Historian David Hammack plans to contextualize the Jewish figures that put Cleveland on the national philanthropic map at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage March 16.

aItas a community thatas been large enough and active enough to have been a factor nationally in the development of Jewish communities,a Hammack said, noting the Jewish Federation of Cleveland ahas had a reputation of developing leaders for Jewish communities over a considerable period of time.a

Since 1900, there have been consequential Reform, Conservative and Orthodox contributions and the Cleveland community has been nationally significant. Jewish philanthropists aworked with others very creatively to cooperate in social welfare, community healthcare and education, concerns that were shared across the community.a

Although he isnat Jewish, Hammack has been interested in the role of Jews in American civil society since the 1980s, when he published his first book, aPower and Society: Greater New York at the Turn of the Century.a In researching the forces that shaped that version of New York, he came across Jewish groups among those contending for influence. Some were competitive, some cooperative.

Hammackas talk is the second in the Cleveland Jewish History & Public Policy Series sponsored by the Cleveland Jewish News Foundation, Teaching Cleveland Digital, the Maltz Museum and the Laura & Alvin Siegal Lifelong Learning Program at Case Western Reserve University.

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