What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

Indiana Jewish Historical Society

Home
United States
Indianapolis, IN
Indiana Jewish Historical Society

Recording Indiana's Jewish History since 1972! In 1972, the IJHS was organized to collect, preserve, and disseminate the story of our Hoosier Jewish heritage.

Before Indiana became a state, Jewish Pioneers seeking a better life were among the first on the frontier, trading and peddling clothing and housewares with Native Americans and settlers. As more Jews migrated through the river or later trains going west, some Jews settled in Indiana and created the necessary religious institutions to function as a community, established businesses, and helped the

larger community. For over 200 years, Jews living in Indiana have created vibrant communities that have contributed to the history of our state.

06/07/2026

An ad for the Monon Train Route in Yiddish from
Di Nyu Yorḳer yudishe folḳstsayṭung⁩ - ⁨דיא ניו יארקער יודישע פאלקסצייטונג⁩, 30 January 1888

06/04/2026

David Wolf is a distinguished American astronaut, physician, and electrical engineer who has spent over 4,040 hours in space and completed seven spacewalks. He was born and raised in Indianapolis and graduated from North Central High School. He earned a degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and a medical degree from Indiana University.

Wolf flew on three Space Shuttle missions (STS-58, STS-112, and STS-127) and participated in a long-duration stay on the Russian space station Mir. During his 128 days aboard Mir from 1997 to 1998, he successfully managed multiple critical system failures, including complete power outages and life support failures. He has spent over 41 hours conducting extravehicular activities (EVA) and is one of the few astronauts to have performed spacewalks in both American and Russian spacesuits. Later, he served as NASA’s Chief of the Astronaut Office's Extravehicular Activity Branch, where he led the team that built the International Space Station (ISS).

Before his spaceflight career, Dr. Wolf worked as a NASA medical scientist and invented the Space Bioreactor, an innovative three-dimensional tissue culture system that allows human tissue and tumors to grow outside the body in microgravity. He holds 17 U.S. patents, primarily in the fields of 3D tissue engineering and medical ultrasound technologies. Dr. Wolf also brought elements of his cultural heritage into orbit, including a yad (a Torah pointer) and a small menorah. He engaged in a friendly competition with fellow Jewish astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman to see who could achieve the longest dreidel spin in zero gravity.

Since retiring from NASA in 2012, Dr. Wolf has worked as a private consultant, served as a visiting professor at Purdue University, and has been appointed Scientist-in-Residence at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. In recognition of his achievements, his hometown named the David Wolf Bridge on 82nd Street in the Castleton area.

06/03/2026

On this episode of IN-Jewish History, our guest is Professor Shelly Tenenbaum, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the undergraduate concentration in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University. Her publications include A Credit to Their Community: Jewish Loan Societies in the United States, 1880–1945. Jewish immigrants often needed access to capital to start a small business. This led to various loan societies and later to Jewish Credit Unions that fueled an exit out of poverty for thousands of American Jews. A link to the episode is in the first comment below.

06/02/2026

On this day in Hoosier Jewish History in 1870: “A petition by Jews living in Indianapolis, Indiana, led by Herman Bamberger and B'nai B'rith, urging the President of the United States to intervene on behalf of Romanian Jews, was referred to the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations.”

05/28/2026

Did you know? Harry Cooler, a Jewish architect from Indianapolis, developed a unique mid-century restaurant design for Burger Chef that received significant acclaim. This design was notably featured in the final season of AMC's "Mad Men" during a memorable advertising pitch. Cooler designed the very first Burger Chef unit, which was built in 1957 at 1300 West 16th Street in Indianapolis. He planned the highly efficient back-of-house areas, including sections for the chain’s patented high-capacity flame broiler and potato station.

Cooler also pioneered early walk-up locations that later evolved into spacious indoor seating layouts, famously highlighted in "Mad Men". He created the recognizable standalone “Googie” style architecture characterized by a zig-zag peak, iconic chevron pylon signs, and the signature Chef mascot.

05/27/2026

On this episode of IN-Jewish History Podcast, we meet with Rabbi Moshe, also known as Roosevelt Solomon Jr., who was born in 1952. Much of his career has been in Kokomo, Indiana. Initially, he grew up to become a Baptist minister. During his time in the pulpit, he traveled to Israel and experienced a vision that established a personal connection to Judaism. Following this revelation, he converted to Judaism under the guidance of Manhattan’s unaffiliated New Synagogue. In Kokomo, Roosevelt Solomon Jr., the son of a minister, entered the ministry at a young age. Now known as Rabbi Moshe, he founded Congregation Yeshivat Tzion around 2014 with the unique goal of converting others to Judaism in the spirit of “Jewish unity.” He describes his synagogue’s tradition as Sephardic, neo-Hasidic, post-racial, and post-ethnic and Zionist, with many members observing kosher dietary laws. Soul food has also significantly influenced the synagogue’s culinary offerings. Some of the synagogue’s melodies are influenced by Black American musical traditions, as noted in the Artscroll Orthodox Prayer Book. Link to the Podcast in the first comment below:

05/25/2026

Remembering all that we have lost during war, including Ensign Gilbert Mordoh, who was 22 on July 17th, 1944, when he died. He had graduated from Manual High School in Indianapolis, where he was captain of the football team. He graduated from Purdue University in 1943 as a mechanical engineer. During college, he played on the varsity football team. He was killed when two ammunition ships exploded at Port Chicago, California.

He received his commission in January of 1944 and was sent to the Pacific coast after a brief assignment in Washington, D. C. He received his training at the University of Notre Dame.

He was laid to rest at Etz Chaim Sephardic Kelly Street Cemetery in Indianapolis.

05/24/2026

"B’nai Abraham II: When John Grube Became Jacob
One Man’s Solemn Conviction of Duty to His Maker"
By Austin Albanese

Pictured is the original, purposely built building of the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation.

Article in the first comment.

05/21/2026

Wishing everyone an introspective and meaningful Shavuot!
Pictured: One of the Earlier Confirmation classes in Marion, Indiana's Temple Sinai in 1938!

05/20/2026

Confirmation on Shavout in 1932
Temple Beth El (Muncie, Ind.)
Pictured:
Pazol, Herbert
Bernstein, Asher Charles
Glaser, Irving
Burgauer, Robert
Berman, Peggy Marx
Fredlin, Roberta Zaltsburg
Freund, Hirsch
Wainer, Marian Leune

Address

6705 Hoover Road
Indianapolis, IN
46260

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(317) 749-0048

Website

http://www.ijhs.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Indiana Jewish Historical Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Indiana Jewish Historical Society:

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Organization
Claim ownership or report listing

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Indianapolis?