An official ground-breaking ceremony for the Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial took place recently at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Ohio will be the second state after Iowa to have a Holocaust memorial constructed on state grounds. Governor John Kasich attended the ceremony along with memorial designer Daniel Libeskind. Kasich first called for a Holocaust memorial to be built at the Ohio Statehouse in 2011. The $2 million project is expected to be completed in April 2014.
There are more Jewish museums in America than any other country in the world, some in very unlikely places—like Alaska. The first formalized museum in America dedicated to Judaica was established in 1913, when Hebrew Union College (HUC) organized its museum in Cincinnati.
Jewish museums have played a role in recent decades as educational and cultural centers, as well as sources of preservation and documentation of significant historical events. Their ability to recognize the changing social and religious needs of their communities assures both an important and vibrant future for these institutions.
While everyone is familiar with the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia and the many well-known Holocaust museums, you may be surprised by the locations of other museums in America. Following are some of the more obscure Jewish Museums in the US.
Jewish Museum of Milwaukee
Wisconsin seems an unusual place for a Jewish museum, yet the Jewish Museum of Milwaukee is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin and celebrating the continuum of Jewish heritage and culture. The history of American Jews is rooted in thousands of years of searching for freedom and equality. The Jewish Museum of Milwaukee is committed to sharing this story and the life lessons it brings with it, so that the museum may enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation of Jewish life and culture. The museum is located at 1360 N. Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, WI.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
(San Francisco)
The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) of San Francisco, CA was founded in 1984. It has distinguished itself as a welcoming place where visitors can connect with one another through dialogue and shared experiences with the arts. Ever changing, the CJM is a non-collecting institution that partners with national and international cultural institutions to present exhibitions that are both timely and relevant and represent the highest level of artistic achievement and scholarship. The CJM makes the diversity of the Jewish experience relevant for a 21st century audience. It accomplishes this through innovative exhibitions and programs that educate, challenge, and inspire. Also designed by Daniel Libeskind, the facility is a place to experience art, music, film, literature, debate, and—most importantly—people. It’s located at 736 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA.
The Mizel Museum
(Denver)
Founded by Rabbi Stanley Wagner and local philanthropists Carol and Larry A. Mizel, the Mizel Museum of Judaica enabled all people to appreciate Jewish culture and explore Jewish life in Colorado. When its doors opened, the museum dedicated itself to the broad diversity of Jewish life through art, architecture, archeology, ritual and customs through the Diaspora. It curated its own exhibitions and programs, as well as brining in others from Jewish museums throughout the US. In 2004, the museum relocated to the original Rodef Shalom Synagogue, built in 1959, at the corner of Dakota and Kearney Streets in Denver. In 2012, the museum happily celebrated its 30th anniversary with special exhibitions, events, performances, artist talks and community gatherings. It’s located at 400 S. Kearney St, Denver, CO.
The Alaska Jewish Museum and Cultural Center
(Anchorage)
The AJM was conceived in 2004 by a group of Alaskans, led by Rabbi Joseph Greenberg, but didn’t open until July, 2013, when over 500 guests celebrated its historic grand opening and inaugural permanent exhibit, On the Wings of Eagles: Alaska’s Contribution to Operation Magic Carpet. The AJM provides a gathering place to help build cultural bridges to promote diversity and tolerance for all Alaskans, enriching and deepening the cultural wealth of the broader Alaskan community. AJM offers a safe home for Alaska’s Jewish cultural artifacts, provides a place to showcase the untold Jewish contribution to Alaska’s history, art and culture, and celebrates Alaska’s heroic humanitarian rescues of Jewish refugees during the establishment of the State of Israel. It is located at 1221 East 35th Avenue, Anchorage, AK.
The Breman Museum
(Atlanta)
In 1983, an exhibit was organized under the auspices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta called Jews and Georgians: A Meeting of Cultures, 1733 – 1983. That exhibit contained wonderful memorabilia and artifacts from Jewish families, businesses, synagogues and organizations. It was a terrific success. Then, when the exhibit closed, those materials had to be returned. The dismantling of that show highlighted the need for a permanent space dedicated to the interpretation and preservation of the Jewish experience. The Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum is the physical reality that grew out that awareness. Between 1984 and 1992, The Federation allowed the staff, which included a director, an archivist, and an administrator, to create what became components of the present museum. These included a community archive (then housed in a closet), a Holocaust Resource Center and exhibition, an oral history project, special exhibitions, and programming. The Holocaust Resource Center was located in the basement of the Jewish Community Center, between the Mizrachi Women’s Canteen and the pool. When it didn’t smell like chlorine, it smelled like hamburgers. In 1996, the Museum opened at The Selig Center on Spring Street, and includes two signature exhibitions, Creating Community: The Jews of Atlanta from 1845 to The Present, and Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years, and the Marlene J. and William A. Schwartz Special Exhibitions Gallery. The Breman Museum includes the Ida Pearle and Joseph Cuba Archives and Genealogy Center, The Weinberg Center for Holocaust Education, and a library of secondary research materials. The museum is located at 1440 Spring Street, NW, Atlanta, GA.
