The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has announced that the Historic Ephrata Cloister is the recipient of an Award of Excellence for its 2020 virtual holiday programming. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 76th year, recognizes achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ephrata Cloister staff reimagined its holiday program tradition, which has been presented for more than 40 years, as virtual programs. The result was three virtual programs. Candlelight Chat was a Facebook Live conversation with a re-enactor portraying Ephrata householder Michael Miller. A 40-minute recorded version of Christmas at the Cloister featured photo collage images of the Cloister and previously recorded music by the Ephrata Cloister Chorus; this event was presented via Zoom and YouTube. "Witness to History," a 40-minute film shown via Zoom and YouTube, featured Ephrata's student historians and explored Ephrata Cloister's role as a hospital in 1777 and 1778.

This year, AASLH conferred 38 national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications. AASLH chose recipients that it feels represent the best in the field and that provide leadership for the future of state and local history. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, contact AASLH at 615-320-3203 or visit http://www.aaslh.org.

For more information about the Historic Ephrata Cloister, visit http://www.ephratacloister.org.