Columbus Jewish Historical Society
Exhibit at JCC to Focus On U.S. Jewish Migration

Plans currently are underway for a seven-week exhibition sponsored by the Columbus Jewish Historical Society (CJHS) to be hosted at the JCC next Spring.

Entitled, "From the Mountains to the Prairies - 350 years of Kosher and Jewish Life in America," focuses on the story of Jewish migration across the United States and how Jewish dietary laws were followed from the earliest arrivals of Jews in the mid-17th century into the last century. The traveling exhibit was developed by Rabbi Yaakov Y. Horowitz, founder of American Jewish Legacy, a nonprofit historical organization, and supervising rabbi of the B. Manischewitz Company.

An article in The New York Times noted that "Rabbi's Horowitz's version of American History 101 runs something like this: When the colonies were settled, the shochet, or kosher slaughterer, was not far behind. When gold prospectors flocked to California, so did the kosher inspectors. When Passover arrived at Army camps during the Civil War, so did the matzo." (To read the entire article, click here.)

The Horowitz exhibit will be accompanied by the CJHS's own exhibit, "170 Years of Jewish Life in Columbus, 1840-2010." Both exhibits will open at the JCC on April 12, 2010.

"The CJHS exhibit will highlight our earliest local Jewish settlers and their participation in the events that built our nation," said Toby Brief, CJHS project chair. "Along the way, we're planning to have lectures, films, art, theatrical productions, contests, and musical activities."

Members of the Columbus Jewish community are invited to share their stories and historical artifacts for the local exhibit. For more information, contact the CJHS offices at (614) 238-6977 or e-mail history@tcjf.org.