Ida Pearle and Joseph Cuba Archives
As story keepers of Jewish traditions, history, and heritage, we are home to the largest collection of Jewish archives in the Southeast. Much more than a collection of relics—these manuscripts, photographs, artifacts, textiles, and oral histories weave together multi-layered memories that connect us with our past. Whether you’re here to learn about your ancestry or to research Jewish life in the South, everyone is welcome to get up close and personal with an ever-evolving collection of stories that shaped who we are today.
Our Collections
Our Catalog
Browse our collection of over 20,000 artifacts, textiles, photographs, and vertical files covering more than a century of Jewish life in the South.
Finding Aids
Use our archives management tool to guide you through an extensive manuscript collection, which you can search by file type, keyword, or date.
Oral Histories
Bear witness to the many remarkable stories—of the Holocaust and beyond—that are kept and shared through our Oral Histories collection.Ask the Archivist
Having trouble navigating our collections or not seeing what you’re looking for? Our on-site Archivist is here to help guide you through the process and point you in the right direction.
Fill out the contact form and someone from our Archives department will get back to you shortly.
Donate your Heirlooms
Our extensive archive collection is only possible with the help of people, like you, who generously donate personal artifacts from your home. These valuable keepsakes can take many shapes, from clothing and photos to old books and newspaper clippings. Your donations allow people to research their past and retell Jewish stories of joy and resilience in the South.
Savannah Jewish Archives
The Jewish community in Savannah is almost as old as the Georgia colony itself! Jewish settlers arrived in Savannah aboard the ship William and Sarah in 1733. The Savannah Jewish Archives represent some of the oldest Jewish history in the South, with material dating back to the 1750s. The archives were transferred from the Georgia Historical Society to the Cuba Family Archives for Southern Jewish History at the Breman Museum in July of 2015.
This substantial collection consists of approximately 175 linear feet of material, 6,000 photographs, and 150 oral histories all pertaining to Savannah and the greater Chatham County Jewish Community from the 1750s to the present.
Among these collections are:
- Family papers such the Minis Family Papers, which document one of the first Jewish families to settle in Georgia.
- Organization records such as the Jewish Education Alliance Records, which document the first social organization in Savannah.
- Synagogue records such as Congregation B’nai B’rith Jacob Records, which document the first orthodox synagogue in Savannah.
- Cemetery records such as the Mordecai Sheftall Cemetery Trustees Records, which is the second oldest Jewish burial ground in Savannah.
- A general photograph collection and oral histories with prominent members of the Jewish community in Savannah.
The Savannah Jewish Archives is generously supported by the Savannah Jewish Federation.
Where You can Ooh, Aah, and Oy Vey in one Afternoon
So much more than a museum, the Breman is a cultural center where people from all backgrounds are welcome to connect over stories that celebrate Jewish life in the South. You might laugh here, you might cry here, you might dance here. No matter what, you will always experience something remarkable.
