NMAJH E-newsletter
May 08, 2009
Enews May 2009
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.
___________________________________
NMAJH Hosts Museum Professionals
When creating a new museum the three elements that must first be taken into account are planning, implementation and sustainability. Gwen Goodman offered this first-hand knowledge to 35 people attending the American Association of Museum's Annual Meeting held recently in Philadelphia.
"You must always get buy-in from your local, state and national communities when taking on a project of this size. You will need their support," she shared with the group at the "On-Site Insights" program held as part of the AAM Meeting.
The "On-Site Insights" program, "If You Build It, Will They Come?" also featured opening remarks by NMAJH president and CEO Michael Rosenzweig, Executive Director Emerita Goodman, and exhibit designer Patrick Gallagher of Gallagher & Associates.
"Some people will come to the museum whose families have been American Jews for generations. Some people who visit will never have met a Jewish person.
You have to adapt your storytelling to surprise those who think they know the whole story," said Gallagher.
The presentation also included a hard hat tour of the new Museum building. The Museum is in the midst of a $150 million Capital Campaign for construction of the 100,000-square-foot, five-story building. Approximately $120 million has been raised for the Campaign.
The new Museum is scheduled to open in fall 2010. For information on how to support the Museum, contact Irv Hurwitz, the Museum's director of institutional advancement at 215.923.3811 x 133 or by e-mail. About 5,000 people attended AAM Meeting.
The American Association of Museums is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future.
Museum Gala Celebrates the Contributions of American Jews to the Fashion Industry
The Museum's 2009 Only in America Gala, "Threads," will highlight and celebrate the contributions of American Jews to the fashion and garment industries.
Jill and Jon Powell are serving as Gala chairs and Ron Caplan and I Michael Coslov are serving as Gala Album co-chairs.
The Gala will take place on May 14, 5:30 p.m. at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue. The Eddie Bruce Orchestra will perform at the Gala, which will also feature a runway show sponsored by Neimen Marcus, highlighting the clothing of American Jewish fashion designers.
All guests will receive a Gala Album and "goody bag" sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue filled with fashion related items.
Boyds Philadelphia hosted the 2009 Gala Patrons Party and Peter Olster of Betty the Caterer provided the food and beverages.
For additional information about the Gala, to make a reservation or a contribution, contact Jannine Medrana, at jmedrana@nmajh.org or 215.923.2811 x111.
The Gala supports the Museum's programs, exhibitions, and collection.
MUSEUM CELEBRATES JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Gwen Goodman, the Museum's executive director emerita, will lead a panel discussion on the creation of the new National Museum of American Jewish History. The program, being held at the National Archives, is a part of Jewish American Heritage Month.
JAHM pays tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.
Goodman will moderate a panel that includes Patrick Gallagher, president of Gallagher & Associates, which is planning the exhibition design at the new NMAJH; Robert Young of Polshek Partnerships Architects, which was responsible for the building design; and Jonathan Sarna, the Museum's chief historian and Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University.
The program will take place in Washington, D.C. May 21, at 7 p.m. The panel discussion is titled, "Exhibiting the American Jewish Experience." Also in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, the Museum will be host a Birthright Israel Next event, Philly: Drawing the Line. Birthright will use the Museum's Shaping Space, Making Meaning exhibit that promotes dialogue by presenting questions surrounding the current American Jewish experience, such as "Does antisemitism really exist in the United State?" and "Are Jews white?"
The program, taking place Wednesday, May 20 from 7-9 p.m., will include a discussion on the multiple roles, rights and responsibilities that Jews share in today's diverse and complex America. Participants will also learn of the challenges encountered in creating an exhibition that attempts to represent all of the American Jewish experience. This event is open to alumni and friends. A light dinner will be served. Please visit the Birthright Israel Next website above to RSVP.
The Museum also encourages visitors to the Museum's table at the Israel Independence Day celebration on May 17 at Penn's Landing from 2-5 p.m. The program celebrates the 61st anniversary of the State of Israel.
Historians To Speak At Conferences
Museum historians Josh Perelman and Dr. Jonathan Sarna will be making presentations to the Jewish Outreach Institute and the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, respectively, during the organizations' upcoming meetings in Philadelphia. The Museum is serving as a sponsor of the genealogy conference.
