Galloway, N.J. — The Alliance Heritage Center has received an Award of Recognition from the New Jersey Historical Commission, honoring its work preserving and sharing the history of the Alliance Colony, a small but significant Jewish farming community in southern New Jersey.

The recognition highlights the work of the Center under the leadership of Tom Kinsella, who serves as the Elizabeth and Samuel Levin Director of the Center, and Patty Chappine, the Center’s Rudnick Fellow.

“While the Center’s focus is local in scope, its impact reaches far beyond the region,” Kinsella said. “The history of the Alliance Colony represents an essential yet often overlooked chapter in Jewish, agricultural and immigrant history. Recognition from the Commission affirms that the Center’s work is not only preserving this history, but actively engaging communities in meaningful ways.”

The Alliance Heritage Center preserves the narratives of the colony’s founding families and their descendants and connects that history to students, scholars and the public. Through exhibits, public programming, oral histories and a robust digital museum, the Center highlights the social, cultural and agricultural life of the Alliance community across generations.

One recent initiative that helped bring renewed attention to this work was the renovation of the historic Alliance Chapel in Pittsgrove Township. Completed in summer 2025 with the support of Stockton student interns, the project resulted in an updated physical exhibit featuring narrative wall panels, artifacts, oral histories, short films, a companion virtual exhibit and a printed exhibit catalog. The opening event attracted more than 125 attendees. The project was completed in collaboration with the Noyes Museum of Art, and the exhibit panels were designed by Stockton alumna Celeste Casino.

Beyond its physical space, the Center actively brings Alliance history into the community. Traveling exhibits and partnerships with libraries, museums, historical societies and Jewish organizations across New Jersey and the Delaware Valley enable the Center to engage audiences who may never have encountered this history.

“Stockton students play a central role in the Alliance Heritage Center’s work,” Chappine added. “Interns gain hands-on experience in public history by working with physical and digital archives, curating underrepresented narratives, conducting oral history interviews, editing publications and connecting directly with community members.”

High school students, researchers, and descendants of Alliance families also engage with the Center through tours, archival research visits and personal consultations.

As the nation approaches the commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary and New Jersey’s Rev250 initiative, the Center sees its work as especially timely. Preserving and interpreting underrepresented histories helps ensure that local stories are not lost within larger national narratives.

“In a recent conversation about the significance of public history projects, a colleague stated, ‘Without history, we are invisible,’” Kinsella said. “There are countless examples of overlooked events and personal actions that, if remembered, can serve to inspire current and future generations. If neglected, contributions are lost to cultural memory. We are working to make sure that Alliance and related communities are remembered.”

Reported by Mandee McCullough

Photos submitted