Museum Of American Jewish History

American Jewish Military Heritage Project

The American Jewish Military Heritage Project is a new internet educational program created by the Museum. It includes information and links for websites, films, literature, and other resources pertaining to veterans and Jews in the U.S. armed forces. Examples of resources included in this project include veteran information websites, veterans bibliographies, Jews in the American Military bibliography, Jews in fiction, war movies, and Veterans Day speeches. Links to the Department of Veterans Affairs film series include “The Price of Freedom: The Military Experience,” “The Korean War,” “Special Forces in Vietnam,” “World War II,” “American Indian Veterans,” “Veterans with Disabilities,” “Nurses in the Military,” “Prisoners of War,” “Tuskegee Airmen,” and “Returning Home: A New Generation of Veterans.” New resources are continually added to the lists.

Venue: National Museum Of American Jewish History

101 South Independence Mall East , Philadelphia, PA 19106www.nmajh.org | 923-3811

Family-friendly and cutting-edge, NMAJH brings to life the 360-year history of Jews in America, tracing the stories of immigrants becoming Americans. Enjoy hands-on, interactive displays, original films, historical documents, and fascinating artifacts including Stephen Spielbergs first camera, Hank Greenbergs bat, and Irving Berlins piano. *Children 12 and under are free

• Service dogs are welcome in the Museum.
• Paid personal care attendants accompanying visitors with disabilities are always admitted free of charge.
• Wheelchair
• The main entrance on Market Street and all public areas within the Museum, including restrooms and water fountains, are wheelchair-accessible. All floors can be reached by elevator.
• A limited number of standard wheelchairs are available at the Admissions Desk free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. A form of ID is required in exchange.

National Museum Of American Jewish History

The National Museum of American Jewish History is a Smithsonian-affiliated museum at 101 South Independence Mall East at in Center CityPhiladelphia. It was founded in 1976.

In March 2020, The National Museum of American Jewish History filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking relief from debt incurred by the construction of its Independence Mall home. The museum’s debts included over $30 million to bondholders, and an additional $500,000 to unsecured creditors at the time of the bankruptcy filing, the museum was paying 20% of its annual budget in interest payments. The filing followed several years of decreasing attendance, revenue, and fundraising. The museum’s operations were not affected by the bankruptcy. The museum exited bankruptcy in September 2021.

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To Bigotry No Sanction: George Washington And Religious Freedom

In 2012, the NMAJH held a special exhibition that featured one of the most important documents pertaining to religious freedom in the United States. The letter was written in 1790 to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, addressing the new country’s religious freedom. George Washington’s letter expressed the new government’s commitment for religious freedom and equality for all faiths. The exhibition included numerous artifacts as well as early printings of the and the Constitution.

Is The Museum Open On Saturdays What Holidays Are Observed

Yes, the Museum is open from 10:00am 5:30pm on Saturday with normal operations.

The Museum is open on:Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Presidents Day Independence Day Christmas Day

The Museum is closed on:New Years Day First Day of Passover First Day of Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Thanksgiving Day

The Museum closes at 3:00pm on:Erev Passover Erev Rosh Hashanah Erev Yom Kippur Christmas Eve

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Where Should I Park

There are numerous lots and garages, as well as metered street parking, in the immediate vicinity.

Suggested parking:

Parkway Corporation, one block west of the Museum , offers $9 parking for up to four hours with NMAJH validation.

The Bourse Garage, one block from the Museum, is open 24 hours a day and offers $9 four-hour parking with NMAJH validation.

Philadelphias Jewish Museum Changes Its Name To Honor Donor Stuart Weitzman

The National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.

On Monday night, the National Museum of American Jewish History changes its name to The Weitzman. The name honors benefactor Stuart Weitzman.

A designer and entrepreneur, Weitzman made a fortune in the shoe business and has been donating to the museum for almost a decade. His latest and largest donation of an undisclosed amount allows what is now officially the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to regain its financial footing after emerging from bankruptcy earlier this year.

I have been inspired by the NMAJH since my first visit in 2012, Weitzman said in a statement. I was drawn to their iconic artifacts that demonstrate the very foundations of religious freedom in America.

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Will Magic Save The National Museum Of American Jewish History

A final bankruptcy hearing this month will determine the future of the struggling Philadelphia museum

Two important things are happening at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia this month, both of which, if successful, will require a disappearing act. Magician David Copperfield will perform sleights of hand at an online event celebrating his and Harry Houdinis induction into the museums Hall of Fame. And just a few days later, the museums last scheduled bankruptcy hearing will take place.

Museum leadership is hoping that the judge in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will discharge about $20 million of the $30 million in debt it owes to Bridgehampton National Bank and a dozen bond holders, including several members of the museums board of trustees, each of whom invested $1.2 million. Another half million dollars, museum leaders say, is owed to unsecured creditors, including the companies that provide security and cleaning services to the museum.

