The Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society is excited to host the Shared History Project from the Leo Baeck Institute. This program commences on April 16, 2023 with a tour of the exhibit followed by two free public programs.

“1700 Years of Jewish Life in German-Speaking Lands”

1:00 Tour of the exhibit “1700 Years of Jewish Life in German-Speaking Lands” with Karen Franklin
2:00 Presentation by Karen Franklin, “Genealogical Journey” focusing on 8 objects from the exhibit
3:30 Presentation by Mike Brown, “Early Indiana Synagogues and the Germanic Period of Indiana Jewish History”

This exhibit will be housed at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center and tells the story of German Jewry through 58 artifacts presented chronologically to create a multifaceted historical narrative of the complex coexistence of Jews and non-Jews. Themes such as migration, everyday life, inclusion/exclusion, persecution/exile, achievement, and resilience through the centuries will be explored. The Leo Baeck Institute in New York and Berlin is a research library and archive focused on the history of German-speaking Jews.

Michael Brown is the Executive Director of the Indiana Jewish Historical Society. He has an honorable discharge from the US Army Reserves as a Medic. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and has a Born’s Jewish Studies program certificate. He has previously worked for a few Israeli Tech start-ups and was the executive director of The Hillel of Southern Illinois University.

Karen S. Franklin is Director of Family Research at the Leo Baeck Institute, a position she has held for over 20 years, and a consultant for the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. She has served as president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, chair of the Council of American Jewish Museums, chair of the Memorial Museums Committee of the International Council of Museums, and as co-chair of the Board of Governors of JewishGen. She is currently on the board of Southern Jewish Historical Society and serves as a co-editor of the memoir section of Southern Jewish History.

If you are unable to attend in-person, registration is required to participate in the virtual aspect of this program. The link can be found at Upcoming Events – Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society (neindianajgs.org) .

The exhibit will be viewable at the library from April 16th through the end of the month.

Additional information about the NEIJGS can be found on our website at www.NEIndianaJGS.org, or our Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/NEIndianaJGS/. Please contact Pamela Friedman at vp@NEIndianaJGS.org for more information.