Research is an essential part of our mission to deepen community understanding of Jewish history and culture. While our preservation efforts ensure that artifacts are safely stored for future generations, it’s equally important to assist in historical research and make the IJHS collection available to researchers here in Iowa and around the world.
Through research, artifacts serve a much larger purpose. They can illuminate a whole era of time, conveying fresh insights into the history of the Jewish community better than any words alone can do.
A wide variety of materials are available for researchers, including documents, photographs, scrapbooks, and oral histories in our archives and collections. Researchers may come to the IJHS during open hours to find information about Iowa’s Jewish history. To make an appointment, call 515-987-0899 ext. 216 or email ijhs@jewishdesmoines.org.
If you are unable to come to the museum, IJHS staff is available to answer limited research inquiries. Please complete our research request form to get started.
Are you looking to use images from our collection or have them reproduced? Review our Copyright and Reproduction Fee Schedule to learn about your options, pricing and how to make a request.
We’re working to identify and recognize Jewish men and women of Iowa who have served our country and state. Learn more about the project and how to participate.
Published from 1998 to 2012, The CHAIowan was the newsletter of the Iowa Jewish Historical Society. See a list of past research articles and access digital copies of each edition.
To help you research your family history, we offer a list of Jewish genealogy links that you can use to dig into your Jewish roots.