Perelman will be speaking on "The Desire for Emigration: Rethinking Jewish Migration to America in the 19th Century" during the Jewish Outreach Institute's North American Conference. The conference is being held on June 7 - 9.
The JOI conference is for Jewish communal professionals and volunteer leaders to learn skills to create a more welcoming Jewish community and help secure a vibrant Jewish future. To register please visit the JOI page online.
Dr. Sarna, who serves as the chief historian of the Museum, will speak at two sessions at the genealogy conference, being held Aug. 2 - 7.
On Monday, Aug. 3, Sarna will speak on ""Jewish Settlement Patterns in the U.S., Why Jews Ended Up Where They Did." Later in the evening, at 7:30 p.m., he will speak on "An Old Faith in the New World: 350 Years of American Judaism."
Sarna is the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University and author of "American Judaism: A History" which won the Jewish Book Council's "Jewish Book of the Year Award" in 2004. The book, which is in the Museum Shop has been praised as being "the single best description of American Judaism during its 350 years on American soil."
The 29th annual conference of the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies was created in the late 1980s to advance genealogical research and to plan the annual conference. Approximately 1,000 people are expected to attend the conference. Click here to register for the conference.
Mother's Day Special At Museum Shop
This Mother's Day, May 10, bring your mother to the Museum Shop and get an extra 10 percent off the gifts you buy for her. The Shop is carrying hand crafted jewelry pieces such as this sterling silver limited edition Pin/Pendant by Henryk Winograd.
Born in Poland, Winograd 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 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. Now deceased, his one of a kind enamel, jewelry, and Judaica continue to have their place in museums and collections all over the world.
This pin is only one of a variety of jewelry pieces perfect for Mother's Day currently on sale at the Museum Shop and at its online store. Gift certificates can also be purchased.
The Museum Shop carries Judaica from a variety of artists. Visit the Museum Shop or its online shop at www.judaicashop.net to browse the large assortment of items in all price ranges. For more information call the Museum Shop at 215.923.0262.
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. Proceeds from the Museum Shop support the National Museum of American Jewish History.
American Jewish Civil War Novel Offer
The Museum is partnering with award-winning author Dara Horn to offer E-Newsletter subscribers three free signed copies of her newly released book, "All Other Nights."
Based on real personalities like Judah Benjamin, the Confederacy's Jewish Secretary of State and spymaster, and on historical facts and events, "All Other Nights" is a suspenseful story of men and women driven to the extreme limits of loyalty and betrayal. The story surrounds Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish soldier in the Union army who is ordered on Passover in 1862 to murder his own uncle, who is plotting to assassinate President Lincoln.
"Publisher's Weekly" says the book is "A Civil War spy page-turner meets an exploration of race and religion in 19th-century America in Horn's enthralling latest. . . . Horn propels the story at a thriller's pace; the mix of love and loyalty played out in a divided America is sublime."
Dara Horn 's first two novels "In the Image" and "The World to Come" have won such awards as the National Jewish Book Award, the Edward Lewis Wallant Award, and the Reform Judaism Fiction Prize and have been selected as an Editor's Choice in "The New York Times Book Review." Her last novel was translated into eleven languages.
To receive one of the three free copies of "All Other Nights," e-mail enews@nmajh.org writing "NMAJH E-Newsletter Subscriber" in the subject line and your name and address in the body. To purchase a copy of the book go to Dara Horn's site and follow the links.
Last Call For Docents And Volunteers
Applications to become a docent or volunteer for the new Museum are being accepted until Friday, May 15. Docents will be chosen to enroll in a comprehensive training program in order to conduct tours and educational programs. "We look forward to having volunteers play a vital role in the only museum dedicated to chronicling the American Jewish experience," said Gwen Goodman, Museum Executive Director Emerita.
Docents in training will learn to lead visitors toward a fuller understanding of museum artifacts and the history, people, and stories behind them through interpretations and other experiential activities. Among the requirements of the training program, the docents will attend a weekly, one-year course on American Jewish history. They also will be required to conduct independent research and volunteer for at least eight hours a month guiding tours and walk-in visitors. In addition, the new Museum is seeking volunteers for research, administration, visitor services, the Museum Shop, special events, and translation and interpretation. To apply to be a docent or a volunteer please go to the Education tab on the Museum's website for more information and to fill out the online forms. Please do not call the Museum's Education Department.
