Jewish Historical Society of Michigan
Illuminating the past for a brighter future
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Jewish History Curriculum
Targeting 5th and 6th-grade religious school students, our Jewish History Curriculum begins with "The Traveling Trunk," an immersive four-part series of classroom lessons that actively explore and engage in the history of Michigan's Jewish community. It concludes with a hands-on, experiential bus tour of historic Jewish Detroit or Jewish Ann Arbor, connecting Michigan's Jewish past with its Jewish future.
Speakers' Bureau
Our Speakers' Bureau, staffed by highly trained docents, travels around the state to present multimedia “virtual tours” of historic Jewish Michigan. Topics include Detroit Jewish History, 1760s-1940s; Northwest Detroit; The Synagogues of Michigan; Michigan Women Who Made a Difference; Michigan's Jewish Cemeteries; and Jewish Yearbook Show & Tell (highlights of our collection).
Michigan Women Who Made a Difference
THE MWWMD Project collects and preserves the biographies of Michigan women who helped build and shape Michigan’s Jewish communities, and shares those biographies through an online archive and gallery: https://www.michjewishhistory.org/mwwmd/.
J-Cycle
Since 2010 we have offered an annual bicycle tour of historic Jewish Detroit. Held the third Sunday in August to a sold-out crowd, J-Cycle gives riders of all ages and abilities a chance to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city while learning about Detroit's rich Jewish history. The route and stops vary each year, but the ride is always a blast!
Customizable Bus Tours
Looking for a great activity for your family reunion or tour group? JHSM’s award-winning bus tours give life to Detroit’s rich Jewish history and showcase the accomplishments of Jewish people. Tailored to your group's interests and timetable, our tours offer visits to former synagogues and explorations of sites of historic interest, both old and new. Our tours are designed to entertain, educate, and inform. A great way to hand down stories to the next generation!
Where we work
Awards
Outstanding Published Periodical Award 2021
Historical Society of Michigan
Affiliations & memberships
Historical Society of Michigan - Outstanding Published Periodical Award 2021
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of paid participants on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Jewish people, Secular groups, Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
J-Cycle
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
J-Cycle not offered in 2020 due to Covid-19. Offered a deliberately smaller, distanced version in 2021.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planHow we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Michigan's Jewish population, plus the interested general public.
-
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email,
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
-
What significant change resulted from feedback?
We did not hold J-Cycle in 2020 because our members were not ready to meet in person.
-
With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board,
-
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
As we pursue a Museum of Jewish Michigan, we have conducted numerous listening sessions with out members, to discern their interest in pursuing it. The museum won't go forward without their support.
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Jewish Historical Society of Michigan
Board of directorsas of 2/9/2022
Risha Ring
Risha Ring, PhD
Consultant
Ken Bernard
Bernard Wealth Management
Barbara Cohn
Jeannie Weiner
Michael J. Kasky
Margery Jablin
Deede Auster
Nancy Gad-Harf
Larry Gunsberg
Suzanne Curtis
Hon. Susan Moiseev
Martin Shichtman
Stacey Simmons
Michael Smith
Trudy Weiss
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/09/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.