Archives of the Center for Jewish Culture

The Archives of the Center for Jewish Culture is a collection of manuscript records documenting social and philanthropic organizations, personal memorabilia, photographs, family documents and oral histories that weave a tale of Jewish immigration to the Fall River and New Bedford area from the turn of the 19th century through the 20th. Highlights of the collection include the records of the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish War Veterans of New Bedford, the papers of Judge Samuel Barnet, the National Council of Jewish Women New Bedford Section, non-current records of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Bedford, the papers of Abraham Landau, and the taped interviews of over 300 individuals who either emigrated to southeastern Massachusetts or were born to parents who emigrated. Formats include photographs, correspondence, posters, textile and other artifacts, and audio and video recordings. The collection documents the history of the Jewish community in New Bedford and Fall River and is duplicated no where else. The nucleus of the collection was formed by a gift from the Center for Jewish Culture at UMass Dartmouth (then Southeastern Massachusetts University) in 1984 and continues to grow with gifts from the community. The Archives is housed in the Claire T. Carney Library’s Archives and Special Collections, and is open to the public. Please also consult the Digital Archives collection of images from the Archives of the Center for Jewish Culture, now available.