs, letters, and other related documents. Share a story, photo, scanned document, audio or video recording, interview transcript, letter, or other object.”
Additionally, “JWA will continue to add images to American Jewish Women and World War II” and states further that “if you would like to contribute to the collection, please go to our website for instructions.”
Thank you, JWA, for making Flickr’s Commons a part of how you gather and share Jewish women’s past!
