A

family photo album that’s been passed 
down for generations. Your grandparents’ 
naturalization records. An 8mm film of 
your wedding. You have been meaning to digitize 
the items — but you don’t have the right equip-
ment, and the companies that do this 
work are expensive. So, you ignore 
that box of family history and prom-
ise yourself “soon.”
If this story sounds familiar to 
you, then soon is now! The Joan 
Meyers Jampel Center for Michigan 
Jewish Heritage is holding its annual 
Community Digitization Day on 
Sept. 23 from 3-7 p.m. 
In an effort to help the Detroit Jewish com-
munity preserve their family legacy, the Jampel 
Center has created a Community Digitization 
Station (CDS) that is open to the public and free 

of charge. The CDS provides equipment that will 
help you digitize materials from documents and 
photographs to VHS and cassette tapes, 8mm 
and Super 8 film, audio reels, vinyl records and 
more. While the CDS is open year-round, users 
must have knowledge to use the equipment 
independently.
But not to worry! On Community Digitization 
Day, users can sign up for a one-hour appoint-
ment with an archivist to assist them 
in using the CDS. “Our hope is that 
with a lesson, the user can then 
come back and use the CDS on their 
own,” says Laura Gottlieb, director of 
Cultural Resources at Temple Beth 
El and partner in the Jampel Center. 
“It is like the saying ‘teach a person 
to fish’ but on Community Digitization Day it is 
teach them how to digitize!” 

It’s a win-win for both the users and the larger 
community. As a condition of using the CDS, 
the Jampel Center is allowed to maintain a dig-
ital surrogate of any digitized item, if it fits into 
the collection policy of preserving the history 
of Jewish Michigan. “Not only do users get to 
ensure their family history is safe, but we are 
also able to grow our collection and add pieces 
to the puzzle of this incredible community,” 
Gottlieb says.
Spots are limited, so registration is required. 
To view the guidelines for using the CDS and 
register, visit jlive.app/events/8667.
To learn more about the Joan Meyers Jampel 
Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage, visit 
mijewishheritage.org. 

Robbie Terman is director of the Leonard N. Simons Jewish 

Community Archives.

Jampel Center’s Community Digitization Day returns Sept. 23.
Gather Your Family Archives! 

Laura 
Gottlieb

Robbie 
Terman
Special to the 
Jewish News

OUR COMMUNITY

24 | SEPTEMBER 5 • 2024 
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COURTESY OF FEDERATION