NMAJH E-newsletter
April 25, 2007
Enews April 2007
Greeetings!
Welcome to the electronic newsletter of the National Museum of American Jewish History. This newsletter is designed to keep you informed of exhibitions, programs and other activities of the NMAJH, the only Museum in the country exclusively presenting educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore and celebrate the history of the Jews in America.
___________________________________
1. MAY DEDICATED TO THE AMERICAN JEWISH EXPERIENCE
Museum a Sponsor of Month-Long Series of Programs
What started as an idea from one community in South Florida for a national month to celebrate Jewish contributions to American history is now a reality with the creation of Jewish American Heritage Month.
The National Museum of American Jewish History and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia are joining together to celebrate JAHM with "American Jewish History Through the Arts," a month-long series of free programs on consecutive Sundays in May.
The programs will highlight the American Jewish experience through exhibitions, theater, film and lectures. The American Jewish Heritage Month programs also include Federation's Sunday, May 6 Israel Independence Day Celebration and the Museum's Thursday, May 10 annual Only in America© Gala.
Following the May 6 "Israel 59-Israel In Our Hearts" program at the Horticulture Center in Fairmount Park, the month-long celebration shifts to the Museum.
To kick off American Jewish Heritage Month, on May 13 the Museum will present A Taste For ... in conjunction with the exhibition, Forshpeis! A Taste of the Peter H. Schweitzer Collection of Jewish Americana. A Taste For ... is a dramatic presentation of interactive storytelling that engages visitors of all ages and connects them to the themes, environments, eras, and artifacts of Forshpeis! Performances will be repeated from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration continues the following Sunday, May 20, with HIStories, HERstories, YOURstories, OURstories , in which the public can enter the world of the Jewish immigrant through first- person historical readings. Performances will be repeated from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
American Jewish Heritage Month concludes at the Museum on Sunday, May 27 with the screening of two films. At 1:00 p.m., enjoy Gentleman's Agreement, the classic film starring Gregory Peck about a journalist who discovers what it is like to be a victim of religious intolerance. The 118-minute film won three Academy Awards, including for Best Picture. Following this screening at 3:30 p.m. will be a second film, Matzo & Mistletoe. This film by Kate Feiffer (pictured above) explores issues of religious and ethnic identity with heart and humor.
Forshpeis! A Taste of the Peter H. Schweitzer Collection of Jewish Americana reveals aspects of American Jewish life by looking at food in a range of settings and explores themes of identity, immigration and cultural expression.
The month of May now celebrates the American Jewish experience and its contribution to American society through Jewish American Heritage Month. JAHM also enables the exploration of the meaning of religious pluralism, cultural diversity, and participation in American civic culture. Many Americans have little understanding of Jewish culture simply because the majority of Americans have few interactions with Jews or Jewish traditions. The ignorance of Jewish culture can lead to prejudice and discrimination. Jewish American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to educate all Americans about Jewish culture and traditions and highlights the many positive roles Jews have played in American history and culture. May 2007 marks the second annual Jewish American Heritage Month.
2. ANNUAL MUSEUM GALA TO BE HELD MAY 10
With a collection numbering only 40 objects in its first year, the Museum has grown to posses more than 20,000 artifacts which resonate with the history of more than 300 years of American Jewish life. This year's Only in America® Gala and Album theme is "Collections" and will feature the Museum's artifacts, which help comprise the cultural heritage of the Jewish people in America.
The Gala will take place on Thursday, May 10 at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue.
Lisa and Dr. Michael Glassner and Jamie and Warren Klein have been named co- chairs of the Gala.
Among her community activities, Lisa Glassner is currently on the Program Book Committee for the Anniversary Concert and Ball of the Pennsylvania Ballet and has been elected to their Board of Trustees. She is also a founding member of the ballet's Cornerstone Society. In the Jewish community, Lisa has served as vice president and campaign co-chair of Hadassah and of the Women's Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.
Michael Glassner is a founding partner of Main Line Fertility and Reproductive Medicine. He is also the founding director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Bryn Mawr Hospital and under his tutelage it has become a leading in-vitro fertilization center in the area. He is on the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of American Jewish History.
Jamie Klein serves on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and has chaired several events for Federation's Womens Philanthropy at the Ruby and Lion levels. She is also a member of its National Cabinet. She has been involved in fundraising activities for the Children's Crisis Treatment Center of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Fraxa (Fragile X Research Foundation), and several Cancer organizations.