Until the museum filed for bankruptcy two weeks before the first pandemic restrictions forced it to close its doors 20% of its operating budget was being spent on servicing its debt, confirmed Misha Galperin, the museums CEO. Because it filed for bankruptcy before the start of the government-mandated shutdown, the museum did not qualify for federal relief funds that would have enabled it to keep paying its staff, two-thirds of whom were laid off in the spring.

Hall Of Fame And Gallery

Established in 2010, the National Museum of American Jewish History Hall of Fame and a related permanent exhibition gallery honors the lives of prominent Jewish Americans. The initial class of eighteen inductees was chosen both by a public vote and a panel of historians and experts. Inductees were elected in one of eight categories. In its opening year, the exhibit contained a film about the inductees lives and artifacts, including Sandy Koufaxs baseball mitt and sheet music from Irving Berlin. The exhibition was renamed the Ed Snider ‘Only in America’ Gallery and Hall of Fame in honor of the former chairman of Comcast Spectacor.

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Can I Bring Large Bags And Luggage To Nmajh

Yes. But, backpacks, umbrellas, bags, purses, and packages larger than 11 x 17 x 8 inches must be checked at the Coat Check on the Museums first floor.

Please note that all bags may be subject to security inspection. Hazardous materials and weapons of any kind are prohibited and cannot be checked.

Visitor Services staff are ready to help with any questions you may have.

Documenting The American Jewish Experience

Opening its doors in November 2010, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to collecting, preserving, and interpreting artifacts pertaining to the American Jewish experience. The Museum’s collection, numbering only two score objects in its first year, in 1976, when it shared space with Congregation Mikveh Israel several blocks from its current location, has grown to more than 10,000 items acquired through donation and purchase. Items in the collection include historic documents, ritual objects, artwork, clothing, and personal memorabilia.

The Museum documents the American Jewish experience. Exhibitions created by the Museum or loaned from other museums illuminate the American-Jewish experience so that visitors can assess their own experience anew. Visitors not only come from throughout the United States, but from around the world as well. Public programs to address issues raised by Museum exhibitions are held throughout the year.

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Im Not Jewish Will I Understand And Enjoy The Museum

NMAJH is for everyone! At the Museum, you will find American history through the lens of what one particular immigrant group and religious minority has experienced. We encourage all visitors to consider their own heritage and identity and to think about how different communities shape and are shaped by America.

The Museum Collection Of The American Jewish Historical Society May Be Searched Online

At right is an entry for a recent acquisition, an original Brillo Steel Wool Cleaner and Paper Insert advertising the use of Brillo as kosher.

Our objects, papers, and artifacts have been displayed at the legendary American Revolution site, Fraunces Tavern , the Museum of the City of New York, the Library of Congress, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights , the Jewish Museum of Munich, the National Museum of American Jewish History , Yeshiva University Museum , and the Jewish Museum , among other venues.

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National Museum Of American Jewish History Buys Back Building It Lost In Bankruptcy With Gift From Stuart Weitzman

Footwear entrepreneur Stuart Weitzman has come to the rescue of the financially beleaguered National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.

The museum had racked up $30 million in construction debt and lost ownership of its new building, emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. Now, a gift from Weitzman will allow the museum to buy back the building and establish an eight-figure endowment, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Tuesday.

The institution is being renamed the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

The museums CEO Misha Galperin announced the news on Tuesday in an article for eJewishPhilanthropy. The Inquirer interviewed Galperin, who declined to share the exact amount of the donation but said it provides more than half of the funds needed for an upcoming capital and endowment fundraising campaign.

I can tell you has allowed us to buy our building immediately and set up an eight-figure endowment, Galperin told the Inquirer. Thats as much as I can say. Its very significant and it deserves the name of the museum. It really ensures our future.

When the museum filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2020, it owed $30 million to bondholders as a result of costs associated with a recent $150 million building project.

Connect with your community every morning.

Two Interlocking Volumes One Opaque And Enigmatic And The Other Translucent And Open Define The Design Concept Both Architecturally And Metaphorically A Reference To The Immigrant Experience In America The Projects Formal Duality Evokes Unity And Harmony Without The Sacrifice Of Identity

The design for the National Museum of American Jewish History publicly expresses its mission to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire.

James S. Polshek, Design Partner

Responsive to its prominent site across from Independence Mall, the architectural solution is iconographically appropriate to the historic city fabric as well as publicly expressive of the Museums mission. The visual accessibility of the diaphanous glass prism unambiguously conveys a generous welcome to all.

Contrasting with this translucency is an opaque terra cotta-clad form, which complements adjacent historic structures and is a repository for the Museums collections and principal exhibition spaces its solidity is a metaphor for the strength of Jewish survival and the protection of the freedoms that are fundamental to American history.