___________________________________
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
___________________________________
NMAJH Hosts Museum Professionals
When creating a new museum the three elements that must first be taken into account are planning, implementation and sustainability. Gwen Goodman offered this first-hand knowledge to 35 people attending the American Association of Museum's Annual Meeting held recently in Philadelphia."You must always get buy-in from your local, state and national communities when taking on a project of this size. You will need their support," she shared with the group at the "On-Site Insights" program held as part of the AAM Meeting.
The "On-Site Insights" program, "If You Build It, Will They Come?" also featured opening remarks by NMAJH president and CEO Michael Rosenzweig, Executive Director Emerita Goodman, and exhibit designer Patrick Gallagher of Gallagher & Associates.
"Some people will come to the museum whose families have been American Jews for generations. Some people who visit will never have met a Jewish person.
You have to adapt your storytelling to surprise those who think they know the whole story," said Gallagher.The presentation also included a hard hat tour of the new Museum building. The Museum is in the midst of a $150 million Capital Campaign for construction of the 100,000-square-foot, five-story building. Approximately $120 million has been raised for the Campaign.
The new Museum is scheduled to open in fall 2010. For information on how to support the Museum, contact Irv Hurwitz, the Museum's director of institutional advancement at 215.923.3811 x 133 or by e-mail. About 5,000 people attended AAM Meeting.
The American Association of Museums is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future.
Museum Gala Celebrates the Contributions of American Jews to the Fashion Industry
The Museum's 2009 Only in America Gala, "Threads," will highlight and celebrate the contributions of American Jews to the fashion and garment industries.Jill and Jon Powell are serving as Gala chairs and Ron Caplan and I Michael Coslov are serving as Gala Album co-chairs.
The Gala will take place on May 14, 5:30 p.m. at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue. The Eddie Bruce Orchestra will perform at the Gala, which will also feature a runway show sponsored by Neimen Marcus, highlighting the clothing of American Jewish fashion designers.
All guests will receive a Gala Album and "goody bag" sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue filled with fashion related items.Boyds Philadelphia hosted the 2009 Gala Patrons Party and Peter Olster of Betty the Caterer provided the food and beverages.
For additional information about the Gala, to make a reservation or a contribution, contact Jannine Medrana, at jmedrana@nmajh.org or 215.923.2811 x111.
The Gala supports the Museum's programs, exhibitions, and collection.
MUSEUM CELEBRATES JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Gwen Goodman, the Museum's executive director emerita, will lead a panel discussion on the creation of the new National Museum of American Jewish History. The program, being held at the National Archives, is a part of Jewish American Heritage Month.JAHM pays tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.
Goodman will moderate a panel that includes Patrick Gallagher, president of Gallagher & Associates, which is planning the exhibition design at the new NMAJH; Robert Young of Polshek Partnerships Architects, which was responsible for the building design; and Jonathan Sarna, the Museum's chief historian and Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University.
The program will take place in Washington, D.C. May 21, at 7 p.m. The panel discussion is titled, "Exhibiting the American Jewish Experience." Also in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, the Museum will be host a Birthright Israel Next event, Philly: Drawing the Line. Birthright will use the Museum's Shaping Space, Making Meaning exhibit that promotes dialogue by presenting questions surrounding the current American Jewish experience, such as "Does antisemitism really exist in the United State?" and "Are Jews white?"The program, taking place Wednesday, May 20 from 7-9 p.m., will include a discussion on the multiple roles, rights and responsibilities that Jews share in today's diverse and complex America. Participants will also learn of the challenges encountered in creating an exhibition that attempts to represent all of the American Jewish experience. This event is open to alumni and friends. A light dinner will be served. Please visit the Birthright Israel Next website above to RSVP.
The Museum also encourages visitors to the Museum's table at the Israel Independence Day celebration on May 17 at Penn's Landing from 2-5 p.m. The program celebrates the 61st anniversary of the State of Israel.
Historians To Speak At Conferences
Museum historians Josh Perelman and Dr. Jonathan Sarna will be making presentations to the Jewish Outreach Institute and the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, respectively, during the organizations' upcoming meetings in Philadelphia. The Museum is serving as a sponsor of the genealogy conference.Perelman will be speaking on "The Desire for Emigration: Rethinking Jewish Migration to America in the 19th Century" during the Jewish Outreach Institute's North American Conference. The conference is being held on June 7 - 9.
