Ms. Ellie Smith

Professional Background

Ellie Smith is a master’s student in public history at Middle Tennessee State University. She holds a master's degree in theological studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies from Albright College. 

Ms. Smith has presented her research on Nashville newspapers’ reporting of the Holocaust at NOVA Lisbon’s “The Press and the Holocaust” conference and the Association of Jewish Studies annual conference. Ms. Smith has also attended multiple regional and summer institutes with the Holocaust Education Foundation of Northwestern University. 

Fellowship Research

While at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a Summer Graduate Student Research Fellow, Ellie Smith will conduct research on American Jewish newspapers and the Independent Jewish Press Service (JPS) and their reporting on the Holocaust. By examining regional American Jewish newspapers published during the Holocaust, Ms. Smith aims to understand what information was accessible to Jewish communities across the United States from 1933 to 1945, as well as the evolving practices of reporting. Her central research question investigates how American Jewish newspapers conveyed the story of the Holocaust as it unfolded, with a particular focus on the JPS and its influence on the American Jewish press.

This fellowship allows Ms. Smith access to the Museum’s archival collections, including JPS bulletins, writings from personal collections, and other newspaper sources, which will significantly enhance the understanding of the JPS and the role American Jewish newspapers played in disseminating news of the Holocaust.   

Residency Period: June 1, 2025–August 31, 2025