The Jewish Archives Collection

 The Mahoning Valley Historical Society’s Jewish Archives is a dynamic collection tracing the history of the Mahoning Valley’s Jewish population. The Jewish Archives was founded by The Jewish Federation of Youngstown, now known as the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation.   The Federation was formed in 1935 by a group of prominent Jewish residents, led by Clarence J. Strouss. 

The archives collection was compiled by the Federation through the efforts of volunteers Irving Ozer, Lois Davidow and Charlotte Schwartz.  Work began in 1985.  Materials, photocopies, original manuscripts, documents, ephemera, photographs and artifacts were gathered in an attempt to document the story of the Jewish community in the area, in preparation for writing a book on the same.  Harry Alter, former publisher of the Jewish Times, was also instrumental in providing bound master editions of that publication to the archives. 

The three founders of the Jewish Archives pulled their efforts to organize an archive to preserve and to make available to the community at large, materials concerning the Jewish Community.  Housing for the collection was provided initially by the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation at the Jewish Community Center.  The resulting book was published in 1994 and written by Irving E. Ozer, Harry Alter, Lois Davidow, and Saul Friedman, These Are the Names: the History of the Jews of Greater Youngstown, Ohio 1865 to 1990. In order to increase access to the collection, and to preserve the items according to museum standards, the Federation transferred the entire Jewish Archives to the Mahoning Valley Historical Society in 1995.

The links provided on this website give a sampling of the Jewish people and their involvement in the Youngstown community. Below is a brief list of the type of subjects that are covered by the collection, and also serve as possible research topics that would benefit from the utilization of the archives.   In the general collection of MVHS there are additional artifacts and materials available for specific individuals and organizations, which predate the formation of the Jewish Archives.  These items are also available to researchers.

Organizations--Minutes, Photographs, Bulletins, Publicity, etc.

• B’nai B’rith Mahoning Lodge #339             

• B’nai B’rith Women #123

• B’nai B’rith Women #1242

• Bonds for Israel

• Hadassah

• Junior Hadassah

• National Council of Jewish Women

• Pioneer Women

• Zionist Organization of America

Prominent Individuals and Families

• Altshuler, Oscar

• Berkowitz, Sidney

• Cullinan, Fanneyrose Gancfried

• Harshman, Abe

• Hirschberg Family

• Levy, Philip and Family

• Meyer, Samuel

• Philo, Rabbi I.E.

• Ross, James and Edith

• Strouss Family

• Theobald Family

Temples/Congregations

• Rodef Sholom

• Children of Israel

• Emanu-El

• Anshe Emeth

• Shaareh Torah

• Ohev Tzedek

Departments within the Federation

• Akiva Academy

• Aleph Bet (daycare)

• Heritage Manor

• Jewish Community Relations Council

• Jewish Center

• Jewish Family and Children’s Services

• Men’s’ Division

• Pre-School

• Women’s’ Division

• Youth

Publications

Scrapbooks

Commercial and Business

Oral Histories--Transcribed Transcripts

Videotapes

Audio Recordings--Non-Transcribed Oral Histories

Motion Pictures

Artifacts

General History of the Jewish Community of Youngstown

Community History by Ethnicity

• German

• Hungarian

• Polish

• Russian

• Romanian

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society educates and promotes an interest in the history of the Mahoning Valley by collecting, preserving, and developing material representative of the people who have inhabited the region.

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