The JOI conference is for Jewish communal professionals and volunteer leaders to learn skills to create a more welcoming Jewish community and help secure a vibrant Jewish future. To register please visit the JOI page online.
Dr. Sarna, who serves as the chief historian of the Museum, will speak at two sessions at the genealogy conference, being held Aug. 2 - 7.
On Monday, Aug. 3, Sarna will speak on ""Jewish Settlement Patterns in the U.S., Why Jews Ended Up Where They Did." Later in the evening, at 7:30 p.m., he will speak on "An Old Faith in the New World: 350 Years of American Judaism."
Sarna is the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University and author of "American Judaism: A History" which won the Jewish Book Council's "Jewish Book of the Year Award" in 2004. The book, which is in the Museum Shop has been praised as being "the single best description of American Judaism during its 350 years on American soil."
The 29th annual conference of the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies was created in the late 1980s to advance genealogical research and to plan the annual conference. Approximately 1,000 people are expected to attend the conference. Click here to register for the conference.
Mother's Day Special At Museum Shop
This Mother's Day, May 10, bring your mother to the Museum Shop and get an extra 10 percent off the gifts you buy for her. The Shop is carrying hand crafted jewelry pieces such as this sterling silver limited edition Pin/Pendant by Henryk Winograd.Born in Poland, Winograd 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 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. Now deceased, his one of a kind enamel, jewelry, and Judaica continue to have their place in museums and collections all over the world.
This pin is only one of a variety of jewelry pieces perfect for Mother's Day currently on sale at the Museum Shop and at its online store. Gift certificates can also be purchased.
The Museum Shop carries Judaica from a variety of artists. Visit the Museum Shop or its online shop at www.judaicashop.net to browse the large assortment of items in all price ranges. For more information call the Museum Shop at 215.923.0262.
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. Proceeds from the Museum Shop support the National Museum of American Jewish History.
American Jewish Civil War Novel Offer
The Museum is partnering with award-winning author Dara Horn to offer E-Newsletter subscribers three free signed copies of her newly released book, "All Other Nights."
Based on real personalities like Judah Benjamin, the Confederacy's Jewish Secretary of State and spymaster, and on historical facts and events, "All Other Nights" is a suspenseful story of men and women driven to the extreme limits of loyalty and betrayal. The story surrounds Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish soldier in the Union army who is ordered on Passover in 1862 to murder his own uncle, who is plotting to assassinate President Lincoln."Publisher's Weekly" says the book is "A Civil War spy page-turner meets an exploration of race and religion in 19th-century America in Horn's enthralling latest. . . . Horn propels the story at a thriller's pace; the mix of love and loyalty played out in a divided America is sublime."
Dara Horn 's first two novels "In the Image" and "The World to Come" have won such awards as the National Jewish Book Award, the Edward Lewis Wallant Award, and the Reform Judaism Fiction Prize and have been selected as an Editor's Choice in "The New York Times Book Review." Her last novel was translated into eleven languages.
To receive one of the three free copies of "All Other Nights," e-mail enews@nmajh.org writing "NMAJH E-Newsletter Subscriber" in the subject line and your name and address in the body. To purchase a copy of the book go to Dara Horn's site and follow the links.
Last Call For Docents And Volunteers
Applications to become a docent or volunteer for the new Museum are being accepted until Friday, May 15. Docents will be chosen to enroll in a comprehensive training program in order to conduct tours and educational programs. "We look forward to having volunteers play a vital role in the only museum dedicated to chronicling the American Jewish experience," said Gwen Goodman, Museum Executive Director Emerita.
Docents in training will learn to lead visitors toward a fuller understanding of museum artifacts and the history, people, and stories behind them through interpretations and other experiential activities. Among the requirements of the training program, the docents will attend a weekly, one-year course on American Jewish history. They also will be required to conduct independent research and volunteer for at least eight hours a month guiding tours and walk-in visitors. In addition, the new Museum is seeking volunteers for research, administration, visitor services, the Museum Shop, special events, and translation and interpretation. To apply to be a docent or a volunteer please go to the Education tab on the Museum's website for more information and to fill out the online forms. Please do not call the Museum's Education Department.
___________________________________
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 @ 5/08/2009 
