Abstract image with soft, blurred blue and orange gradients resembling a sunset or flowing water.

Insights from the Archives

Blogs and Articles

Text "Abington School District v. Schempp (1963) 374 U.S. 203" over columns of a courthouse.

The Solomon Grayzel Everyone Knows—and the One I Met in a Trial Transcript

Lawyer David Pollack uncovers a family link to history: his great-great-uncle Solomon Grayzel’s dramatic testimony in a landmark Supreme Court case on school prayer. A story of archives, identity, and constitutional law.

Four women present at a podium in a hall; a screen displays “2nd Gratz College” and presentation slides.

Grayzel named runner-up for 2026 PACSCAL Noel Prize

The Grayzel Digital Platform is named runner-up for the 2026 Noel Prize. The Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries, Inc. (PACSCL) awards prizes to honor its late Chair, Will Noel, in recognition of achievements in open access, a focus of Noel’s work.

Rediscovering Rebecca Gratz

Author(s): Jeremy D. Popkin

In a recent essay in the Jewish Review of Books, Jeremy D. Popkin draws on Rebecca Gratz's letters to reexamine her life and legacy, highlighting her significance as a philanthropist, educator, and communal leader.

Box of old documents and papers, including a booklet titled "The First American Jewish Publication Society.

New Collection Announcement: Solomon Grayzel Archives

A new Gratz-JTS partnership will bring the Solomon Grayzel Archives to the Grayzel Digital Platform, opening important materials in Jewish history and scholarship to wider public access.

A painted portrait of a woman with dark curly hair in front of handwritten script.

The Life and Legacy of Rebecca Gratz

Speaker(s): Alison L. Joseph, Director of Digital Scholarship, Gratz College

Alison Joseph explores the life of Rebecca Gratz (1781–1869), a pioneering Jewish educator and philanthropic leader in 19th-century Philadelphia. Centered on the Rebecca Gratz Correspondence, this groundbreaking digital project brings together 800+ letters written over nearly 70 years.

Text "Abington School District v. Schempp (1963) 374 U.S. 203" over columns of a courthouse.

The Solomon Grayzel Everyone Knows—and the One I Met in a Trial Transcript

February 18, 2026

Author(s): David Charles Pollack (guest author)

Lawyer David Pollack uncovers a family link to history: his great-great-uncle Solomon Grayzel’s dramatic testimony in a landmark Supreme Court case on school prayer. A story of archives, identity, and constitutional law.

A handwritten letter dated Sept. 12, 1861, with cursive writing on lined, aged paper.

At War with Each Other: A Civil War Letter from Rebecca Gratz

December 02, 2025

Author(s): Nina Warnke and Rachael Davis

Rebecca Gratz’s 1861 letter reveals her anguish as the Civil War divides her family. Mourning a Union nephew killed in battle, she fears for another fighting for the Confederacy—turning brother against brother and exposing the war’s personal toll.