Tidewater completes newspaper digitization project with
community support
Remembrance begins with preservation

(Seattle, WA, December 2, 2019) – SmallTownPapers, Inc. has completed scanning of the archives of the Jewish News in the Tidewater area of Virginia.

The scanning initiative for Virginia’s Jewish News was driven by local author and historian Harold (Hal) Sacks (z”l) who wanted to ensure that the invaluable historical information in the newspaper, particularly lifecycle events, would be online accessible and searchable today and for future generations. The Jewish News archive (accessible at jnt.stparchive.com) now bears his name.

When Hal Sacks passed away two years ago, the editor of the Jewish News Terri Denison wrote, "His vision that Jewish News should have digital archives accessible via the Internet from anywhere across the globe, came to fruition only due to his insistence and personal funding. Now, through The Hal Sacks Jewish News Archives, it is possible to access the newspapers of the Tidewater Jewish community dating back to 1945."

The importance of digitizing this country's Jewish newspaper archives cannot be understated.

“The importance of remembering the past is such a crucial one as the Torah itself contains some 200 forms of the word  ‘remember’,” explains Atlanta Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla. “Every Friday evening in the famous poem Lekha Dodi, which ushers in the Shabbat, we chant Shamor Ve Zakhor, which means Guard and Remember. We are challenged and commanded to guard the past and remember it. I can think of no other fulfillment of this command than to digitize our Jewish newspapers and guard them from ever being forgotten.”

It's critical to preserve the rich community history contained in Jewish newspapers, magazines and even newsletters. The content is invaluable for family information and for organizations wanting to access articles and photographs for anniversary celebrations and other events.

“Remembrance is such an important issue in Judaism and we’re proud of our history working with Jewish newspapers and federations across the country to ensure their local Jewish history is digitally preserved and placed online where the community can easily access it,” said Paul Jeffko, the founder and president of SmallTownPapers.

Today, making your community history online accessible and searchable is easier than ever before. ArchiveInABox® from SmallTownPapers will digitize your bound volume, loose or microfilmed archives, and provide free hosting including for your newspaper e-editions – keeping all your archives in one location. The benefits are wide ranging for the newspaper and your area's Jewish community. Contact us today to get started. Learn more at www.archiveinabox.com.

As Rabbi Kassorla added, “Future generations will be able to access information about their loved ones, their communities and their legacies, and they will thank us for guarding and remembering.”

If you would like more information about SmallTownPapers, Inc. and ArchiveInABox, please contact Karen Tarica at 206.369.0855 or email karen@smalltownpapers.com.