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The logo for Brooklyn Jewish Heritage Initiative whose mission is to Organize Public Events, Create Oral & Video Histories, Provide Resources to the Brooklyn Jewish Community

Brooklyn Jewish
Historical Initiative

Share Your Story with Us and the World!

Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative | BJHI

Welcome to BJHI or The Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative. The Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative maintains this website in order to, organize public programs and events, maintain records and archives both online and in their original state, create oral and video histories which will be accessible online, and make a range of resources available to the public. It’s a community project and we need your help to do it right! Share your stories, pictures, and memories of Jewish Life in Brooklyn here.

We Stand With Israel

Israel Flag
Member of the Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative in Israel standing on a hill
The iconic Shlomo Carlebach and contemporary singer Eli Levin join together in an unforgettable music video
Broadway Stars Raise Awareness of Hamas Hostages With New Rendition of ‘Bring Him Home’ From ‘Les Miserables’
Broadway Stars Raise Awareness of Hamas Hostages With New Rendition of ‘Bring Him Home’ From ‘Les Miserables’

2024 Brooklyn jewish torchbearers Award

Join Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative at the East Midwood Jewish Center on April 3, 2024 at 6 pm, as we present the 2024 Brooklyn Jewish Torchbearers Award Honoring Brooklyn Jewish organizations.

Brooklyn Hall of Fame 2023

Meet to inductees for BJHI Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame. Watch the video of the event!

BJHI HOF Video
Old Jewish Men

Whether it’s the price of lox or public toilets, one of the latest TikTok trends features old dudes kvetching for a cause. NY Post

Nissim Black

Enjoy an enlightening Brooklyn YouTube conversation that Rabbi YY Jacobson of Crown Heights with the amazing entertainer Nissim Black, who took lead in music video, Brooklyn , that BJHI supported and co-produced.

Rabbi YY & Nissim Black: From Islam, to Christianity, to Judaism
Tour Bklyn Heights

Judith Greenwald , a BJHI Speaker, provides a guided tour of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill.

We're Brooklyn Book

In order to find out about her family’s Brooklyn roots, Rebecca and her little brother Seth explore the borough with their grandma Sophia. This new book by Cecilia Margules, is in collaboration with BJHI!

We're Brooklyn by Cecilia Margules
Purim

Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative shares Purim in Brooklyn, a video that tells the story of how Brooklyn Jews celebrate Purim.

Nissim Black

BJHI asked for it, we got it! An upbeat rap ballad sung by internationally famous Chassidic African-American Nissim Black for and about Brooklyn's Jewish community. We call it "We're Brooklyn".

Nissim Black
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Brooklyn JEWISH Life

Brown building on a Brooklyn street
Neighborhood Scenes
Black and white photo of a ceiling in a synagogue in Brooklyn
Jewish Religious Life
Brown bread stacked on top of each other for a Jewish holiday
Jewish Holidays & Food
A black and white photo of four women dancing.
Culture and Traditions

BJHI Media Center

Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame

“BJHI was created to tell the extraordinary story of the Jewish community of Brooklyn, and the BJHI Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame recognizes the leading Brooklynites who have truly made a difference in the world, and there are many. You will note that we have a representative balance, from the Russian community, the Syrian community, the Chassidic community and so forth, as well as business leaders, social activists and entertainers.”

Discover Brooklyn with us

Brooklyn is the most dynamic center of Judaism outside of Israel.

walking
tours, bicycling tours and bus/ van tours

The Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative is now offering tours – walking tours, bicycling tours and bus/van tours – that cover various aspects of Jewish life in Brooklyn, past and present. Those who join our BJHI Tours will see up close the cultural, historical and artistic facets of Jewish Brooklyn, offering opportunities to learn in an informal manner, Our tour guides are experts, just see their bios below, so you can be sure of a wonderful experience. And to paraphrase an old TV ad, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy our tours.