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Jewish Digital Archive Project

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The Jewish Digital Archive Project (JDAP) is a community project that connects people by creating an online home for old movies, photographs and oral history interviews.


About

The Jewish Digital Archive is a community project that is widely sourcing photography, film and oral history interviews for their archives for academic research and public genealogical interest. [1] By uploading this material on to the website precious film and photographs are no longer at risk of being damaged.

Taking place in South Africa in a Post- Apartheid era with new digital technology like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and scanners the project aims to create fresh bring ways of remembering and understanding our Heritage and Social History. This period is often referred to as “The Time of The Archive” as new ways of preserving history are being explored. [2]



Aims

JDAP aim to integrate the present with the, past making it a living archive. JDAP aims to ensure that future generations benefit from stories of the past and keep up with the present. This project can be compared to other archival projects at UCT for example: The Center for Popular Memory[3], The Michaelis Photographic Archives, and the Manuscripts and Archives Division of the UCT Libraries. However The Jewish Digital Archive Project’s fundamental purpose is to connect members of the Jewish Community in Southern Africa.

History

The Jewish Digital Archive Project (JDAP) began in 2011 as a way to record Jewish History in Southern Africa. The project is based at The Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre at The University of Cape Town. [4]

Website

The JDAP website will soon be available online. On the website, people will be able to view and share their histories and memories with others. The website will be an interactive and constantly updated and co-created by the user. There will be a space for comments, insights and identifications which are essential when it comes to helping find people, form links and identify areas and themes of interest such as genealogy. Those looking for stories, family, towns or historic figures may be able to find links through a search tool function. Registered users will be able to:Upload stories, videos and multimedia with a community of interested people, Post on a noticeboard, Make connections with other contributors, comment on photos and films and identify names and places.


Collection Content

The photograph and film collection in the archive traces the history of Jewish people in Southern Africa from as early as 1909. Many of these people came from places such as: Zimbabwe, Potchefstroom, Cuba and Lithuania. The archive focuses on the story of the Jewish Immigrants early arrival in Southern Africa and the various financial, social and religious circumstances behind these migration stories. [5]

As a Social history project it examines the lives and experiences of ordinary and prolific people. Quotidian historical data such as diet, lifestyle, dress, diet and behavioural codes all become important when documenting and capturing information on a certain period of history. [6]

Type of Material

Old Film is sourced for the archive, often in the form of 8mm reels. A lot of this film contains images of everyday life and celebrations. The domestic home video (i.e of the batmitzvah or wedding) can illuminate an important period of social history or contain previously unseen footage. [7]Both personal and public photography is sourced. Photography can offer visual evidence of a particular time in history. Oral History Interviews can examine the lives of ordinary and prolific figures through first-hand accounts.


There is an option for larger collections that are brought to JDAP to be kept in UCT Manuscript and Archives[8]. The image resolution will be higher and international archiving standards will apply.



The JDAP has the rights for education, research, documentary and marketing use. Once you donate a particular collection the donors name will appear beneath it. The project will make use of digital watermarking for photographs so they can’t be plagiarised. Once material is sent to the JDAP and has been scanned, a DVD with a copy of the material will be given to back to the donor. The original material can be given back or stored.


References

  1. ^ "Jewish Digital Archive Project in Toronto". Retrieved 8 May 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |University of Cape Town website=, |So=, and |8 May 2013= (help)|accessdate=2013-05-07}}
  2. ^ / "Time of the archive". Retrieved 8 May 2013. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |google books=, |So=, and |8 May 2013= (help)|accessdate=2013-05-07}}
  3. ^ "What is the Centre for Popular Memory?". Retrieved 8 May 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |So=, |8 May 2013=, and |The Centre for Popular Memory= (help)|accessdate=2013-05-07}}
  4. ^ / "Kaplan Centre Project overview". Retrieved 8 May 2013. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |Kaplan Centre website=, |8 May 2013=, and |So= (help)|accessdate=2013-05-07}}
  5. ^ / "Kaplan Centre Project overview". Retrieved 8 May 2013. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |Kaplan Centre website=, |8 May 2013=, and |So= (help)|accessdate=2013-05-07}}
  6. ^ / / "Pale Jews Symposium". Retrieved 8 May 2013. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |So=, |8 May 2013=, and |Huma website= (help)|accessdate=2013-05-07}}
  7. ^ / / "Kaplan Centre Family Albums". Retrieved 8 May 2013. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |Kaplan Centre website=, |8 May 2013=, and |So= (help)|accessdate=2013-05-07}}
  8. ^ "Jewish Digital Archive Project in Toronto". Retrieved 8 May 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |University of Cape Town website=, |So=, and |8 May 2013= (help)|accessdate=2013-05-07}}


Literature



[[:Category:]] University of Cape Town (−) (±)

[[:Category:]] Discipline-oriented digital libraries (−) (±)
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