 |
JCC
Program Partners: Jewish Life
& Learning
Jewish Women's Archive
68 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02445
www.jwa.org
The Jewish Women’s Archive (JWA) is a national, nonprofit
organization dedicated to uncovering, chronicling and transmitting
the rich legacy of Jewish women and their contributions to
families and communities, to the people and the world. JWA
has become a leading advocate for and center of education
in Jewish women's history. JWA employs a combination of approaches
to its work, from online exhibits to community-based oral
history projects to public programs and events. Founded in
Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, JWA was one of the first organizations
in the Jewish community to stake a claim in the new frontier
of the web, and continues to innovate in its use of the virtual
world for academic, cultural, archival and educational purposes.
JWA's newly redesigned website, at www.jwa.org,
offers the richest collection of materials on Jewish women’s
history currently available online.
Oral
History: JWA's oral history project captures the
memories of women whose lives spanned the twentieth century,
while simultaneously educating their daughters and granddaughters
about the importance of preserving their stories. JWA has
also developed "20 Questions to Ask the Important Women
in Your Life," an oral history pocket guide specifically
tailored to interviewing Jewish women. This is a great tool
for learning more about the lives of the women around you
including relatives and friends. Find it at www.jwa.org/20questions.
Bat Mitzvah: Girls have incorporated Jewish
women's history into their Bat Mitzvahs using JWA materials,
including posters and information from the web exhibits. Click
here for some suggestions and past examples.
Education: JWA's Women of Valor program recognizes
a diverse group of trail-blazing women, from chemist Gertrude
Elion, to actress Molly Picon, to politician Bella Abzug.
There are posters, an online multimedia web exhibit and materials
for educators. JWA's Women Who Dared program celebrates the
brave actions and bold life choices of the everyday Jewish
female heroes in our midst. Their personal stories and inspirational
accounts of social and political activism are collected and
presented on JWA's website. Find Women of Valor and Women
Who Dared at www.jwa.org/exhibits.
Celebrating 350 Years of Jewish Life in North America:
In September 1654 twenty-three people, including women, men
and children, landed in New Amsterdam to form the first Jewish
settlement in North America. Individual Jewish men had lived
and worked on the continent previously, but 1654 marked the
first time that the presence of women and children made it
possible to create a community that could have both a rich
present and a future. The official commemoration for the event
will begin in September 2004 and run through June of 2005.
JWA is serving as a coordinator and catalyst for programs
focused on women and their contributions. For more information
or to sign up for updates about 350th activities go to www.jwa.org/350th.
Children & Teens
| Jewish
Life & Learning
|