Warren Klein has served as President and CEO of Transaxle LLC, in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, which he and his brother founded. Transaxle LLC is a leading provider of heavy-duty transmissions and has multiple locations throughout the United States.
Robert J. Lipstein and William Schwartz have been named chairs of the Gala Album. Lipstein has 30 years of experience with KPMG LLP, serving in firm leadership, operation and client service roles. He is currently the firm's national partner in charge of Sarbanes Oxley 404 Services, and a member of the firm's Global Leveraging Advisory Committee. . Schwartz is the co-founder of INTECH Construction, Inc., one of the most successful and recognized construction companies in Greater Philadelphia.
The Gala Album will feature objects from the Museum's collection such as the sheet music (pictured) published by Ted Snyder Co. Music Publishers, New York, New York.
For additional information about the Gala, contact the Museum's Development Department at 215.923.5986.
3. MAKE A MOTHER'S DAY VISIT TO "FORSHPEIS!" IT'S ONLY KOSHER
In 1951 Diamond Crystal Salt published The Jewish Housewives Guide which included instructions on how to make meat kosher, assuming the female member of the household would be preparing the meals.
Times have changed.
The Museum invites you to accompany your mother to the Museum's current free exhibition, Forshpeis! so she may either remember those days fondly or revel in the fact that men now contribute to what formerly were duties of the housewife, and that koshering meat is no longer "assumed" to be the woman's responsibility.
Written in both English and Yiddish, the guide marketed to Jewish consumers by emphasizing how salt is both a necessity for maintaining a kosher home and a staple of the modern household.
The Jewish Housewives Guide is one of many cookbooks and food-related artifacts on display in the Museum's current temporary exhibition, Forshpeis! A Taste of the Peter H. Schweitzer Collection of Jewish Americana.
The Forshpeis! exhibition reveals aspects of American Jewish life by looking at food in a range of settings, including in the kitchen and at the deli. Forshpeis! also explores, through the Schweitzer Collection, the role food played in helping immigrant Jews adjust to life in the United States and illustrates how Jewish foods, like American Jews themselves, have become a part of the American mainstream.
To schedule a visit to the exhibition and Museum, call the Education Department at 215.923.5984 or email Johanna Moss. The Education Department webpage also has more information about Education Department programs and booking tours.
Forshpeis is Yiddish for appetizer.
The Forshpeis! exhibition was made possible in part through the generous support of the Independence Foundation, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. The Museum receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
4. IT'S "BRING YOUR MOTHERS TO SHOP" DAY
Mother's Day Sale at Museum Shop
When you ask your mother, or your wife, what she wants for Mother's Day and she replies with a "nothing, only your company" or "just a hug," don't take her word for it. Purchase a piece of jewelry from the Museum Shop just to be safe.
Better yet, from Wednesday, May 9 through Mother's Day on May 13, E-newsletter subscribers will receive 20 percent off on selected Mother's Day gifts. Bring your mother and receive an added discount.
The Museum Shop has a beautiful and varied collection of jewelry perfect for Mother's Day, such as the cameo style pins (pictured) by Polish artist, Henryk Winograd. Born in 1918, Henryk traveled throughout Eastern Europe studying every possible method and technique of silver-smithing. In 1972 he immigrated to the United States where he set up a workshop and began producing jewelry and some Judaic items. The fine details, painstakingly executed by his artistically trained eye and the hand of a master silversmith, reveal the meshing of art and silver craft in ultimate perfection.
To receive the discount, print out the Enewsletter and present it at the Museum Shop when making a purchase.
The Museum Shop is open Mondays-Thursdays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Sundays 12 noon - 5 p.m.
The Museum Shop carries a wide variety of artists' styles. Visit the Museum Shop online to browse the large assortment of items in all price ranges. For more information contact the Museum Shop at 215.923.0262.
Proceeds from the Museum Shop support the National Museum of American Jewish History.
5. MUSEUM PARTICIPATES IN UNCOVERING THE ARTS
Visit the Museum and Other Institutions April 25
The Museum will be participating in an interactive, high-energy treasure hunt connecting WHYY's Arts and Culture Service with partner organizations in Old City Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 25 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.. That's the date for the third annual Uncover the Arts: Find It and Know WHYY treasure hunt, a fun-filled evening uncovering Philadelphia's arts and culture treasures in Old City, ranging from great free performances to secret radio stations.
