Weitzman National Museum Of American Jewish History

THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY (THE "WEITZMAN" (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) OR "WNMAJH") BRINGS TO LIFE THE 360-YEAR HISTORY OF JEWS IN AMERICA. LOCATED ON HISTORIC INDEPENDENCE MALL IN PHILADELPHIA, WNMAJH SITS ADJACENT TO THE ICONS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON RELIGION, ETHNICITY, AND PLURALISM. THE WEITZMAN IS THE ONLY INSTITUTION THAT TELLS THE STORY OF AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH THE LENS OF THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE, UNIQUELY TRACING HOW JEWISH IMMIGRANTS BECAME JEWISH AMERICANS. THROUGH DYNAMIC, INTERACTIVE EXHIBITIONS AND ENGAGING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, THE WEITZMAN INVITES VISITORS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TO CELEBRATE THEIR OWN HERITAGES, HISTORIES, AND TRADITIONS BY REFLECTING ON HOW IMMIGRANTS SHAPE AND ARE SHAPED BY THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

EXHIBITIONS: THE WEITZMAN WAS CLOSED TO VISITORS DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC UNTIL MAY 1, 2022. DURING THE PERIOD OF CLOSURE, THE WEITZMAN CONTINUED TO OFFER ITS EXHIBITIONS ONLINE, INTRODUCING A NEW ONLINE TOUR OF THE WEITZMAN'S ENTIRE CORE EXHIBITION, WHICH TRACES THE NEARLY-370 YEAR HISTORY OF JEWS IN AMERICA. THE WEITZMAN ALSO MOUNTED A VIRTUAL SPECIAL EXHIBITION, "AN ENDURING MONUMENT: MOSES JACOB EZEKIEL'S RELIGIOUS LIBERTY." OVER THE YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PEOPLE VISITED THE WEITZMAN'S VIRTUAL EXHIBITION PAGES ONLINE.IN MAY 2022, THE WEITZMAN REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC. IT AUGMENTED ITS 25,000 FOOT CORE EXHBITION WITH SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONS. "THE FUTURE WILL FOLLOW THE PAST: AN EXHIBITION BY JONATHAN HOROWITZ" SETS VARIOUS PIECES OF ART EXPLORING THEMES INCLUDING ANTISEMITISM, RACISM AND SLAVERY IN AMERICA, HOMOPHOBIA, AND THE DISPLACEMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CONVERSATION WITH THEMES EXPLORED IN THE CORE EXHIBITION. DEBORAH KASS'S ICONIC OY/YO SCULPTURE WAS INSTALLED OUTSIDE THE WEITZMAN, BECOMING AN INSTANT TOURIST ATTRACTION. THE WEITZMAN ACQUIRED AND PLACED ON DISPLAY ARTIFACTS FROM THE 2022 ATTACK AND HOSTAGE CRISIS AT THE SYNAGOGUE IN COLLEYVILLE, TEXAS. IT ALSO DISPLAYED THE ORIGINAL OF GEORGE WASHINGTON'S LETTER TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF NEWPORT. A NEW EXHIBIT ON NURSING IN WORLD WAR II WAS OPENED BOTH IN THE WEITZMAN AND ONLINE. IN THE TWO MONTHS FOLLOWING REOPENING, THE WEITZMAN WELCOMED APPROXIMATELY 3,700 GUESTS.PUBLIC PROGRAMS: THE WEITZMAN OFFERED OVER 50 PUBLIC PROGRAMS INCLUDING MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, PANELS AND LECTURES, AND FILMS ONLINE. TOPICS RANGED FROM THE ARTS TO COOKING TO CULTURE TO HISTORY. THE WEITZMAN IS THE NATIONAL SPONSOR OF JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH. WITH MORE THAN 50 PARTNERS NATIONWIDE, THE WEITZMAN OFFERED A WIDE RANGE OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMS FOR THE MONTH, INCLUDING A PROGRAM CO-SPONSORED WITH THE WHITE HOUSE. TOTAL ONLINE ATTENDANCE FOR THE WEITZMAN'S PUBLIC PROGRAMS DURING THE YEAR REACHED 21,000.AS THE PANDEMIC BEGAN TO EASE, THE WEITZMAN CONDUCTED AN OUTDOOR EVENT AT LAUREL HILL CEMETERY IN JANUARY 2022. IN MAY, IT HOSTED ITS FIRST IN-PERSON EVENT AT THE WEITZMAN, AN EXCLUSIVE EVENT FOR MEMBERS.EDUCATION: THE WEITZMAN'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WERE ALSO LIMITED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, ALTHOUGH OCCASIONAL GROUP VISITS WERE WELCOMED. IN AUGUST 2021, THE WEITZMAN OFFERED ITS NATIONAL EDUCATORS' INSTITUTE (NEI) VIRTUALLY. FORTY EDUCATORS LEARNED ABOUT THE WEITZMAN'S "OPENBOOK" CURRICULUM ON AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY, AND EXPLORED WAYS OF INCORPORATING IT INTO THEIR SCHOOLS AND CLASSES. WE HAD ROBUST VIRTUAL OFFERINGS AND SERVED NEARLY 100 CLASSROOMS WHILE THE BUILDING WAS CLOSED.