About Us

The Jewish-American History Documentation Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to creating a 21st-Century electronic archive of original 19th-Century historical documents. Diaries, letters, books and journals previously available only in manuscript form or on microfilm reels can be searched and viewed online instead of traveling to a library or historical society. Jewish-American History Documentation Foundation is tax-exempt under under IRS code section 501(c)(3).

Since its appearance as a personal website in 1997, Jewish-History.com has offered a collection of previously unpublished or rare primary documents that focus on the Jewish-American experience during the Civil War and the American West, in the words of the participants themselves. TheOccident.com is an electronic archive containing the full searchable text of The Occident and American Jewish Advocate, a periodical published from 1843-1868, while the “Walnut Street” Electronic Library features original historic works including the first books published in the United States specifically for the education of American Jews. The Jewish Civil War Veterans’ Database allows genealogists and history buffs to search records using a variety of search options.

Jewish-History.com is an in-depth resource which provides the entire text, not only selected excerpts, and is therefore a valuable tool with which to counter the historical revisionists, who frequently quote out of context or even make up bogus documents. This archive focuses primarily on the Jewish-American experience during the 19th Century, however as new content is added, more topics will be created. Our goal is to present important primary historical documents in their entirety and original context.

The Jewish-American History Documentation Foundation is an independent project under the direction of  L. M. Berkowitz, a graduate of Lawrence Technological University with 20 years of experience in the manufacturing and automotive industry, and a lifelong passion for Jewish history and the unique experience of America. Jewish-history.com is completely independent and is not affiliated with any other commercial, educational, religious or political organization.

Your support of jewish-history.com is greatly appreciated. Please visit the Electronic Emporium to purchase books and Judaica items, or send your tax-deductible donation to Jewish-American History Documentation Foundation, P.O. Box 760325, Lathrup Village, MI 48076. Donations may also be made electronically through PayPal.