The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Index, 1887-2006

Source Information

JewishGen
Ancestry.com. The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Index, 1887-2006 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.
Original data: Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Philadelphia, comp. Jewish Exponent. Philadelphia, PA: Jewish Exponent, 1887-2006. This data is provided in partnership with JewishGen.org.

About The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Index, 1887-2006

This database is an index of 34,000 obituary notices which appeared in the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, compiled by volunteers from the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia. Upon completion of the project, data spanning from April 1887 to the present will be available. Data is currently available for the years 1887-1903, 1914-1935, 1946, 1950, 1955-1957, 1992-1994, and 2004-2006.

About the Database:

For each entry, the index contains the following information:

  • Name — The deceased's surname and given name. The maiden name (if given) is added in parenthesis.

  • Age — The age at death, as listed in the obituary notice.

  • Birthplace — The deceased's birthplace: City / State / Country. This information is rarely present.

  • Other Surnames — Surnames of related family members mentioned in the obituary.

  • Issue — The date of the issue of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent in which the obituary appeared, in month/day/year format.

  • Page — The page number within the issue.

    • Note: The notation "Nerc'y" appears in the Page column in a number of early-year entries, which were provided to us by a volunteer without an issue page number. If one scrolls thru the microfilm, it is fairly easy to find the desired obituary simply based on the date of issue. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent is published weekly, by the Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia.

Viewing the Obituaries

To view the actual obituaries which this database indexes, consult back issues of the Jewish Exponent in hardcopy or on microfilm, at the following locations:

  • Philadelphia Jewish Archive Center

    • 125 North 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel.: (215) 925-8090.
    Has: Bound copies of the Jewish Exponent (1887 to 1999), individual copies of the Jewish Exponent (2000 to present).
  • Historical Society of Pennsylvania

    • Albert M. Greenfield Microform and Media Center, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Tel.: (215) 732-2680.
    Has: Microfilm of the Jewish Exponent, v. 1, no. 1 (Apr. 15, 1887) – v. 125, no. 47 (June 24, 1955).
  • Free Library of Philadelphia – Logan Circle

    • 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Tel.: (215) 732-6200. Newspaper & Microfilm Center: Tel.: (215) 686-5432.
    Has: Microfilm of the Jewish Exponent (1887 to 1950); and six months of current issues.
  • University of Pennsylvania – Center for Judaic Studies

    • 420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel.: (215) 238-1290.
    Has: Microfilms: Call Number: AP2.J4952 (microfilm). v.1:no.1 (1887:Apr.15) - v.1:no.26; v.7:no.1 (1890:Apr.10) - v.125:no.47 (1955:Jun.24); v.147:no.18 (1970:May.1) - v.204:no.27 (1998:Dec.31).
    Note: They do not have a microfilm reader. Our volunteer requested that the microfilm be sent over to the main campus library, Van Pelt Library. Patrons interested in the microfilm should contact the Center for Jewish Studies for a similar request.
  • Jewish Exponent

    • 2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Tel: (215) 832-0700.
    Has: Hardcopy, depending on age of paper, which can be viewed and/or copied in person. This is a working newspaper.

Other locations also exist. Check with your local librarian.