The steel frame of the National Museum of American Jewish History being constructed on Independence Mall in Philadelphia will be topped off Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, noon, completing a significant milestone for the building that will serve as a cornerstone of the modern-day American Jewish community.

The final 31-foot beam will be placed on the northwest corner of the 121-foot and six-inch high, 100,000–square-foot, five-story building, designed by Polshek Partnership Architects of New York. In the heart of historic Philadelphia, the Museum will join Independence Hall, the National Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell and other landmarks at the site of America’s birth. The new Museum will open in 2010.

The final beam will be hoisted with banners from the Museum, Ironworkers Local Union 401, and INTECH Construction Inc., the Museum’s contractor. Also included will be an American flag and evergreen tree, traditional symbols of the ironworkers’ topping off ceremony. With the steel structure finished, the next steps for the building will be pouring its concrete floors and the construction of the north and west walls.

The western wall facing Independence Mall will be a glass prism, expressing the accessibility of the museum and the openness of America, as well as the perennial fragility of democracy. The north wall will be constructed of terra cotta, expressing the strength of Jewish survival and the protective shelter of American freedom.

“With this phase of the construction complete, and as the Museum takes shape on Independence Mall, I think it becomes clear that there could not be a more fitting place for a museum that will explore the promise and challenges of liberty through the lens of the American Jewish experience,” said Gwen Goodman, the NMAJH’s Executive Director/CEO.

The new National Museum of American Jewish History will be the first and only major museum dedicated to chronicling the American Jewish experience. Through intriguing exhibits, rare artifacts and interactive displays, the Museum will mark the trials and triumphs of American Jews through every phase of the country’s history. It will explore the challenges of identity and assimilation they faced and celebrate the contributions they have made to every facet of American life. And since other immigrant ethnic groups have faced similar challenges, the Museum will ultimately be a place for all Americans to explore, offering an experience that is thought-provoking and informative.

The National Museum of American Jewish History is dedicated to telling the still unfolding story of Jews in America – who embraced freedom with its choices and challenges as they shaped, and were shaped by, our nation. The Museum envisions its new home as a place that welcomes all people, inviting them to discover what they have in common with the Jewish experience in America, and to explore the features that make this history distinctive.


Contact:

Jay E. Nachman
215.923.5978
215.868.8057 (Cell)