Jewish Historical Society of Greater Charlotte

The Charlotte Jewish Archives (CJA) are a collection of photographs, letters, brochures, scrapbooks, and other printed material documenting the history of the Charlotte Jewish community and Jewish life in the Charlotte area. They also include a small collection of artifacts such as a gym bag from the Amity Club (which existed before Shalom Park was built). One of the most important collections in the Archives is a set of oral history video interviews created under the asupices of the Charlotte Jewish Historical Society. These items are housed within the Library in an environmentally controlled room. The CJA are primarily a research collection and material cannot be circulated because of risk of damage.

The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Charlotte committee, which operates under the auspices of the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library and Resource Center, directs the care of the CJA. Anyone interested in the Jewish history of Charlote is welcome to join the the committee. Please contact the director of the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library and Resource Center for further information.

Click on the photographs to view enlargements:


Samuel Wittkowsky's Dry Goods Store at
8-10 W. Trade Street, Charlotte, 1890

Temple Israel in the Dilworth neighborhood,
Charlotte, 1949

Alfred and Dannie Heineman

Other Archival and Historical Links

Students from the UNCC Digital History class researched in the archives to include images about Charlotte Jewish life in their web site exhibit.
http://history.uncc.edu/digitalage/exhibits/show/charlottesearlyjewishhistory

Charlotte Jewish News

Transcripts of oral history interviews with community members:

Site under reconstruction. We will post the links when finished. The archives has the DVDs of the interviews available for viewing.

Herman Blumenthal Dorothy Coplon Hilbert Fuerstman
Jeri Gertzman Margie Goldstein Arthur Goodman, Jr.
Blanche Jaffa and Ben Jaffa, Jr. Gladys Lavitan Al Rousso
Gary and Maxine Silverstein Minnie Silverstein Sutker

Jewish Historical Foundation of North Carolina and the Down Home project - www.jhfnc.org
American Jewish Archives - www.americanjewisharchives.org
Jewish Tours of the Carolinas - www.jewishtourofthecarolinas.org
Jewish Women's Archive - www.jwa.org

Life Magazine photographs of the North Carolina Circuit Riding Rabbi - www.images.google

Please contact the library at 704-944-6783 or email us at library@shalomcharlotte.org with specific questions about our archival collection or for information about making a donation of archival material.