Jewish Collections at the Filson Historical Society
In 2017 the Filson Historical Society began a new initiative to document, preserve, and study the history of Jewish life and experience in Louisville and the Ohio Valley region. In addition to collecting the manuscripts, records, and photographs of local Jewish individuals, families, businesses, and organizations, the Filson also hosts programs and exhibitions that explore connections between Jewish and local history. This project is made possible through generous support from the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence, the James Graham Brown Foundation, and the Wood Foundation.
Collections
Jewish Collections at the Filson include library materials such as books and pamphlets, searchable in our library catalog. Special collections materials include personal papers and organizational records that range from single items to large boxed collections, scrapbooks, architectural drawings, photographs, and three dimensional artifacts. To search manuscript collections by subject heading and keyword, please use our manuscript database. Photo and museum collections can be searched most effectively in-house at the Filson; feel free to call or email for assistance.
Highlights from the Filson’s Jewish Collections include:
Family Collections
Ackermann Family Papers and Photographs, 1929-1999
Ades-Goldin Family Papers and Photographs, 1888-2013
Joseph Family Papers, 1945-2017
Individual Collections
David R. Bass Papers and Photographs, 1930-1982
Isaac Wolfe Bernheim Papers, 1922-1943
Harold B. Green Papers and Photographs, 1942-1955
Dr. Ronald L. Levine Papers, 1974-2016
Rabbi Martin Perley Papers, 1968-1977
Rabbi Martin Perley Added Papers, 1942-1946
Dr. Rabbi Joseph Rauch Papers, 1931-1967
Business and Organizational Collections
Bernheim Distilling Company Letters, 1918-1919
B’nai B’rith Louisville Lodge No. 14 Records, 1860-1921
Jewish Family and Vocational Services Papers and Photographs, 1938-2010
Jewish Hospital Records and Photographs, 1908-2008
Joseph & Joseph (Firm). Young Men’s Hebrew Association plans, 1915, 1928. 2 rolls.
Levy Bros. Department Store Building Records and Photographs, 1888-1914
Meyer Berman and Sons Department Store Records, 1919-1941
Exhibits and Programs
For recordings of lectures and programs related to Ohio Valley Jewish history, please visit the Jewish History section of our featured audio recordings page.
Please tour our Digital Exhibits to explore exhibits on Louisville’s Jewish Hospital and Louisville artist Julius Friedman.
Other Resources
Archives and Special Collections at the University of Louisville Libraries also hold Jewish collections you may like to explore here as well as an extensive collection of oral histories conducted in Louisville’s Jewish Community, accessible here. The University of Kentucky also holds manuscript and oral history collections accessible here.
Have questions about research or donating your Ohio Valley Jewish history? Please contact Abby Glogower, Curator of Jewish Collections: abbyglogower@filsonhistorical.org.
