• March 2013
  • 1955 Temple Beth Jacob Confirmation Class (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • 1958 Beth Jacob Confirmation Class - Newspaper (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • 1958 Beth Jacob Confirmation Class - Photo (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • 1964 Graduating Seniors, Beth Jacob (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
    
    
  • Abba Eban Attends Lown Dinner at JCC (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • Am Echad Changes Name to Temple Shalom Synagogue Center (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • Autmn Fashions at the JCC (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • B'nai B'rith Meeting (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • B'nai B'rith Chapter of Hadassah Chanukah Events (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
    
    
  • Blood Drive Sponsored by the JCC Women's League (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • Bud Applebaum and Schoolboy Basketball Players (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • College Reunion Night at the JCC (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • Entrants in the JCC Shoot-Out (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • Evaluating Youth Programs at the JCC (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
    
    
  • Fencing Classes at the JCC (L/A) (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • Hadassah Fashion Show at JCC (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • Institute on Judaism for Clergy - Newspaper (Lewiston-Auburn) -
  • Institute on Judaism for Clergy - Photo (Lewiston-Auburn) -
  • Isaacson, Berman, Green (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
    
    
  • JCC B'nai B'rith Bridge Party (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • JCC Charity Dance Committee (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • JCC May Ball Committee (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • Jewish Children Day (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • Lewiston/Auburn JCC Nursery School Class 1965 (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
    
    
  • Lewiston/Auburn JCC Nursery School Class 1968 (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • Mira Gilbert Performs at JCC Chanukah Party (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • Rabbi Berent Criticizes President Eisenhower (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • Sigma Phi Sigma Sorority Plan Holiday Dance (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom
  • Twin Cities Foul Shot Championship (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
    
    
  • Twin City Foul Shooting Championship (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • UJA Dr and Mrs Bell (Lewiston-Auburn) - Temple Shalom
  • Women's Clubs Plan Bates Conference (Lewiston) - Temple Shalom

-------------- The Documenting Lewiston-Auburn Jewry (DLAJ) site is a part of the state-wide Documenting Maine Jewry (DMJ) project. Honoring the Jewish tradition of remembrance, the Documenting Maine Jewry project seeks to tell the story, not just of those individuals, but of the communities they shaped. DMJ's goal is to collect short histories of the many people and organizations that have contributed, over time, to the lives of Maine Jews. Currently the state-wide index has records on over 25,000 Jewish Mainers and 200 Maine Jewish organizations.

People    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    DLAJ is also building a community-based history around the 20 religious and secular institutions that were or are the lifeblood of the Lewiston-Auburn 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 state-wide database has information on Maine Jews from over 90 cities and towns . 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 DLAJ project is also collecting oral histories.

Sources    The Documenting Maine Jewry 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 dmj@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 Lewiston-Auburn Documenting Maine Jewry effort 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 dmj@mindspring.com.

Finances    Financial contributions supplement the volunteer effort by supporting data collection and outreach. DMJ 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 DMJ) 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 Phyllis at Bates College. To get a mailing address, please email describing the materials you would like to share.

Last Updated : 2 September 2010