The Ruthie and Bill Katz Archives at NSCI were established in 2003 to preserve and protect the history of North Shore Congregation Israel. On May 7, 2009, the Archives were dedicated in honor of Ruthie and Bill Katz for their years of dedication to preserving the history of the congregation. Bill’s parents, Siegmund and Florence, along with his Uncle Herman and Aunt Edna were founding members of t
he congregation. Both Ruthie and Bill passed away in 2011, which was the congregation's 90th anniversary year. They will truly be missed. Their children, Ellen and Stan, decided to honor their parents by establishing the Ruthie and Bill Katz Archives Fund. This thoughtful gesture will ensure that the Archives can fulfill the synagogue’s mission to preserve, educate and make accessible congregational history. The Archives are located in the lower level of the synagogue, directly below the bemah of the main sanctuary, and house 94 years of the synagogue’s history. Our core areas of interest are records and activities of our membership with historical significance from the past and present, and contributions of NSCI and its members to American Jewish communities, with a special focus on the Chicago area. Our Archives consist of organizational paper documents, books, photographs, slides, negatives, films, artwork, audio recordings, videotapes, blueprints and manuscripts. Additionally, we are currently preserving digital content such as images, DVDs, electronic documents and digital audio recordings. One of our ongoing projects is organizing all of our assets for greater access. In addition, we are converting many of our analog assets on an "as needed” basis for increased usage.