The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
(Beachwood, Ohio)
The mission of the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is to introduce visitors to the beauty and diversity of that heritage in the context of the American experience. It promotes an understanding of Jewish history, religion, and culture, serving as an educational resource for Northeast Ohio’s Jewish and general communities. It is a lively community space that attracts students, adults, and groups from nearby and around the country. Devoted to diversity and tolerance, it opened in 2005. The stories of individuals and families—past and present—come to life through state-of-the-art exhibitions, films, oral histories, photographs, and artifacts. The museum includes The Temple-Tifereth Israel Gallery —an internationally-recognized collection of Judaica—and a special exhibition gallery featuring important exhibitions of national and international acclaim. The museum is located at 2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood, OH.
The Jewish Museum of Maryland
(Baltimore)
The Jewish Museum of Maryland, located in downtown Baltimore, interprets the Jewish experience in America, with special attention to Jewish life in the state of Maryland. The museum was founded in 1960 to rescue and restore the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue, and has become a cultural center for the Jewish community and for those interested in Jewish history and traditions. Today, the museum campus includes the historic Lloyd Street and B’nai Israel Synagogues and a modern museum building with changing exhibition galleries, program areas, a research library, museum shop, and meeting rooms. It’s located on the Herbert Bearman Campus, 15 Lloyd Street, Baltimore, MD.
The Skirball Cultural Center
(Los Angeles)
The Skirball Cultural Center has established itself as one of the world’s most dynamic Jewish cultural institutions, and among the leading cultural venues in Los Angeles. Its mission is to explore the connections between 4,000 years of Jewish heritage and the vitality of American democratic ideals. It seeks to welcome and inspire people of every ethnic and cultural identity in American life. The Skirball features changing exhibitions; engaging music, theater, comedy, film, family, and literary programs; Zeidler’s Café; Audrey’s Museum Store; and a family destination inspired by the Noah’s Ark story—all in a stunning architectural setting designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie. More than 600,000 people visit the Skirball each year. The core exhibition, Visions and Values: Jewish Life from Antiquity to America, traces the experiences and accomplishments of the Jewish people. The galleries include multimedia installations, rare artifacts, photographs, interactive computer stations, and sound recordings that lead visitors on the Jewish people’s journey, culminating with their history in the United States. It is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA.
Congregation Kehila Kedosha Janina
(New York)
Everyone is aware of New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage, The Jewish Museum and the Center for Jewish History. Many are not aware of the little museum on the Lower East Side, Congregation Kehila Kedosha Jenina. The synagogue is virtually unchanged since it was built in 1927 by Romaniote Jews from Janina, Greece. In 2004, it was designated a landmark by the City of New York. Both memorabilia and the museum’s tour guides describe the story of the Romaniote Jews, from their entry into Greece in the first century to their current life in America. It’s located at 280 Broome Street, New York, NY.
The Jewish Museum and Cultural Center at Ahavas Sholom
(Newark) (formerly The Jewish Museum of New Jersey)
Founded in 2003, the museum is housed at historic Congregation Ahavas Sholom, a state and national landmark and the oldest continually active synagogue in Newark. It is New Jersey’s first centralized location with permanent, rotating, and traveling installations for the research, preservation, and exhibition of more than 400 years of Jewish history in New Jersey. Congregation Ahavas Sholom represents a unique story of survival. During the past 15 years, the synagogue has experienced a rebirth with a diverse membership of more than 300—some who come from Iran, Sudan, Brazil and Peru. The sanctuary, which is adorned by a magnificent wooden carved Holy Ark (the oldest in the state) is a major museum exhibit providing an outstanding example of how a small Orthodox shul once looked. Recently, the outside of the synagogue building was restored, an elevator was installed, and a handicapped accessible ramp was completed. As the last surviving synagogue in Newark, it also serves as the only remaining portal to Newark’s thriving Jewish community of years past when the Jewish population of Newark reached a high of 70,000 with more than 50 synagogues. It is located at 145 Broadway, Newark, NJ.
The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life
(Jackson, MS)
Founded as the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in 1986, the museum has worked to preserve, interpret, and document the long and rich tradition of Jewish life in the South through exhibits, public programs, publications, historic preservation, and community outreach across the country. The museum’s mission is to collect artifacts, photographs, art, and manuscripts to tell this story through oral histories, research, exhibitions, and community programs. The collection, which includes synagogue architectural elements, furnishings, stained glass, sculpture, a historic pipe organ, ceremonial objects, and textiles, reflects both Jewish and southern culture. In 2000, the museum expanded its mission and changed its name to the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. In addition to maintaining the museum and preserving historical documents and artifacts, the ISJL works to provide Judaic services and cultural programs to Jewish communities across the South. The Institute covers thirteen states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Today, the Institute provides rabbinic services to small congregations across the region. It has developed a comprehensive religious school curriculum and support program that is being used by over 75 congregations in 13 states. Its Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities offers detailed histories of over 200 Jewish communities and congregations in the South. The ISJL also sponsors a range of cultural programs throughout the region. The museum is located at 4915 I-55 North, Suite 100A, Jackson, MS.
The National Museum of American Jewish Military History
(Washington, DC)
The National Museum of American Jewish Military History, under the auspices of the Jewish War Veterans of the USA, documents and preserves the contributions of Jewish Americans to the peace and freedom of the United States, educates the public concerning the courage, heroism and sacrifices made by Jewish Americans who served in the armed forces, and works to combat anti-Semitism. It’s located at 1811 R Street, NW Washington, DC.q
The next time you’re planning a small vacation and you’re not sure where to go, don’t go abroad, take your family to a Jewish museum right here in America.
