Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
Victoria Danon’s Appeal: Jewish Women’s Education in Ottoman Istanbul
Learn how Ottoman Jewish teacher Victoria Danon fought to open a Turkish-language school for Jewish girls in 1890s Istanbul, challenging local opposition.
Report on Isfahan’s Jews: Hardship and Resilience in Qajar Iran
A German Jewish journal recounts the words of Isfahan’s chief rabbi, describing poverty, persecution, and endurance within Iran’s longstanding Jewish community.
Jewish Women, Citizenship, and Belonging in Progressive America
Cecielia Razovsky and the National Council of Jewish Women urged immigrants to seek citizenship, linking naturalization to dignity, purpose, and belonging.
Persian Jewish Marriage Contract (Ketubah) from Isfahan, Iran
Explore a decorated seventeenth-century ketubah from Isfahan, Iran, written in Aramaic and Judeo-Persian and adorned with Persian royal symbols.
How the Fourteenth Amendment Redefined American Equality
One among the Reconstruction Amendments, the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed birthright citizenship, due process, and equal protection for all citizens.
When Congress Debated Whether “Jew” Meant Faith or Race
Before Congress in 1909, Simon Wolf argued against labeling immigrants by religion or race, insisting that Jews be recognized simply by the nation from which they came.
A Jewish Woman Challenges Marriage Law in Nineteenth-Century America
A 19th-century Jewish woman exposed how marriage laws denied women property and liberty—and called for full legal and political equality.
“To Bigotry No Sanction”: George Washington and Newport’s Jews
George Washington’s 1790 letter to Newport’s Jewish congregation affirmed liberty of conscience for all—a cornerstone of American religious freedom.
If the Statue of Liberty Were a Real Person
Abandoning her pedestal, the Statue of Liberty drowns herself in sorrow about US anti-immigration policies.
Max Kohler and the Fight for Chinese American Citizenship
As a Jewish civil rights lawyer, Max Kohler exposed how the Chinese Exclusion Acts violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equality under the law.
Horace Kallen and the Myth of the American Melting Pot
Jewish philosopher Horace Kallen argued that the “melting pot” erased diversity and that true democracy required cultural pluralism, not conformity.
Jewish Communities of the Islamic World: A Historical Map of MENA Jewry
Explore the map of Jewish life across Islamic-ruled empires, from North Africa and the Middle East to Persia and Iberia, revealing centuries of shared history.