This list of virtual resources does not include links to the history pages of Cleveland's Jewish social service, educational, and religious institutions. To see those links, click here. Suggestions for this list are welcome. Please contact us.

The History of Jewish Life in Cleveland
This long, informative page on the website of Cleveland's Jewish Federation is a very good place to start learning about Cleveland's Jewish history. The same page can be found on The Jewish Virtual Library. (This page, which would be much more useful with links, has only one. We think it is to the "shul" of the programmer who created the page around 2005, and who, to this day, must look at it - amazed that no one has removed his link or added others.)

Educator's Guide to the Maltz Museum: Immigration (pdf)
This guide (one of four, all well done), used by teachers to help prepare their students for a visit or to guide discussions after the visit, could be used by parents for the same purposes.
 

Larger Resources

Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
This site, on the web since 1998, is a pioneer in putting history on the internet. Its huge index of articles, all of them cross-indexed to other articles, gives generous coverage to leading Jewish men, women, and organizations.

Cleveland Jewish Archives
"The Cleveland Jewish Archives [of the Western Reserve Historical Society] collects and makes available for research print and non-print material that documents the history of the Jewish community of Greater Cleveland." Unfortunately almost no WRHS holdings are online.

Cleveland Jewish History Sources          new
A list of books on Cleveland Jewish history at the library of the WRHS. Some of our favorites are on the shelves.

Cleveland Jewish History Resources  
We link to a seven page inventory of a database on Cleveland Jewish history at the Western Reserve Historical Society. It was assembled in the form of 16,000 index cards between 1954-56 to support a planned volume on the history of Jewish Cleveland. (pdf, 1.8 Mbytes)

Merging Traditions
Judah Rubenstein (1921 - 2003), the historian of our Jewish community, whose work was supported by Federation for many years, wrote Merging Traditions (revised edition) with Jane Avner, published posthumously in 2004. (The original edition, co-authored with Sidney Vincent, had been published in 1978). The link above displays many pages, perhaps half of the book, on the web in Google books. Some of the book's images are available on the WRHS site (click here). 

Jewish Encyclopedia
The complete 1901-1906 edition of the Jewish Encyclopedia is on the web. We link to the article "Cleveland", written by Cyrus Adler (president of Dropsie College) and Samuel Wolfenstein (a European-trained rabbi and PhD who ran the Jewish Orphanage from 1878-1914). A recent online version is available through the Siegal College website. Contact their library for instructions.

Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland
Now celebrating its 26th year, this group fosters Jewish family history and genealogical research. As of December 2010 its research library is available in the library of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple but has not yet been cataloged. Meets monthly. For help in tracing your family history, this is the place to start. Their publication, The Kol (The Voice), is indexed back to its first volume in 1986, on Heritage Quest Online. Here is the link.

American Jewish History Resources [pdf]
An inventory of Cleveland library resources published in 2004. Scope is American Jewish History resources, but has a valuable page on Cleveland history.

The Jewish Community of Cleveland by Rabbi Moses Gries
Written in 1910 by Moses Gries, then rabbi of The Temple, this 19 page essay says much about the early, interwoven history of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple and The Temple - Tifereth Israel.

From Generation to Generation by Leatrice Rabinsky [pdf]
A four page essay that combines history, memories of growing up in Glenville, an appreciation of the community's strength and a look to its future. Leatrice Rabinsky taught (and still teaches) Cleveland Jewish history and the Holocaust. Seems to have been written in the early 1990s.

Ohio Synagogues: a photographic journey 
Not complete, not up-to-date, but very useful. Includes some old pictures too.

Hebrew Churches (and their Pastors) as of 1930. 
A list as of 1930, found on Rootsweb by Adele Gloger.

A 1920 directory of Jewish Cleveland   new
Organized Jewish Cleveland from 90 years ago, as it appeared in the 1919 - 1920 American Jewish Yearbook.
 

Targeted Resources

Abba Hillel Silver
Rabbi of The Temple - Tifereth Israel for 46 years, Abba Hillel Silver (1893-1963) was one of America's leading rabbis. He is best known for leading the mobilization of American and world support for the founding of the State of Israel.

Researching Jewish Cleveland in the Late 20th Century 
A 27 minute podcast (audio file) of a talk given by Dr Sean Martin, Associate Curator for Jewish History, at the Western Reserve Historical Society at an AJL meeting in Cleveland June 2008. Devotes most of its time to the formation of Suburban Temple and Anshe Chesed's long battle to build in Beachwood.

Hebrew Cultural Garden 
A page of text and several pictures of the Hebrew Cultural Garden, dedicated in 1926. Source: Their Paths are Peace by Clara Lederer 1954, made available by the Cleveland Memory Project. Also visit their pages on the Hebrew Garden.

This Tempting Freedom [pdf]  new
In 1973 Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple commissioned Allan Peskin, PhD, Professor of History at Cleveland State University, to write a history of the city's first Jews and Anshe Chesed, its first congregation. This small book, now out-of-print, is the most thorough look at those early years. At our request, and with Allan Peskin's consent, CSU digitized and web-published this book in 2011.
 

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Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage - a "must see" place

If you are interested in Cleveland Jewish history, modern Jewish history, or the American immigrant experience, and live near Cleveland or will be coming to northeast Ohio, the Maltz Museum in Beachwood is a "must see" place. In addition to a permanent exhibition and the Temple Museum, it regularly mounts interesting exhibits, created elsewhere or sometimes home-grown. We are lucky to have it.

In July 2011 the Museum discarded its original "Flash-based" website for a new site that offers many more pages and better navigation to find what you want. The site is now search-engine friendly, which will attract more internet visitors.

Then why is its website, which is attractive, lively, and always up-to-date, listed down here - below the line?

Because, like most museum websites, www.MaltzMuseum.org focuses on getting you to visit, join, volunteer or donate, but has almost no content for online learning, other than the museum's study guides, written in support of their very active program of visits by school groups.

There are many more pictures of exhibit areas and they are beautiful (our favorite is The Temple - Tifereth Israel Gallery).

The Maltz Museum is a place worthy of a real visit. Bring your kids and your parents. All generations will enjoy it. Tell them we sent you.
 

Jewish Archives at the Western Reserve Historical Society

In 1958 Cleveland's Jewish Federation employed Judah Rubenstein as its archivist and historian. [see ECH]  In 1976 he helped establish the Cleveland Jewish Archives at the Western Reserve Historical Society. There you will find the archives of many synagogues and other Jewish organizations and individuals, including the archives of Federation itself. [more on the WRHS]