By Ann Glazer Niren
Guest Columnist
Ann Glazer Niren, Curator of Jewish Collections at the Filson Historical Society
Happy Secular New Year! If you are a regular reader of my column, in the past few months you have learned about the various components of my job and how to donate items to the Filson. This month, I want to highlight two upcoming events and to examine several of our new collections from the last quarter of 2025.
Not only is the Filson a proud sponsor of this year’s Louisville Jewish Film Festival, but we are also hosting one of the offerings. Thursday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m., we will show Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round. This documentary investigates the activism of Howard University students and Jewish residents in 1960 who picketed against Glen Echo Amusement Park, which was, at that time, closed to African American patrons. Even though these events occurred nearly sixty-six years ago, sadly, they are just as relevant today. The film will be preceded by a panel discussion consisting of people who were actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement locally, including Raoul Cunningham and Marie Abrams, and it will be moderated by Adria Johnson, the president and CEO of Metro United Way. For ticket information about this and other programs, please see page 14.
Since 2026 is the semiquincentennial of our country, i.e., its 250th birthday, our programming this year reflects a few different themes related to this important milestone. This film comes under the heading of “E pluribus unum” (“Out of many, one”), the motto of the United States, focusing on the diversity of our nation. The same theme is true about our next Jewish program in partnership with Trager Family JCC. Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m., Sonny Meyer will give a talk entitled, A History of the Jews in Louisville from 1781 to 2026. Sonny, CEO of Herman Meyer & Son funeral home, possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of our people’s local history. You will not want to miss this talk. Visit filsonhistorical.org/events/upcoming-events/ for ticketing and additional information. There are several other Jewish programs in the works for the remainder of 2026, so watch this column for more information.
Although I enjoy planning programs for the Filson, working with donors is one of my most essential duties. We’ve been fortunate to receive a wide variety of collections, especially through the last quarter of 2025. Dr. Lowell Katz and Martha Sales Cohen Katz gave us material from three generations of their family. Martha’s grandfather, Louis Cohen, served as head of the Y.M.H.A. during the 1930s; we have some of his photos, scrapbooks, letters, telegrams, and newspaper clippings. From his son, Edwin, we have his firsthand account of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp, as well as numerous letters to his parents about his wartime experiences. From Lowell, we have mementos of his BBYO, high school and medical school days.
In a similar vein, Karen Anhouse-Fox donated her BBYO materials, which include a Modern Femmes t-shirt, invitations to chapter events, and song sheets, as well as items relating to Camp Ben F. Washer, and several group Bar and Bat Mitzvah dances. On a personal note, I must confess that I thoroughly enjoyed reliving the experience (or sometimes the dread) of attending those massive teen dances, in which groups of adolescents joined to celebrate coming of age accompanied by high-octane rock bands. This collection also includes items from her sister and brother, Sandy and Michael, related to Hebrew School and Sunday School. Her parents, Marilyn and Saul, are represented as well through Marilyn’s experiences at Atherton High School and BBYO events, and Saul’s leadership in B’nai B’rith.
Daniel Rothstein, whose father, Ben, headed the Louisville Jewish Federation from the late 1960s into the 1970s, donated materials from the event that became known as “The Crisis in Our City,” which began after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the spring of 1968. This initiative sought to address issues of economic inequity that contributed to unrest in western Louisville. As a result, African American and Jewish leaders came together to find solutions that would benefit the entire community. The Rothstein collection consists of letters, reports, speeches, summaries of activities, and newspaper articles. In addition, Dan participated in what became the Louisville Hunger Walk, so there are articles that explain the genesis of that event.
Sara Goldstein, now residing in California, donated her wedding dress, which was worn previously by four other members of her family, including her mother, her aunt, and two cousins. There are also photos of each bride in the dress, and an embroidered piece of fabric with each bride’s name and wedding date. It is one of only two Jewish wedding dresses in our museum collection.
Finally, Terri Zegart donated material from her late parents, Dr. Kenneth and Shelly Zegart. Shelly was nationally known for her work promoting Kentucky quilts. This donation includes two quilts and a wooden sculpture given as part of the Governor’s Award in the Arts for her tireless efforts, especially for the Kentucky Quilt Project (much of her work is already housed at the University of Louisville.) Kenny’s material includes photo albums of his childhood, Bar Mitzvah, BBYO activities, and medical school. There is even an old bottle of Zeeg’s Cough Syrup from the now-defunct Zegart Drugs owned by his dad and later, by his brother, Arnold.
As you can see from these five donors, our collections are quite diverse, comprising manuscripts, photos, and museum objects from various decades of the twentieth century. We hope you’ll visit us and see what makes them so special. Of course, if you have items with Jewish content that you do not want to throw out, please feel free to call me at 502-635-5083, ext. 243, or email me at [email protected]. I’ll be happy to begin a conversation with you as to what is the best course of action.
Dr. Ann Glazer Niren is Curator of Jewish Collections at the Filson Historical Society.