Archives area opens 

Over 85 years, a person can collect a wide variety of items — papers, books, letters from loved ones, and photographs of family. But if one person can accumulate so much, how many objects can an entire synagogue collect? To store these items, a community would need an archive.

In honor of its 85th year, Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha has revitalized its archives, which has collections stretching back to the very beginning of the synagogue in 1939. To celebrate the opening of a new archive space in the synagogue, a community event has been planned for Sunday, May 4, to highlight the history of the synagogue and its members.

Found within the collection is a Passover Haggadah belonging to Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky, an original rabbi of the congregation, and a letter of thanks from Jewish air force trainees to the CEEW Sisterhood for providing them with Passover necessities. There are also many cards written by non-Jewish students, thanking synagogue members for teaching their classrooms about Judaism, a physical testament to the community outreach performed by the congregants of CEEW.

One of the most abundant records of the synagogue’s history are photographs, ranging from records of numerous building projects to the faces of the members who make its community strong. While many of these people have been identified, there are still more who are not currently known. With the help of the CEEW members and other community members, the archive aims to identify the remaining photos.

Anyone who has ever been a part of CEEW or attended an event is invited to join in the celebration. Attendees can browse through the new archive space and assist in photo identification, and a potluck lunch will be served. Everyone is invited to bring a favorite family dish and share the recipe to be saved in a digital community cookbook. Afterwards, a brief history of the archive will be shared, followed by the background of the Czech Torah that is a staple of the CEEW sanctuary. Then, members are invited to bring an item from their own family history, to share a piece of their own household archive.

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