Participants work in teams and receive rhymed clues directing them to area theaters, museums, galleries and performance spaces. At each location, both a WHYY staff member and a staff member from the participating organization greet visitors and give them the opportunity to be introduced to an aspect of WHYY as well as that organization's programs and services.
At the conclusion of the two-hour treasure hunt, participants return to the WHYY Technology Center to share experiences and win prizes, including tickets to arts and cultural destinations of the participating groups.
The event begins at the WHYY Technology Center, 150 North Sixth Street, Philadelphia. To register, visit www.whyy.org or call 215.351.0511.
6. MUSEUM SPONSORS LAST IN SERIES OF JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
Festival Concludes in May with screening of "The Tribe"
The First Time I Was Twenty, featuring 16-year-old misfit Hannah, who lives in the suburbs of Paris with her garage-mechanic father, doting mother and two svelte sisters is the final film of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, which concludes with screenings Saturday, May 5, Sunday, May 6 and Monday, May 7.
Musically talented Hannah feels that she is destined for bigger things despite her social standing. She dreams of joining the male-dominated high school jazz band by impressing them with her skills on the double bass. Not wanting to give up their male tradition, the band members stop at nothing to discourage her after she passes the audition.
Following each showing of The First Time I Was Twenty will be an 18-minute short film, The Tribe. Narrated by Peter Coyote, this film weaves together archival footage (pictured), graphics, animation, Barbie dioramas, and slam poetry to take audiences on an electic tour through the complex history of both the Barbie doll and the Jewish people from biblical times to the present. Through tracing the history of the most successful doll on the planet, light is shed on what it means to be an American Jew in the 21st century.
Both films will be shown Saturday, May 5 at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, May 6 at 2 p.m., and Monday, May 7 at 7 p.m.
Admission on May 5 is $12 and $10 on May 6 and 7. Tickets are half-price for senior adults and students. All films will be shown at the Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia.
For more information about the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival visit the Gershman Y website.
___________________________________
On April 24, 1881 Hebrew Union College moved into its first permanent home, and in so doing, created the first separate building devoted to Jewish learning in America when it bought and occupied a remodeled mansion on West Sixth Street in downtown Cincinnati.
National Museum of American Jewish History
Independence Mall East
55 North 5th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2197
Tel: 215.923.3811 Fax: 215.923.0763
www.nmajh.org
Welcome to the electronic newsletter of the National Museum of American Jewish History. This newsletter is designed to keep you informed of exhibitions, programs and other activities of the NMAJH, the only Museum in the country exclusively presenting educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore and celebrate the history of the Jews in America.
___________________________________
1. MAY DEDICATED TO THE AMERICAN JEWISH EXPERIENCE
Museum a Sponsor of Month-Long Series of Programs
What started as an idea from one community in South Florida for a national month to celebrate Jewish contributions to American history is now a reality with the creation of Jewish American Heritage Month.The National Museum of American Jewish History and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia are joining together to celebrate JAHM with "American Jewish History Through the Arts," a month-long series of free programs on consecutive Sundays in May.
The programs will highlight the American Jewish experience through exhibitions, theater, film and lectures. The American Jewish Heritage Month programs also include Federation's Sunday, May 6 Israel Independence Day Celebration and the Museum's Thursday, May 10 annual Only in America© Gala.
Following the May 6 "Israel 59-Israel In Our Hearts" program at the Horticulture Center in Fairmount Park, the month-long celebration shifts to the Museum.
To kick off American Jewish Heritage Month, on May 13 the Museum will present A Taste For ... in conjunction with the exhibition, Forshpeis! A Taste of the Peter H. Schweitzer Collection of Jewish Americana. A Taste For ... is a dramatic presentation of interactive storytelling that engages visitors of all ages and connects them to the themes, environments, eras, and artifacts of Forshpeis! Performances will be repeated from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration continues the following Sunday, May 20, with HIStories, HERstories, YOURstories, OURstories , in which the public can enter the world of the Jewish immigrant through first- person historical readings. Performances will be repeated from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
American Jewish Heritage Month concludes at the Museum on Sunday, May 27 with the screening of two films. At 1:00 p.m., enjoy Gentleman's Agreement, the classic film starring Gregory Peck about a journalist who discovers what it is like to be a victim of religious intolerance. The 118-minute film won three Academy Awards, including for Best Picture. Following this screening at 3:30 p.m. will be a second film, Matzo & Mistletoe. This film by Kate Feiffer (pictured above) explores issues of religious and ethnic identity with heart and humor.
