The Judaica Project is one of eight outstanding community initiatives made possible by generous funding from a Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven 2023 Impact Grant.

 

A collaboration between the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven (JHSGNH) and Rabbi Reena Judd of the Peter C. Hereld House for Jewish Life at Quinnipiac University, this unique project will feature a series of monthly programs hosted on Zoom by JHSGNH. It will include programs presented by Rabbi Judd on the thrifted Judaica box project at Quinnipiac, and the history, religious significance, and ritual use of different types of Judaica. Discussions will focus on different types of Judaica, and will include time for attendees to share their own items and stories. 

Program topics will be seasonal — for example groggers for Purim, seder plates for Passover, and menorahs for Chanukah. 

 

In addition to these in-house programs, JHSGNH and the Peter C. Hereld House for Jewish Life at Quinnipiac will host guest speakers, including Jewish artists and crafters, as well as those involved with Judaica on social media, and resellers of vintage Judaica. Moderators of the Judaica Thrifting Facebook group and Shtetl Baby, a vintage Jewish book and object online store, have also expressed an interest in participating in the program.

 

To complement these monthly programs, JHSGNH staff will create small exhibits of the same Judaica type from the Historical Society’s collection, as holdings and conditions allow. These programs and exhibits will be featured on Facebook and Instagram. Rabbi Judd and others will present — including local Jewish artists, crafters, and Judaica collectors interested in presenting in this program series or be featured on social media, may email info@jewishhistorynh.org.