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Chapman Family
Research Center

Archives • Genealogy • Oral Histories • Library • Special Exhibitions

The Chapman Family Research Center is an incredible hands-on resource for researchers, family historians, Museum Members and visitors who are doing the important work of exploring and preserving Southern Jewish history. With an emphasis on the connections between Jewish families across the South, the Center brings a distinctly Southern flavor to “Jewish Geography.” Comprised of five named spaces, this Center extends the Museum’s mission of encouraging new understanding and appreciation for identity, diversity, and acceptance, and expanding our appreciation for the American experience.

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Collections

MSJE's collection includes more than 5,000 items, ranging from Judaica to photographs to letters. including Judaica, household items, business records, photographs, letters, and other ephemera.
Some proportion of these items are on display at any given time. Online, you can browse a small selection of our full collection.

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Reference Library and Reading Room

The Ben May Reference Library and Reading Room is the heart of the Southern Jewish Family Research Center and serves as a repository for the materials donated to our growing research collection, including published works, Southern and Jewish reference materials, and most importantly, individual family histories, genealogies, and community histories.

Oral Histories

In the Ivan M. Sherman, MD, Oral History Studio we record people’s oral histories, preserving the precious living memories of the Southern Jewish experience. This space also serves as our Distance Learning studio, where we can videoconference these stories and others directly into classrooms across the country.

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Workshops

Our Chapman Family History Center Workshop Series gives you tools to conduct your own family history research. This is a recurring series, and you can join in any order. Our scheduled workshops are free with registration. You can also book a custom, on-demand group workshop for a fee.

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Reference Library & Reading Room

The Ben May Reference Library and Reading Room is the heart of the Southern Jewish Family Research Center and serves as a repository for the materials donated to our growing research collection, including published works, Southern and Jewish reference materials, and most importantly, individual family histories, genealogies, and community histories.

Schedule a Library VisitDonate a Book or Archive
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Archive

The Joanne B. Fried Archival Vault provides the museum with a facility to house our most important and sensitive archival materials, keeping them secure and making them easily accessible to researchers, Museum Members, and the public.

Request Collection AccessDonate an Artifact
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Conservation & Digitizatio

The Perlin Family Foundation Preservation & Digitization Suite is where Museum staff perform the important work of conservation, cataloging, digitizing, and preparing archives for study, online accessibility, and exhibition.

Request Digitization Access
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Oral History Studio

In the Ivan M. Sherman, MD, Oral History Studio we record people’s oral histories, preserving the precious living memories of the Southern Jewish experience. This space also serves as our Distance Learning studio, where we can videoconference these stories and others directly into classrooms across the country.

Share Your Family StoryBook a Virtual Tour
Image by Taylor Flowe

SUPPORT THE CENTER

Help us continue to preserve and share our Southern Jewish experiences with the world and empower Southern Jewish families to become the keepers of their family legacies by making a gift today. Donations of all sizes will be recognized in the Chapman Center.

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