Forshpeis! A Taste of the Peter H. Schweitzer Collection of Jewish Americana reveals aspects of American Jewish life by looking at food in a range of settings and explores themes of identity, immigration and cultural expression.
The month of May now celebrates the American Jewish experience and its contribution to American society through Jewish American Heritage Month. JAHM also enables the exploration of the meaning of religious pluralism, cultural diversity, and participation in American civic culture. Many Americans have little understanding of Jewish culture simply because the majority of Americans have few interactions with Jews or Jewish traditions. The ignorance of Jewish culture can lead to prejudice and discrimination. Jewish American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to educate all Americans about Jewish culture and traditions and highlights the many positive roles Jews have played in American history and culture. May 2007 marks the second annual Jewish American Heritage Month.
2. ANNUAL MUSEUM GALA TO BE HELD MAY 10
With a collection numbering only 40 objects in its first year, the Museum has grown to posses more than 20,000 artifacts which resonate with the history of more than 300 years of American Jewish life. This year's Only in America® Gala and Album theme is "Collections" and will feature the Museum's artifacts, which help comprise the cultural heritage of the Jewish people in America.
The Gala will take place on Thursday, May 10 at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue.
Lisa and Dr. Michael Glassner and Jamie and Warren Klein have been named co- chairs of the Gala.
Among her community activities, Lisa Glassner is currently on the Program Book Committee for the Anniversary Concert and Ball of the Pennsylvania Ballet and has been elected to their Board of Trustees. She is also a founding member of the ballet's Cornerstone Society. In the Jewish community, Lisa has served as vice president and campaign co-chair of Hadassah and of the Women's Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.
Michael Glassner is a founding partner of Main Line Fertility and Reproductive Medicine. He is also the founding director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Bryn Mawr Hospital and under his tutelage it has become a leading in-vitro fertilization center in the area. He is on the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of American Jewish History.
Jamie Klein serves on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and has chaired several events for Federation's Womens Philanthropy at the Ruby and Lion levels. She is also a member of its National Cabinet. She has been involved in fundraising activities for the Children's Crisis Treatment Center of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Fraxa (Fragile X Research Foundation), and several Cancer organizations.
Warren Klein has served as President and CEO of Transaxle LLC, in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, which he and his brother founded. Transaxle LLC is a leading provider of heavy-duty transmissions and has multiple locations throughout the United States.
Robert J. Lipstein and William Schwartz have been named chairs of the Gala Album. Lipstein has 30 years of experience with KPMG LLP, serving in firm leadership, operation and client service roles. He is currently the firm's national partner in charge of Sarbanes Oxley 404 Services, and a member of the firm's Global Leveraging Advisory Committee. . Schwartz is the co-founder of INTECH Construction, Inc., one of the most successful and recognized construction companies in Greater Philadelphia.
The Gala Album will feature objects from the Museum's collection such as the sheet music (pictured) published by Ted Snyder Co. Music Publishers, New York, New York.
For additional information about the Gala, contact the Museum's Development Department at 215.923.5986.
3. MAKE A MOTHER'S DAY VISIT TO "FORSHPEIS!" IT'S ONLY KOSHER
In 1951 Diamond Crystal Salt published The Jewish Housewives Guide which included instructions on how to make meat kosher, assuming the female member of the household would be preparing the meals.Times have changed.
The Museum invites you to accompany your mother to the Museum's current free exhibition, Forshpeis! so she may either remember those days fondly or revel in the fact that men now contribute to what formerly were duties of the housewife, and that koshering meat is no longer "assumed" to be the woman's responsibility.
Written in both English and Yiddish, the guide marketed to Jewish consumers by emphasizing how salt is both a necessity for maintaining a kosher home and a staple of the modern household.
The Jewish Housewives Guide is one of many cookbooks and food-related artifacts on display in the Museum's current temporary exhibition, Forshpeis! A Taste of the Peter H. Schweitzer Collection of Jewish Americana.
The Forshpeis! exhibition reveals aspects of American Jewish life by looking at food in a range of settings, including in the kitchen and at the deli. Forshpeis! also explores, through the Schweitzer Collection, the role food played in helping immigrant Jews adjust to life in the United States and illustrates how Jewish foods, like American Jews themselves, have become a part of the American mainstream.
To schedule a visit to the exhibition and Museum, call the Education Department at 215.923.5984 or email Johanna Moss. The Education Department webpage also has more information about Education Department programs and booking tours.
Forshpeis is Yiddish for appetizer.
