Alisha Babbstein, archivist | ababbstein@ojmche.org
Dear friends,
We are excited to announce the second phase of a project to document these extraordinary times through a powerful oral history project. Some of you may be among the over 276 people who have already shared their stories with us in phase one—if so, we thank you for your participation.
For those of you who have not yet joined in, we invite you to become part of a national project that will provide a snapshot for researchers and future generations of the Jewish experience during these unprecedented times.
Ready to be Interviewed?
We seek Jewish community members of all ages and backgrounds and who live throughout Oregon. In the project’s first phase we conducted interviews across the state with people ranging from ages 13 to 99. The project uses the TheirStory video recording platform, which works much like Zoom and requires no prior knowledge or software from the person being interviewed. Trained volunteers record online interviews with community members as they ask questions relevant to the pandemic, the political landscape, the vaccine, and plans for moving forward. The online interview takes less than an hour.
About the project
Chronicling These Times originated with the Council of American Jewish Museums (CAJM), which has expanded its efforts to record Jewish stories from the pandemic with its member museums. For this new phase of grant-funded work, CAJM is partnering with 18 collecting repositories across the country from New York to Portland.
“For organizations that do the work of Jewish history, this is a defining chapter,” says Melissa Martens Yaverbaum, Executive Director of the Council of American Jewish Museums. “The pandemic has rearranged many aspects of Jewish life—from the holidays to healthcare, mourning, milestones, the work of social justice, and the ways we create community. Our grassroots efforts aim to reflect the breadth of the Jewish community and a myriad Jewish experiences from the pandemic era. In sharing personal stories, we’re laying the groundwork for a more inclusive future.”
CAJM selected OJMCHE as one of the Jewish museums to record and collect our community’s stories of this moment in history. As an archivist, I know the value of oral histories and documentation of current events. Please join us in this wonderful opportunity to create a robust repository of our community’s experience — and please invite friends and family to join too! I can be reached at ababbstein@ojmche.org and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your continued support of our mission and work.
Warm regards,
Alisha Babbstein, archivist
ababbstein@ojmche.org