Saving Atlanta’s Jewish History

BY JEREMY KATZ
SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

The Atlanta Jewish Times recently received a significant artifact from Mr. Carl “Bones” Newell related to a Jewish family that settled in the local area. Upon realizing the historical importance of the item, a ruby pistol captured by Corporal Howard Nussbaum during World War II and the corresponding paperwork that allowed him to bring the pistol back to America, the staff soon contacted Jeremy Katz, Archivist at the Cuba Family Archives for Southern Jewish History at The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.

Mr. Katz examined the artifact and corresponding paperwork to determine its authenticity and if it fit the Archives and Museum’s collections policy, which focuses on documenting the Holocaust and Jewish contributions to the history of the American South.

Get The AJT Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

Since the family settled in Georgia after the war and the item documents Corporal Nussbaum’s military service, Mr. Katz agreed to accept the item into the collection at the Museum. The artifact is now catalogued and stored in the Archives’ fireproof, secure, and climate controlled vault to ensure it will last for generations to come.

The Museum hopes to exhibit this artifact after renovating its gallery space this summer. After the renovations, there will be an area dedicated to displaying recent acquisitions to the public.

The space will show our visitors that the Archives at the Museum is actively collecting and preserving Jewish history in the area. With over 20,000 photographs, 2,000 manuscript collections, 850 oral histories, and hundreds of artifacts and textiles, the Archives at the Museum is the largest repository for Jewish history in the region.

All of this material is housed in our secure, climate-controlled storage facility. The Archives offers unique services to the community by making our collections accessible to students, scholars, teachers, researchers, playwrights, as well as presenting quality programs through partnerships with institutions like Emory University, Georgia State University, the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum, and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Georgia.

All too often history is lost forever when we clean out our attics, closets, and basements. Instead of throwing it away or letting it collect dust, donate your family’s history to the Archives at the Breman Museum so that is can be treasured for years to come.

Editor’s note: Please contact Jeremy Katz, Archivist, at jrkatz@thebreman.org, or (404) 870-1862, if you would like to make an appointment to conduct research in the archives or donate your historic material to be preserved for future generations.