General, 1859-2009, circa 1970-1990

The men and women interviewed for this collection are descendants of early Jewish pioneers in Colorado or were Jewish newcomers to the state at the beginning of the 20th century. The bulk of interviewees were born between 1886 and 1927 and died in the 20th century. Many of the interviewees were founders and/or leaders of Jewish organizations, religious groups, medical and social centers, schools, and businesses in Colorado.

The Jewish organizations and facilities that receive the most attention in these oral histories are Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, which was started in 1912; Beth Israel Hospital and Geriatric Center, which was originally founded by Bella Mintz in 1919; B'nai B'rith Lodge #171, which was the primary Jewish philanthropic and social service organization in Denver from 1872 through World War II; the Jewish Community Center (Denver, Colorado), which was founded in 1922; Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society, which was founded in Denver in 1904 to treat tuberculosis patients; Jewish Family and Children's Service of Denver, which was created in 1947; National Asthma Center, which was originally founded in 1907; the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), the Denver Section of which was organized by Carrie Benjamin in October 1893; National Jewish Hospital (NJH), which was erected in 1899 as the first sanatorium in Denver for tuberculosis victims; Congregation Rodef Shalom, which is one of the oldest conservative Jewish congregations in Denver; and Rose Medical Center, which was founded in the 1940s.