Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Archives
About the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Archives Collection
The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Archives Collection was established in January 2009 in anticipation of the Federation’s 2010 centennial. In February 2011, the collection became part of Wright State University’s Special Collections and Archives.
The Jewish Federation’s collection comprises records and historic material of the Federation since its inception in 1910. The collection is a key resource for information about the history of the Jews of Dayton, and the role the Federation has played: providing for Jews in need and enhancing the quality of Jewish life in Dayton, Israel, and around the world. Its artifacts paint a vivid picture of the Federation’s rescue, relief, and absorption efforts on behalf of the Jewish people in the 20th century.
Information Requests
Contact Wright State University Special Collections and Archives at http://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/
Why a Jewish Federation?
The Federation’s founder
An orphan who became a rabbi, David Lefkowitz worked for the betterment of all Dayton citizens.
Aid for transients
Barely remembered today, service delivery for itinerant Jews was a hot topic during the Federation’s first decades.
Our sincere gratitude
By Samuel Heider
To the Federation, for our resettlement in Dayton after the Shoah.
‘Turn your best thinking toward a solution’
The late Milton A. Marks, the Federation’s oldest living president at the time of the Federation’s centennial, took a look back on the East End, leadership, and his mentor.
‘The great strength of Dayton is our people’
An interview with the Jewish Federation’s new president, Dr. Gary Youra.
The Jewish Federation centennial quiz
Related Links
The American Jewish Historical Society
American Jewish Committee Archives
National Museum of American Jewish History
Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University
Montgomery County, Ohio Public Records Center
Dayton Jewish Genealogical Society, Dr. Leonard Spialter, Pres.
Dayton Metro Library Local History Collections
Wright State University now home to Federation archives collection
Professional archivist Pamela Schwartz has volunteered to inventory, organize and process the collection. She’ll continue to work on the collection at Wright State.
From the pages of The Dayton Jewish Observer
Articles of interest about Dayton Jewish history
Endowment Fund
Federation’s history preserved through new endowment fund
Thanks to the generosity of the Clarence and Judith Lapedes Family Foundation, we’re assured that the Jewish Federation Archives will be well-maintained and available to future generations of the Dayton Jewish community.
The JFGD Archives and Special Collections Fund in Memory of Debra L. Schwartz is a new restricted endowment fund of the Federation Foundation, established under the guidance of Andrew and Pamela Schwartz in memory of Andrew’s mother, Debra Lapedes Schwartz.
