Established in 1976 as a part of the Center for Judaic Studies, the Ira M. and Peryle Hayutin Beck Memorial Archives of Rocky Mountain Jewish History serves as a repository of the heritage of Jewish culture and history in the Rocky Mountain region, with an emphasis on Colorado. The items in our collections reflect the history and culture of the Colorado Jewish community from the late 1880s to the present.
Our collections contain a variety of materials including manuscripts, private papers, institutional records, oral histories, photographs, newspapers, memorabilia and documents. These materials reflect the history of organizations and businesses and the lives of individuals who have contributed to the building of Jewish life in the Rocky Mountain region. Many of the textiles and objects as well as highlights of the 3,000 photos in the Ira M. Beck Memorial Archives have been digitized for easy online viewing.
This virtual exhibit explores the Loewenstein family's experiences as a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, during the Nazi regime and their eventual immigration to Denver.
This virtual exhibit explores how Colorado's small Jewish community became the first to aid people who came to Colorado seeking a cure for tuberculosis.
History of the Beck Archives
The Ira M. Beck Memorial Archives (now the Ira M. and Peryle Hayutin Beck Memorial Archives) was established in 1976 in memory of Ira M. Beck, a prominent Denver businessman devoted to cultural arts and Jewish communal life. The archives formally became a part of DU's Special Collections and Archives in 1992, and is now one of the premier repositories of Jewish history in the American West.
Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission
The mission of the Beck Archives is to collect, arrange, preserve, and make accessible materials related to Judaism, the Jewish people, and Jewish culture, in the Rocky Mountain region with an emphasis on Colorado.
To Accomplish Our Mission:
The Beck Archives will seek out materials related to all denominations and ethnicities of Judaism.
The Beck Archives will seek out materials from secular to orthodox Jews.
The Beck Archives will seek out materials related to all age groups.
The Beck Archives will seek out materials related to any time period—from the beginnings of Jewish settlement in the region to the modern era.
The Beck Archives will arrange materials in a way that does not show favor to any denomination or ethnicity.
The Beck Archives will arrange materials in a way that ensures discoverability and accessibility.
Vision
The Beck Archives is committed to continually enhancing our collections through the acquisition of new materials, building new relationships with donors and stakeholders, and seeking out new opportunities for growth and development.
To Accomplish Our Vision
The Beck Archives will actively seek materials for new collections and accruals to existing collections.
The Beck Archives will develop relationships with new donors and stakeholders through directed outreach efforts.
The Beck Archives will utilize outreach, new communication mediums, and relationship building to enhance growth and development opportunities.
Values
Serve as the premier repository of Jewish life in the Rocky Mountain region.
Serve as an invaluable resource to the local, regional, national, and international Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
Treat our patrons, researchers, and donors with respect and dignity.
Collection Development Policy
Overview
The Beck Archives of Rocky Mountain Jewish History (the Archives) is actively engaged in the acquisition of materials related to Jewish life, culture, and history in the Rocky Mountain region with an emphasis on Colorado. The Archives seeks to grow its collections through donor relationships and directed outreach. Collection areas include, but are not limited to:
Jews and Medicine
Jewish Religious Life
Jewish Cultural Life
Jewish Recreational Life
Jewish Businesses
Jewish Genealogy
Jewish Organizations
Jewish People
Jewish Communities
Jewish Activism and Civic Engagement
Jewish Youth
As an institutionally backed community archives, the Beck Archives accepts materials from a broad spectrum of donors and has no requirements for donation other than the materials fitting into the scope and collection areas of the Archives. However, the Archives does have restrictions on the type of materials accepted, both physical and digital.
Materials Sought by the Archives
Organizational meeting minutes and records
Visual or audiovisual materials that document significant time periods or people in the person, family, or organization's history
Personal letters, photographs, diaries, or other similar self-publications (scrapbooks, etc.)
Three-dimensional objects that are significant to a person, family, or organization’s history and which are a size, shape, and composition that can be stored in collection storage and that we have the knowledge and expertise to properly preserve and make accessible
Ephemeral material that helps document the activities of an organization or group
Memorabilia that help document the activities of an organization or group
Genealogical materials (family trees, etc.)
Support the preservation of Jewish American history
