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American Jewish Historical Society
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 131764804 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE A82Z · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · ajhs.org
revenue
$2.8M
expenses
$2.0M
net assets
$7.2M
employees
12
volunteers
16
program ratio
48%
mission · from form 990

ACCESS TO MILLIONS OF ARTIFACTS REFLECTING THE HISTORY OF THE JEWISH PRESENCE IN THE U.S.

profile · synthesized from sources

The American Jewish Historical Society, founded in 1892, is the oldest ethnic cultural archive in the United States. It collects, preserves, and provides access to over 30 million documents and 50,000 books, photographs, and artifacts documenting Jewish life in America from 1654 to the present. The organization promotes research and public engagement through exhibitions, scholarly programs, and digital initiatives.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $106K
    PUBLIC PROGRAMS- SEE SCHEDULE O - PUBLIC PROGRAMS-IN 2023, THE SOCIETY HELD A NUMBER OF IN PERSON, ONLINE, AND HYBRID PUBLIC PROGRAMS REACHING AUDIENCES BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. EVENTS INCLUDED A DAYLONG SYMPOSIUM THAT WAS LATER BROADCAST TO 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE ON JBS (JEWISH BROADCASTING SERVICE), BOOK TALKS FEATURING NEW SCHOLARSHIP, AND DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENINGS. THE SOCIETY CONTINUED ITS POPULAR "AT LUNCH" SERIES WITH JULIE SALAMON, WELCOMING GUESTS FROM THE FIELDS OF HISTORY, ENTERTAINMENT, JOURNALISM, AND MORE. ADDITIONALLY, THE SOCIETY CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY TO TRAIN K-12 TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT HOW TO BEST USE ARCHIVAL MATERIALS RELATED TO JEWISH AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. THE PROGRAM TRAINED 50 EDUCATORS AND REACHED ROUGHLY 5,000 STUDENTS NATIONWIDE.
  2. #2 $42K
    AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORICAL JOURNAL SCHOLARLY JOURNAL OF PUBLISHED ARTICLES ON AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY THEMES. THE JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD PUBLISHED 4 VOLUMES IN 2023, RESUMING ITS FULL PRE-PANDEMIC PUBLISHING SCHEDULE. THE SOCIETY CONTINUES WORK ON OUR WEBSITE TO BE A DYNAMIC PUBLISHING PLATFORM, USED TO CROSSPOST JOURNAL ARTICLES AND ADDITIONAL CONTENT PRODUCED BY JOURNAL CONTRIBUTORS AND EDITORS, INCLUDING RECAPS OF JOURNAL ISSUES AS WELL AS OTHER DIGITAL MEDIA AND CONTENT RELATED TO AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY. THE WEBSITE CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A DIGITAL PORTAL TO THE SOCIETY'S CONTENT, FEATURING ARTICLES, VIDEOS, PAST PROGRAMS, AND FEATURED COLLECTIONS.
named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