The Forshpeis! exhibition was made possible in part through the generous support of the Independence Foundation, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. The Museum receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
4. IT'S "BRING YOUR MOTHERS TO SHOP" DAY
Mother's Day Sale at Museum Shop
When you ask your mother, or your wife, what she wants for Mother's Day and she replies with a "nothing, only your company" or "just a hug," don't take her word for it. Purchase a piece of jewelry from the Museum Shop just to be safe.
Better yet, from Wednesday, May 9 through Mother's Day on May 13, E-newsletter subscribers will receive 20 percent off on selected Mother's Day gifts. Bring your mother and receive an added discount.
The Museum Shop has a beautiful and varied collection of jewelry perfect for Mother's Day, such as the cameo style pins (pictured) by Polish artist, Henryk Winograd. Born in 1918, Henryk traveled throughout Eastern Europe studying every possible method and technique of silver-smithing. In 1972 he immigrated to the United States where he set up a workshop and began producing jewelry and some Judaic items. The fine details, painstakingly executed by his artistically trained eye and the hand of a master silversmith, reveal the meshing of art and silver craft in ultimate perfection.
To receive the discount, print out the Enewsletter and present it at the Museum Shop when making a purchase.
The Museum Shop is open Mondays-Thursdays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Fridays 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Sundays 12 noon - 5 p.m.
The Museum Shop carries a wide variety of artists' styles. Visit the Museum Shop online to browse the large assortment of items in all price ranges. For more information contact the Museum Shop at 215.923.0262.
Proceeds from the Museum Shop support the National Museum of American Jewish History.
5. MUSEUM PARTICIPATES IN UNCOVERING THE ARTS
Visit the Museum and Other Institutions April 25
The Museum will be participating in an interactive, high-energy treasure hunt connecting WHYY's Arts and Culture Service with partner organizations in Old City Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 25 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.. That's the date for the third annual Uncover the Arts: Find It and Know WHYY treasure hunt, a fun-filled evening uncovering Philadelphia's arts and culture treasures in Old City, ranging from great free performances to secret radio stations.
Participants work in teams and receive rhymed clues directing them to area theaters, museums, galleries and performance spaces. At each location, both a WHYY staff member and a staff member from the participating organization greet visitors and give them the opportunity to be introduced to an aspect of WHYY as well as that organization's programs and services.
At the conclusion of the two-hour treasure hunt, participants return to the WHYY Technology Center to share experiences and win prizes, including tickets to arts and cultural destinations of the participating groups.
The event begins at the WHYY Technology Center, 150 North Sixth Street, Philadelphia. To register, visit www.whyy.org or call 215.351.0511.
6. MUSEUM SPONSORS LAST IN SERIES OF JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
Festival Concludes in May with screening of "The Tribe"
The First Time I Was Twenty, featuring 16-year-old misfit Hannah, who lives in the suburbs of Paris with her garage-mechanic father, doting mother and two svelte sisters is the final film of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, which concludes with screenings Saturday, May 5, Sunday, May 6 and Monday, May 7.
Musically talented Hannah feels that she is destined for bigger things despite her social standing. She dreams of joining the male-dominated high school jazz band by impressing them with her skills on the double bass. Not wanting to give up their male tradition, the band members stop at nothing to discourage her after she passes the audition.
Following each showing of The First Time I Was Twenty will be an 18-minute short film, The Tribe. Narrated by Peter Coyote, this film weaves together archival footage (pictured), graphics, animation, Barbie dioramas, and slam poetry to take audiences on an electic tour through the complex history of both the Barbie doll and the Jewish people from biblical times to the present. Through tracing the history of the most successful doll on the planet, light is shed on what it means to be an American Jew in the 21st century.
Both films will be shown Saturday, May 5 at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, May 6 at 2 p.m., and Monday, May 7 at 7 p.m.
Admission on May 5 is $12 and $10 on May 6 and 7. Tickets are half-price for senior adults and students. All films will be shown at the Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia.
For more information about the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival visit the Gershman Y website.
___________________________________
On April 24, 1881 Hebrew Union College moved into its first permanent home, and in so doing, created the first separate building devoted to Jewish learning in America when it bought and occupied a remodeled mansion on West Sixth Street in downtown Cincinnati.
National Museum of American Jewish History
Independence Mall East
55 North 5th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2197
Tel: 215.923.3811 Fax: 215.923.0763
www.nmajh.org
posted by nmajh @ 4/25/2007 
