Commemorations Galore in 2004:

Jewish Women's Archive Launches Program to Celebrate 350 Years of Jewish Women Building Communities in North America

BROOKLINE, MA, Dec 15, 2003—In September 1654 twenty-three people, including women, men and children, landed in New Amsterdam to form the first Jewish settlement in North America. Now in 2004, Jewish communities across the country will celebrate this important anniversary. The Jewish Women's Archive (JWA), headquartered in Brookline, Mass., will be an important resource for organizations and institutions across the nation during the 350th celebration.

JWA is providing communities and schools across the country with the resources they need to present a rich and accurate portrayal of American Jewish history, including the ways in which women have built communities in North America and shaped American Jewish life. A commemorative catalogue with information about JWA's resources and programs will be mailed to thousands of individuals and organizations in January. Jewish groups can choose to organize their own programs using JWA's tools.

JWA programs and resources available to individuals and groups include:

• A speakers bureau featuring more than 40 recognized leaders in the fields of American Jewish and feminist studies, who will criss-cross the nation bringing outstanding programs to organizations and institutions.
• Curricular materials for middle and high school classrooms, focusing on women's place in American Jewish history.
• Film and book discussion guides.
• A guide to conducting oral histories.
• An exhibit and programming utilizing JWA's Women of Valor posters.
• A fellowship program supporting scholars as they research the role Jewish women have played in building communities across North America; a conference and publication will follow.
• JWA's website, jwa.org, will feature facts-of-the day relating to Jewish women's history.
• Special events during the year will include a kick-off dinner on March 2, 2004 in Boston honoring four community activists, an exhibition at the Boston Public Library from April 8 through May 26, 2004, and an exhibition in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Maryland in Baltimore from March 28 through July 18, 2004.

About JWA

The Jewish Women's Archive (JWA) is a national, nonprofit organization with a mission to uncover, chronicle and transmit the rich legacy of Jewish women and their contributions to our families and our communities, to our people and our world. Founded in Boston, Mass. 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 award-winning website, jwa.org, has the most extensive collection of material on American Jewish women on the web. JWA has become a leading advocate for and center of education in Jewish women's history.