Australian Jewish Historical Society

The Australian Jewish Historical Society was founded in 1938 in Sydney. The first president was Percy J. Marks. At the first business meeting of the Society, the then president of the Royal Australian Historical Society K. R. Cramp expressed the view that the chief object of the Society should be the encouragement of individual research.[1] In 1939, the Society published the first issue of the Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal (initially known as the Australian Jewish Historical Society, Journal and Proceedings). In 1949, a Melbourne branch was established, which was informally known as AJHS(Vic). This branch grew and eventually incorporated. There is no national executive, with the Sydney and Melbourne Societies being financially independent. Since 1988, the two Societies have shared the production of the Journal, with the June issues being produced by the NSW Society and the November issues being produced by the Vic Society. Currently, there are two issues of the Journal each year, with occasional Special Publications.

The holdings of the Australian Jewish Historical Society are electronically accessible. The Society has a unique collection of documents spanning books, manuscripts, newspapers, historical records, audiotapes, videotapes and other printed electronic or audiovisual material. Material on almost every aspect of Jewish life is available, such as personal papers, photos, bound newspapers and corporate records sourced from individuals through to synagogues, communities, and Jewish organisations.