Center for Jewish History

Name

Center for Jewish History

Legal name

Center for Jewish History

Website

https://cjh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage and Archival Research Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage archive
• Historical research services
• Genealogy research institute
• Jewish archival collections
• Public history programming

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: Relies on philanthropic support to preserve and make accessible its collections. Conducts endowment campaigns including 25th Anniversary Endowment Campaign.
2. Membership Program: Various membership levels including Archivist level with priority appointment access to Genealogy Institute
3. Bookstore Sales: Ruth's Bookstore sells publications and merchandise related to Jewish history and culture
4. Event Rentals: Rental of facility spaces for private events and programs
5. Government and Foundation Grants: Support from government entities and foundations for educational programming and preservation activities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center for Jewish History is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural and research institution that provides a collaborative home for five partner organizations, preserving and making accessible over 7 linear miles of documents, 500,000 books, 100+ million documents, and 145 terabytes of digitized materials on the modern Jewish experience. It offers public exhibitions, scholarly research services through the Lillian Goldman Reading Room, family history research through the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute (including free AncestryDNA kits for Holocaust survivors), an on-site bookstore, podcasts, and an Institute for Advanced Research with fellowships.

Product overview

The Center for Jewish History is a cultural and research institution providing a collaborative home for five partner organizations (American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research). The institution operates as a unified platform offering multiple interconnected services: the Lillian Goldman Reading Room provides scholarly access to archival collections; the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute enables family history research including free DNA testing for Holocaust survivors; Free Exhibitions showcase Jewish history and culture through rotating art shows and public programs; Ruth's Bookstore offers retail merchandise; Podcasts deliver audio content on Jewish topics; and the Institute for Advanced Research supports scholarly work through fellowships and working groups. Together, these products position CJH as the National Archives of Diaspora Jewry, offering both in-person and virtual access to over 7 linear miles of documents, 500,000 books, and 145+ terabytes of digitized materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lillian Goldman Reading Room: The primary research reading room of the Center, housing archival collections and providing access to over 7 linear miles of papers, publications, recordings, artifacts, artworks, photographs, and over 145 terabytes of digitized materials
• Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute
• Institute for Advanced Research
• Ruth's Bookstore
• Jewish Public History Forum

Products and services

• Lillian Goldman Reading Room
• Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute A genealogy research center offering free access to resources for tracing Jewish family histories, including collections from partner organizations, online databases, specialized research guides, the Ancestry Research & Reflection Room with over 7.5 million Arolsen Archives records, and free AncestryDNA kits for Holocaust survivors and their direct descendants.
• Free Exhibitions Art exhibitions, public lectures, book talks, film screenings, musical performances, and holiday celebrations open to the public with free admission, featuring rotating exhibits on Jewish history and culture.
• Ruth's Bookstore An on-site bookstore operated by the Center, selling books and related materials focused on Jewish history and culture, with inventory managed through a Shopify POS system.
• Podcasts Audio programming including 'From Rubble to Roots', 'The World in Front of Me', 'The Wreckage', 'Exile', 'Tel Aviv Review', and 'WEVD' covering Jewish history, culture, and genealogical topics, distributed globally.
• Archival Collections and Research Services Access to over 7 linear miles of documents, 500,000 books, 100 million documents, and over 145 terabytes of digitized materials spanning nearly a thousand years of Jewish history, with 5,600+ archival collections available through centralized finding aids and online catalog.
• Education Programs Resources and special events for educators, school teachers, and students, including curriculum materials and group instruction sessions on research and collections focused on Jewish history and Holocaust education.
• Institute for Advanced Research Fellowships Fellowship opportunities for scholars, including current fellowships, spring seminar calendars, and working groups for academic research on Jewish history.
• DNA Reunion Project A program offering free AncestryDNA kits to Holocaust survivors and their children to help reconnect families separated by the Holocaust through genetic genealogy and access to Arolsen Archives records.
• Anne Frank The Exhibition A major traveling exhibition featuring the first-ever full-scale replica of Anne Frank's Secret Annex, opened in New York City in January 2025 in partnership with the Anne Frank House.

