(JTA) — The Center for Jewish History in New York has raised $30 million to retire its construction debt.
The amount was raised and donated by the chairman and founder of the center, Bruce Slovin; board members William Ackman and Joseph Steinberg; the Fairholme Foundation; and 19 other donors, the center announced last week in a news release.
The center was created 10 years ago after raising $100 million to bring together five historical organizations under one roof: the American Jewish Historical Society; the American Sephardi Federation; the Leo Baeck Institute; the Yeshiva University Museum; and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
It features more than 500,000 books and 100 million documents that include pieces of art, textiles and ritual objects, as well as music, films and photographs.
The collections range from the early modern era in Europe and pre-colonial times in the Americas to present-day materials from across the globe. The center provides access to a comprehensive collection of historic archival materials, including from Franz Kafka, Theodor Herzl, Moses Mendelssohn, Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein.
