May is Jewish American Heritage Month
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.
Yiddish American Popular Sheet Music
The majority of the selections found in this Library of Congress collection originated in the Yiddish theater, which thrived in the Bowery area of the Lower East Side of New York City from the 1880s into the mid-twentieth century, and which expanded into a network of theaters in Jewish communities around the country. Also found are popular-style arrangements of folk songs and sacred songs as well as instrumental numbers.
Visit the Online Collection »
Image credit: Farewell my dear parents Jewish folk song. Published by Joseph P. Katz, New York, New York, 1920. (Library of Congress)
For Teachers
Put the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Browse ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids.
Educational Resources »
Image Credit: Jewish refugee children, enroute to Philadelphia aboard liner President Harding, waving at the Statue of Liberty (Library of Congress)
World War II Looted Art: Turning History into Justice
The Monuments Men were members of a special unit of Allied soldiers during World War II. Their mission was to protect cultural property from destruction and damage by Allied forces and to find and save works of art and other cultural artifacts that the Nazis had seized. Presented by the National Archives in partnership with the Google Cultural Institute.
Explore the interactive exhibition
Image Credit: German loot stored in church at Ellingen, Germany found by troops of the U.S. Third Army. [National Archives ID# 5757187]
2017 Event Highlights
Conversation with a Holocaust Survivor
May 3
First Person 2017 Series: Nesse Godin
The Museum’s First Person program enables visitors to hear Holocaust survivors tell their life stories in their own words. Each hour-long program features a live interview between journalist Bill Benson and a survivor, followed by a question-and-answer session.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Lecture
May 4
The Jewish Justices of the Supreme Court: From Brandeis to Kagan
Author David Dalin will speak about the eight Jewish men and women who have served as justices of the Supreme Court.
National Archives
Lecture
May 8
How I found my Jewish American Family
Genealogist Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage will share techniques, resources and repositories in the US and in the world that helped him discover the US branch of his family.
Library of Congress
Book Talk
May 15
Joan Nathan speaks about her new book: King Solomon's Table
Ms. Nathan 's new book explores Jewish cooking from around the world. The author will speak about her research methodology, and about her book, which includes stories about the people who shared the recipes as well as the recipes themselves.
Library of Congress
Meet the Author
May 20
Sonia Kaplan “My Endless War”
Sonia Kaplan recounts her terrible experiences as a Jewish woman living under the Nazi regime. She spent much of the war in hiding, but she survived and was able to immigrate to the United States.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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