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest archive of Jewish history outside Israel with 7 linear miles of documents and 500,000+ books
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOldest ethnic cultural archive in the US, established 1892. Home to 30+ million documents and 50,000 books documenting Jewish presence in America from 1654. Contains treasures including the first American Hebrew book and Emma Lazarus's original 'The New Colossus' poem.
• American Sephardi Federation (ASF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreserves and promotes history of Greater Sephardic communities. Hosts scholarly events, produces publications, supports research, fellowships, and the National Sephardic Library. Member of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
• Leo Baeck Institute (LBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch library and archive founded 1955 by émigré intellectuals to preserve German-Jewish history. Holds 5+ million digitized items and 80,000-volume research library documenting Jewish life in Central Europe.
• Yeshiva University Museum (YUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded 1973 to present Jewish art and culture across history. Develops creative exhibitions interpreting Jewish texts, traditions, and experiences through collections of art and material culture.
• YIVO Institute for Jewish ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded 1925 in Vilna (now Vilnius). Dedicated to preservation and study of East European Jewry history and culture. Archives contain 24+ million items and 400,000+ volumes. Headquartered in NYC since 1940.
• Smithsonian InstitutionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter for Jewish History is a Smithsonian Affiliate, part of the Smithsonian's affiliate network recognizing leading cultural institutions.
• Google Cultural InstitutecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner of the Google Cultural Institute for digital exhibition and archival access.
• AncestryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to honor victims of the Holocaust and reconnect families. Ancestry provides free DNA kits to Holocaust survivors and their children. Center offers onsite access to Ancestry's 7.5+ million Holocaust records from Arolsen Archives.
• Blavatnik ArchivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative exhibition partnership with the Blavatnik Archive for Jewish historical preservation.
• Arolsen ArchivescoreTechnology or IntegrationOnsite access to over 7.5 million records from Arolsen Archives (International Center on Nazi Persecution) accessible through Ancestry platform in the Ancestry Research & Reflection Room.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Jewish Archives: Located at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, this is a peer archival institution dedicated to preserving documents of American Jewish history. Directly comparable as a specialized Jewish heritage archive serving scholars, genealogists, and educators.
• Skirball Cultural Center: LA-based Jewish cultural center combining exhibitions, educational programming, and performing arts. Directly comparable as a peer Jewish heritage institution combining museum exhibitions, educational programming, and cultural events for similar audiences.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Federal Holocaust memorial museum in Washington DC combining large-scale archival collections, exhibitions, and research. Directly comparable in mission around Holocaust education and preservation of Jewish historical materials, with significantly larger scale and federal funding.
• Jewish Theological Seminary Library: Major Jewish research library in NYC affiliated with Conservative Judaism, holding extensive Judaica collections and serving scholars. Directly comparable as a peer NYC-based Jewish library/archival institution serving overlapping scholar and educator audiences.
• Simon Wiesenthal Center / Museum of Tolerance: Jewish human rights organization operating the Museum of Tolerance in LA with Holocaust education and archival content. Directly comparable as a peer institution combining Holocaust education, Jewish heritage programming, and global outreach.
• Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust: NYC-based Jewish heritage museum dedicated to Holocaust education, remembrance, and Jewish culture. Directly comparable as a peer institution serving overlapping Jewish and Holocaust-focused audiences in the same metropolitan market with similar museum + educational programming model.

Broad incumbents

• Library of Congress: U.S. national library holding significant Judaica and Hebraica collections alongside its broader holdings. Broad incumbent serving overlapping scholarly research audiences with vastly greater scale and federal mandate.
• National Library of Israel: Israel's national library housing extensive Jewish archival collections and digitization initiatives. Broad incumbent comparable in scale of Jewish historical stewardship, with a national mandate and government backing that the Center lacks.
• Yad Vashem: Israel's official memorial to the Holocaust, holding the world's most comprehensive Holocaust archives and serving as the global reference institution for Holocaust research. Broad incumbent with overlapping archival and educational mission, anchored in Israel rather than the diaspora.
• New-York Historical Society: NYC's oldest museum, combining historical exhibitions, library collections, and educational programming. Broad incumbent serving overlapping NYC visitor and educator audiences, with much broader American historical scope rather than Jewish specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@centerforjewisthistory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-jewish-history
• Xx.com/cjewishhistory

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Jewish History