Did you know that Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, hailed from Boston? And so did the Rabb family, whose Stop & Shop stores first opened in Dorchester, introducing the concept of the self-service, modern supermarket?

Michael Feldberg wants you to know these facts and much, much more. That's because starting January 1, he became Director of Operations at the Wyner Center of the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS), based in the Gann Library. In his new position and ongoing role as the Society's Research Director, Feldberg aims to promote awareness and appreciation of Jewish history in New England. Toward that end, he and the staff of the AJHS spend their days collecting, preserving and providing access to the records of New England's leading Jewish individuals, families, organizations and Jewish-owned businesses.

"My first responsibility is to collect the archives from which the history of the Boston Jewish community is written," says Feldberg, referring to voluminous files on the likes of Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Boston Chapter for the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston and community leader Dewey D. Stone. "My second responsibility is to bring those archives to life through public programming."

To help bring national Jewish history to life at Hebrew College, he hopes to offer a touring version of an exhibit, now based at the Library of Congress, commemorating the 350th anniversary of Jewish settlement in America. In addition, at Hebrew College, Feldberg is planning a program about the experience of Jewish chaplains in the Second World War. "These efforts will highlight what Jews have contributed to life in the U.S.," says Feldberg, "and what life in the U.S. has allowed Jews to accomplish."

An American social historian by training and secular Jew by inclination, Feldberg was raised with a strong sense of being part of a long-persecuted minority. He spent the early years of his career teaching about the history of discrimination and conflict experienced by many non-Jewish ethnic and religious groups. But when he discovered an advertisement 13 years ago for the AJHS executive director position, he decided it was time to grapple with his own history and identity. Recalls Feldberg: "I woke up and realized that while I'd always been interested in ethnic discrimination and religious persecution, what drew me into this was that I'm Jewish."

From its New York headquarters, the AJHS publishes a newsletter, a journal, books and a popular set of baseball cards that showcase 142 Jews who played in the major leagues between 1871 and 2003. Now that Feldberg is in Boston, expect more of the Society's output to originate on the Hebrew College campus. For more information, visit ajhs.org.

back to top