“Growing up in Albany Park in the early 60’s was Jewish heaven. We had the Bagel restraunt, dozens of shuls, delis, bakeries. ”
“Anshe Kovnor Shul, at 15th and Homan, was founded by immigrants from Kovno, Lithuania. The building still remains and is used as a church.”
“This area was home to the Sholem Aleichem School, Chesinsky’s Bookstore. A favorite gathering place for the landsmanschaften was Humboldt Park.”
“Growing up in the 50s, my brother and I spent every Sunday with our maternal grandparents, Charles and Pauline Bournstine. My Papa told us about his father, Simon, who fought for the Union in the Civil War…”
Uncovered & Rediscovered: Stories of Jewish Chicago is a project of Spertus, Chicago’s center of Jewish learning and culture. You are invited to contribute your own personal stories of Chicago Jewish life, which are then pinned to a custom interactive map of the greater Chicago area. This “memory map” is accessible online and as part of an interactive Chicago Jewish History display at Spertus. Please add your own stories and help form a dynamic, evolving record of Jewish life in the Windy City.
Explore The Jewish Chicago Memory Map
On display in the ground floor vestibule of the award-winning Spertus building, Uncovered & Rediscovered: Stories of Jewish Chicago tells tales of Chicago’s Jewish pioneers and politicians, artists and anarchists, authors and entrepreneurs, and even Jewish boxers.
Visit Spertus.edu to see highlights of the exhibit online
Share your story
Complete our online form to send us your stories of Jewish life in Chicago. Your contribution will be instantly added to the map, visible online and at Spertus. Check back to view your stories and read stories by fellow contributors. Click here!
Browse Recent Submissions
Albany Park -- a ghetto - Yash Snider
The American Dream - anonymous
Anti-Semitism in Humboldt Park - Beverly
View more >
Jewish Chicago Memory Map - Browse Stories - Add Your Story - Exhibit
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Spertus is a partner in serving our community, supported by the JUF/Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Chicago.