The Connecting Small Histories: Ensuring Sustainability in Jewish History Project is a collaborative project between the Jewish Small Communities Network and Swansea University (funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund). This project aims to:
- record the footprint and heritage of the UK Jewish community where they are now small or non-extant;
- connect these to existing Jewish history and heritage projects and resources;
- foster exchange between communities through a dedicated Heritage Hub hosted by JSCN
To help us uncover the history of small communities like yours, we are looking for volunteers to help us research these histories and make this information accessible to the public through events, a touring exhibition and our developing Heritage Hub. This is also an opportunity to use your creativity to think about the heritage of these communities in different ways, through the stories of people who make up these communities, the traditions associated with the communities, and the way the communities fit in to the places where they are situated. This role will involve:
- Using books, local archives and online sources to research the history of small Jewish communities
- Engaging with members of small communities and those in the surrounding area to collect memories, stories and traditions connected to the communities
- Putting together the research into a clear format to be used by members of the public/ the project team
The role will include extensive training with academics to help you develop the key skills for your role and you will have regular support and communication from the project team to help you complete your role. The role is flexible according to your interests and availability, and can be done completely from home. It will also give you an opportunity to get to know other volunteers from across the UK who will be working with you to gather information about small Jewish communities and make it into something that will be valued by people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
If you would like to find out more please do email c.j.speedy@swansea.ac.uk
Please do share this opportunity with your communities and local networks. This role is open to anyone (Jewish or not!) who has a passion for history and preserving people’s stories.
Thank you for your continued support of the project.