The Museum is arranged on six levels of interactive exhibition space, a changing exhibit gallery, an auditorium and an education center. An eighty-five-foot-high light-filled atrium defines the visitor experience, allowing the museumgoer to readily comprehend the organization of the Museum.

The museum doesnt shrink from its high-profile location, with a boldly minimalist palette that still sits sensitively within its historical context.

Julia Galef, The Architects Newspaper

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The Wooden Beam Across The Top Of The Page

To get started, click on an item on the Wooden Beam or a link below.

Why the Jews:A short essay explaining how the early Jewish history in the American Wild West was unique.

Exhibition Halls: Each area of the West has its own Exhibition Hall. Exhibits of more Pioneers are added to each of these Exhibition Halls as we or you create them.

Indexes: Much of the material for our exhibitions comes from articles published in Western States Jewish History during the past 50 years. Indexes list People, Places, and Special Editions of our Journal that are available for reading and research.

Submissions:You can help create an Exhibit for a Jewish Pioneer, Jewish Organization, or Synagogue of the West. There are no fees for this.

Donations: This is the only way the museum is able to operate. We hope you will join us as Members.

Contact Us: We need your information, ideas, corrections, and your family stories!

What Are My Public Transportation Options

SEPTA: Via the Market-Frankford line, both east and westbound trains stop at 5th and Market, below the Museum. Visit for more details and a trip planner, or use your preferred map app.

PHLASH: The distinctive purple Phlash trolleys provide direct service between the major museums and attractions in Center City. For seasonal operation schedules and cost, visit PHLASH.

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National Museum Of American Jewish Military History

Quatrefoil has been working with the National Museum of American Jewish Military History since 2008, initially on a master plan and currently on the exhibition design for a new permanent exhibit scheduled to open by Veterans Day 2014. The challenge for the museum is to create a meaningful experience for families and young adults as well as war veterans. The themes explore the spirit, conviction and purpose of Jews fighting in the military, despite early discrimination in their plight as immigrants to serve their country.

The new experience will feature state-of-the-art multimedia and interactives that explore the museums collection and tell stories of military service by Jewish servicemen and women from Valley Forge to Afghanistan. Activities include audio stories of Jews liberating fellow Jews from WWII concentration camps, a large audiovisual projection featuring historic photos of early, and a multimedia program featuring personal stories and photos submitted by veterans describing their service around the world from the Cold War to the present.

Project Details

• Client:National Museum of American Jewish Military History
• Date:2014

Former Trustee Buys Museum Building And Leases It Back For A Nominal Monthly Rent Of $1000

JTA The National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia will come out of bankruptcy in the coming weeks after a former trustee stepped in to buy the museum building and lease it back for a nominal monthly rent of $1,000.

Mitchell Morgan, a local real estate CEO, will pay the museum about $10 million for its downtown property as part of a plan approved by a federal judge on Wednesday.

The plan also settles a debt with bondholders, including Morgan, who agreed to accept $14 million less than what they were owed.

âWeâre living in a time that requires us to reflect on our values, and a time when our country needs institutions like the National Museum of American Jewish History that represent freedom and inclusivity,â Morgan said in a statement.

The deal allows the museum to buy its building back after 42 months for the $10.1 million sale price plus 4%, Bloomberg Law reported.

The museum filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2020 because it could not afford the debt from the construction of its new building, which opened on Independence Mall in 2010.

The following month, the pandemic and bankruptcy process led the museum to furlough two-thirds of its staff, with the bankruptcy making the institution ineligible for federal relief under the Paycheck Protection Program.

The museum was closed to visitors for public health reasons and since has operated virtually. A reopening date is forthcoming, the museum said in an update posted in July.

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Locally Grown: Jerseys Jewish Farms

Soon after radicals assassinated Czar Alexander II of Russia in March 1881, false whispers of Jewish involvement provoked antisemitic violence and laws. Faced with this hostile environment and a crumbling economy, millions of Russian Jews set out to find new homes all over the world. Most settled in cities and found work in business or manufacturing. But did you know that others formed Jewish agricultural communities in remote fields from Palestine to Canada, and Argentina to Kansas?

Intellectuals and philanthropists believed that agriculture was a noble pursuit, andat a time of rising antisemitismone that would show that Jews were strong and capable of hard work that benefitted the larger society. Generations of Jewish families tilled southern New Jersey soil, in rural farmland dotted with orchards and canneries, near cities that bought their eggs, berries, milk, and tomatoes.

Why did New Jerseys Jewish farming communities thrive for decades when those in other American states failed within a few years? Southern New Jersey was already well-farmedand some Jewish colonists took over land that had already been cleared and cultivated by previous occupants. The climate and the land itself were more fertile than land in more rocky or flood-prone Western and Southern farming colonies.

Courtesy of Cumberland County Cultural and Heritage Commission

This exhibition was made possible by Velda and David Levitsky.