The Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives at Rice University welcomed four high school students June 9-13 as inaugural STJA Archival Fellows, offering them a unique, hands-on dive into the rich tapestry of Houston’s Jewish history.
The fellows from local public and private schools were selected through an essay-based application and spent the week exploring historical documents, processing archival materials and conducting original research centered on Rabbi Robert Kahn and Congregation Emanu El. Students examined sermons, correspondence and curricula connected to the Classical Reform Jewish movement and Zionism.
“One of my goals in the last year has been to get younger students to look at the archives,” STJA curator Melissa Cohen-Nickels said. “These kids can actually come in and look at the documents and really get to experience what it is like to be a historian or an archivist.”
Fellows also had the opportunity to hear from university historian Portia Hopkins and researchers at the Woodson Research Center about real-world uses of archival research.
For Travis High School rising senior William Smith, the experience was both academic and personal.
“I’ve really reconnected with my Jewish heritage,” Smith said. “My ancestors came to Houston, so I’ve just been learning what Jewish life was like for them and applying what I already knew to a historical context.”
Lily Evans, a rising junior at Cy-Fair High School, said the program opened her eyes to the city’s Jewish legacy.
“I didn’t really realize there was such a big and diverse Jewish population in Houston,” Evans said. “It’s been really cool to learn about that and be able to explore the Woodson Research Center.”
Kinkaid School’s Sadie Ferber, a rising junior, and Eliya Gibson, a rising senior, also took part in the immersive archival experience.
The STJA was founded by Joshua Furman, former associate director of Rice’s Program in Jewish Studies, during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey to rescue and preserve Jewish historical materials endangered by flooding. Since then, it has grown into a robust collaboration between the Program in Jewish Studies and the Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library with a mission to safeguard and share the stories of Jewish life across greater Houston and South Texas.
“This is, I’m hoping, our inaugural year,” Cohen-Nickels said. “It’s been really amazing working with these students. They’re very enthusiastic. I’m excited for what’s next.”
To learn more about STJA, click here.