Susan Hoffman
Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
320 Elmer L. Anderson Library
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-625-0192
Email: s-hoff@umn.edu
web: http://www.jhsum.org
Inventory: The Project to Document Jewish Settlers in Minnesota Acc. # 0192
In the fall of 1980 Dr. Marilyn Chiat began research on the material culture of Minnesota’s early Jewish settlers: synagogues, cemeteries and ceremonial and folk art, focussing on the time period 1881-1924. No formal study or effort to record this material had been done before. The National Conference of Christians and Jews provided initial support, and early grants were made by the General Mills Foundation, the Joseph Foundation, the Greater Minneapolis Section of the National Council of Jewish Women and the Minnesota Historical Society. The project, with support from the Minnesota Historical Society, continued through 1989.
Initially the project focussed on rural Jewish settlers because of the precariousness of their data but eventually it broadened to include the entire state. The aims were to write a history of Jews in Minnesota and a collection of interdisciplinary essays, create a travelling historical exhibit, and sponsor public forums in which to discuss the project’s findings.
Field trips were made to towns on the Iron Range and eventually to several areas of the state. Oral history interviews were conducted, both with Jews and with non-Jews who had contact with or were familiar with the Jewish community. Artifacts were photographed and described, as were family photographs. Relevant documents, community histories and clippings were copied, especially those which dealt with business pioneers.The project did not succeed in achieving all of its goals, but a collection of oral histories, photographs and documents was created. This was deeded to the Jewish Historical Society in 1989 but only recently (2002) has it been catalogued in a database by family and geographical location.
In addition Box 55 , held at the Jewish Historical Society archives, contains correspondence, grant applications, and other fund raising efforts, 1981-85, connected to the project.
