LAUNCH OF INNOVATIVE, INTERACTIVE MAP

The Jewish Women’s Archive Puts Jewish Women’s History “On the Map”

(Boston, MA) -- From Emma Lazarus’ poem engraved on the Statue of Liberty, to the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, to Barbra Streisand’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—Jewish women’s history is written on the streets of North America. The Jewish Women's Archive's (JWA) On the Map collects and explores Jewish women’s history using the powerful combination of crowdsourcing and Google Maps.

There is a human impulse to connect with history in a physical way, one that compels us to build monuments that mark the place of historically significant stories. Traditionally, these have been the stories of “great men.” Many important stories—women’s stories—go unheralded. The Jewish Women's Archive wants to know, “Where are the landmarks that tell the stories of Jewish women?” JWA invites everyone to share a landmark at http://jwa.org/onthemap, and help put Jewish women “On the Map.”

CROWDSOURCING OUR HISTORY

There is no existing record or database of Jewish women’s history landmarks in America; On the Map will create this record. A user-generated map hosted on jwa.org, On the Map will showcase significant places in Jewish women’s history, including sites both marked and unmarked, familiar and obscure. Users can put their own stamp on history by clicking on a location and adding a photo and their description of the new landmark. Through this crowdsourcing initiative, we become our own historians, mapping history as we discover and create it. The Jewish Women’s Archive, the world’s leading source on Jewish women in North America, is excited to include this innovative tool in its growing collection of resources on Jewish women.

HISTORY YOU CAN USE

JWA’s map is more than just a record. With On the Map, users can plan walking tours of new cities or discover sites in their own neighborhoods. On the Map will allow researchers to locate and share important sites, help teachers plan real or virtual field trips, and empower those using it to play a role in mapping our common heritage.

About the Jewish Women's Archive

The Jewish Women's Archive (JWA) uncovers, chronicles, and transmits to a broad public the rich history of North American Jewish women. A national non-profit organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts, JWA creates and disseminates educational materials, conducts original research, hosts public programs, and maintains an innovative website designed to share the stories and accomplishments of American Jewish women.