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Bates College powerpoint : Introduction to DMJ , Oct 2009
Abe Peck : presentation at Bates College Forum on Maine Jewish History, October 2009
Master Public Burial Index
History Challenge
Introduction
From generation, to generation, to generation.
Jews have been living in Maine since the 1800s: There were fully functioning Jewish communities in Bangor in the 1840s, and in Portland in the 1880s. Somewhat improbably, at least to outsiders, those and other Jewish enclaves around the state have endured and thrived. Over the last 100 years, the Jewish population of Maine has ranged from 5,000 to over 10,000.

Honoring the Jewish tradition of remembrance, the Documenting Maine Jewry project seeks to tell the story, not just of those individuals, but of the singular community they shaped. Our goal is to collect short histories of the many people and organizations that have contributed, over time, to the lives of Maine Jews.

People    Documenting Maine Jewry (DMJ), now in its fourth year, maintains records on over 25,000 Jewish Mainers . The questions unavoidably arise: Who is a Jew? And who is a Mainer? On the former, the project takes no position. On the latter, we have used a broad definition including not only those who were born, grew up, or lived here, but also those who are buried here.

Organizations    DMJ is also building a community-based history around the religious and secular institutions that are the lifeblood of the Jewish community – as well as the source of quite regular souris (headaches). The project is creating 'family trees' of those often-interconnected local institutions: some 180 Jewish service organizations, 94 Jewish religious bodies, 18 Chevra Kaddisha and cemeteries, 15 Jewish camps, and 240 businesses crucial to the economic survival of Maine Jews.

Places    The database has information on Maine Jews from over 90 cities and towns . Currently, the larger Jewish communities are in Auburn-Lewiston, Augusta, Biddeford-Saco, Bangor, Portland, and Rockland. Users can seek information in a particular town or city or can select a wider area to search on the state map index . Each option allows users to find organizations and people either in these key cities/towns or by county.

Oral Histories    The database has located over 100 oral histories recorded by Maine Jews. With the support of the Maine Humanities Council DMJ is also undertaking its own series of oral histories of older Portland area Jews. Currently users can read transcriptions from some of these interviews on-line or explore others in key public libraries.

Sources    The DMJ methodology is basically a jigsaw approach. We take whatever community, municipal, and cemetery records we have and merge them into a common database. As a result, we face problems of duplication and incompleteness. To minimize those problems, we try to name-match only when we have at least two factual sources for a given name. Ultimately, we feel it is better to have duplicate records than inaccurate information linking two unrelated people with the same names; Jews do love to repeat certain family names. In the name of historic accuracy, we ask families to supplement/correct their information using the on-line edit function on their page, or by emailing correct information to dopj@mindspring.com.

For security reasons, complete access to the database is available only on request. A full index of all burials , however, is publicly available.

Volunteers    The DOMJ is largely a volunteer effort; we always welcome more help. Volunteers interested in photographing older Jewish headstones, collecting information on a particular town or organization, transferring data from print to electronic records, or upgrading software should email to dopj@mindspring.com.

Finances    Financial contributions supplement the volunteer effort by supporting data collection and outreach. DOMJ is under the financial supervision of Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine(JCA), a 501(c)3 organization. Donations are welcome using the Tzedakah box below or by sending a gift (marked DOMJ) to the JCA, 57 Ashmont St., Portland, Maine 04103. Major donors can select a range of contributions to honor their own Maine immigrant family or to inspire and inform the next generation of Maine Jews.

Heart and Soul    The core of the project is the addition of new information by Maine Jews, whether online through the website, by email, or by old-fashioned mail. We encourage all registered users to supplement or correct existing information on individuals using the edit function on each person's page. Historical documents, oral accounts, photographs of community activities, and print articles can be emailed to dopj@mindspring.com. To get a mailing address, please email describing the materials you would like to share.

Recent additions to the database include

Last Updated : Jan 28 2010

Page Displayed : Monday February 08, 2010