All We Have Standing Between Us
Exhibition exploring 250 years of Jewish participation in American democracy, drawing from AJHS collections to examine how Jews have shaped and challenged democratic ideals.
Podcast Series
Audio programs including "The Wreckage" and "The World in Front of Me," using archival material and storytelling to explore Jewish history and culture.
Public Programs and Events
Live events, lectures, and exhibitions hosted at the Center for Jewish History to engage the public with American Jewish history.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Jewish and Cultural Heritage Archives 3 activities
    • Curates exhibitions on American Jewish history and democracy
      Organizes and hosts exhibitions such as "All We Have Standing Between Us: 250 Years of Jews and American Democracy," using archival collections to explore Jewish engagement with American democratic ideals from the Revolutionary era to the present.
    • Maintains specialized archival collections on postwar Jewish life
      Preserves unique collections such as the Kurt K. Field Film Collection and the Metz-Greene-Stone Family Papers, which document family life, leisure, and travel among Jewish families in postwar America.
    • Preserves and provides access to archival collections on American Jewish history
      Provides access to over 30 million documents and 50,000 books, photographs, art, and artifacts related to American Jewish history, including institutional records and materials across education, philanthropy, science, sports, business, and the arts.
  • Holocaust and Genocide Remembrance Education 1 activity
    • Conducts and publishes scholarly research in Jewish and Holocaust studies
      Authors and edits scholarly books and volumes on Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, memory studies, and counterfactual history, including publications such as "The Fourth Reich" (2019) and "What Ifs of Jewish History" (2016).
  • Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
    • Produces historical podcast series on Jewish life and history
      Produces and publishes podcast series such as _The Wreckage_ and _The World in Front of Me_, which explore Jewish history, culture, and lived experience using archival materials and first-hand storytelling.
  • Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 1 activity
    • Produces public programs and live events
      Hosts public programs, live events, and performances that engage audiences with American Jewish history and culture.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Edits and publishes the Counterfactual History Review blog
      Maintains and edits an ongoing blog that publishes analysis and commentary in the field of counterfactual history.
    • Preserves and displays significant historical artifacts
      Holds and displays the handwritten original of Emma Lazarus’ poem "The New Colossus," a key cultural artifact associated with the Statue of Liberty and American immigration history.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$2.75M
Contributions & grants$2.43M88%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$197K7%
Other revenue$127K
expenses
Total expenses$2.03M
Program expenses48%
Admin / overhead43%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$1.22M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$7.29M
Cash$215K
Investments$6.42M
Liabilities$136K
Net assets$7.15M
Liquid reserves39.2 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +51.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
GEMMA BIRNBAUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $235K
MELANE MEYERS MCCARTY DEPUTY DIRECTOR CHAIR, COLLECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT 40 $143K
PATRICIA COTTEN DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT 40 $131K
board members · 16
  • CHARLES KNAPP — VICE CHAIR
  • DANA RAUCHER — TRUSTEE
  • DEBORAH DASH MOORE — TRUSTEE
  • FELICIA HERMAN — PRESIDENT
  • JEFF MANKOFF — TRUSTEE
  • JONATHAN LEWIS — TRUSTEE
  • JOSHUA H LANDES — VICE PRESIDENT
  • JULIE SALAMON — TRUSTEE
  • JUSTIN WYNER — TRUSTEE
  • LAURENCE ZUCKERMAN — TRUSTEE
  • MARC DOLLINGER — TRUSTEE
  • MORTON STEINBERG — TRUSTEE
  • NANCY T POLEVOY — TRUSTEE
  • SAMUEL R KARETSKY — TREASURER
  • SCOTT EINHORN — VICE PRESIDENT
  • SIDNEY LAPIDUS — CHAIR
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • Achelis and Bodman Foundation Funder — Provided additional funding for the exhibition.
  • Atran Foundation Funder — Provided additional funding for the exhibition.
  • Catskills Institute Partner — Source of records cited in support of research on Jewish leisure in the Catskills.
  • Center for Jewish History Partner — Co-hosted the exhibition opening event.
  • Center for Jewish History Partner — Collaborates on events and shares physical location with the Center for Jewish History.
  • Center for Jewish History Partner — President of the Center for Jewish History serves as organizational leadership role
  • Center for Jewish History Partner — Shares physical location and likely collaborates as part of a joint institutional presence in Manhattan.
  • Fairfield University Partner — Robin and Joseph Kanarek Professor of History at Fairfield University
  • Knapp Family Foundation Funder — Provided additional funding for the exhibition.
  • Leon Levy Foundation Funder — Provided generous funding for the exhibition.
  • Yeshiva University Museum Partner — Co-hosted the exhibition opening event.
  • Yeshiva University Museum Partner — Co-hosts public events and exhibitions, including the opening of "All We Have Standing Between Us."
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Archival Storytelling for Lived Experience
    methodology: archival_storytelling
    By combining archival material with first-hand storytelling, we deepen engagement with Jewish history and culture because personal narratives make historical experiences more relatable and emotionally resonant.
  • Cultural Preservation and Scholarly Access
    methodology: cultural_preservation_and_scholarly_access
    By collecting, preserving, and disseminating historical materials, we advance public and scholarly understanding of American Jewish heritage because sustained access to primary sources strengthens historical awareness and academic inquiry.
  • Interpretive Research Using Archival Collections
    methodology: archival_research_exhibition
    By using archival collections to examine the role of Jews in American democratic ideals, we produce deeper historical insight because primary sources enable critical analysis of cultural and political contributions.
  • Live Engagement Through Events and Performances
    methodology: live_events_and_performances
    By using live events and performances, we engage audiences with Jewish history and culture because experiential formats foster emotional connection and broader public participation.
  • Memory Studies and Counterfactual Analysis
    methodology: memory_studies
    By applying research in memory studies and counterfactual history, we examine the cultural memory of the Holocaust because analyzing how history is remembered reveals its ongoing impact on identity and society.