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.
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Membership Campaign A Success

Exceeding expectations for the initiative, more than 1,100 people have recently become Founding Members of the Museum in response to an initial test mailing sent out in mid-July.

The first phase of the direct mail initiative focused on soliciting Founding Memberships from select Jewish households in Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, South Florida, Cleveland and Los Angeles.



The Museum sought to attract at least 800 new members and raise at least $55,000 from the first test mailing. As of September 15, the Museum raised more than $130,000 from the mailing in addition to the membership gains.

Indicative of the type of response to the campaign was a note the Museum received from Sidney Hochman of Somerset, N.J., with his contribution. He wrote, "I am enclosing an additional Founding Member donation in memory of my parents, Philip and Eva Hochman, both of whom came to this country in the early 1900s where they met, married and raised a family in the Jewish tradition. I am sure, were they still alive, they would want to be among the first to support your organization."

Using results and feedback from the initial mailing, a refined second test mailing in late September will be directed toward a broader national audience. The Museum plans to move forward with a comprehensive national direct mail membership campaign in early 2010.

The direct mail campaign is the beginning of a Museum initiative to gain widespread support from the national Jewish community and is an important component of its Capital Campaign, which has raised approximately $119 million to date. The campaign goal is $150 million and will be used to build and outfit the new building and to establish an endowment that will help support the Museum's operations and programs.

"We're gratified by the response to the Founding Membership campaign and, in these especially challenging times, we're even more appreciative," said Museum President and CEO Michael Rosenzweig. "The support of these new and current members is critical to our campaign to build a national destination Museum and a vital center of Jewish cultural life."

Visit the Museum's website for information on becoming a Founding Member.

For information on ways to participate in the Museum's Capital Campaign, contact Irv Hurwitz, the Museum's Director of Institutional Advancement, at 215.923.3811 x133 or via email at ihurwitz@nmajh.org.


Museum's Terracotta Walls Complement Independence Mall's Architecture



Visitors Have Voices Heard In Exhibit

During a recent visit to the Museum a man from Israel was having trouble with his English. He sought out Museum docent Beth Goldman to ask her how to spell each and every word correctly as he thoughtfully answered a question posed by the Draw the Line exhibit. "He wanted to make sure that his voice was heard," Goldman said.

Goldman had taken the visitor through Shaping Space, Making Meaning, the Museum's current exhibition featuring hand-drawn sketches, scale models, computer-generated renderings and the Draw The Line exhibit. The Draw The Line exhibit asks visitors controversial questions surrounding issues that deal with American Jewish life today.

"What I observe most often is that people are very eager to give their opinions on the controversial issues and questions posed in the exhibit. Visitors put a lot of thought into their answers because they feel that they are being a part of something. Someone wants to hear what they think no matter where they are from or who they are."

Goldman guides visitors of varied religions, ages, and cultures through the exhibition multiple times per week.

Shaping Space, Making Meaning offers an insider's look at the process of creating an exhibition about more than 350 years of the American Jewish experience.

The NMAJH's exhibition design team is in the process of creating the 22,000-square-foot exhibition for the new Museum.


Rosh Hashanah Items For Sale At Museum Shop