Phila Jewish Museum May Become Part of Smithsonian Institution

Last edited Thu Apr 11, 2024, 12:34 PM - Edit history (1)

- Philly’s Jewish Museum may become part of the Smithsonian Institution, Phila. Inquirer, March 20, 2024. Ed. -Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House & Senate to establish a commission to make a recommendation on the transfer. (PHOTO: Weitzman Natl Museum of American Jewish History, 5th & Market Sts, Independence Mall. Read more).
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On Wednesday, several members of the U.S. House and Senate proposed a new commission that would study the possibility of transferring ownership of Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution. Legislation was introduced to establish the commission, lawmakers said - a step on the path to the Smithsonian absorbing the museum.

Bringing the Weitzman under the wing of the Smithsonian is an idea that has been under consideration for several years, said Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), a co-sponsor of the bill in the House. “There are certainly a lot of advantages,” said Boyle. “There is a certain prestige element that comes with that. It also attracts much more attention for the museum.” Misha Galperin, museum president and CEO said that becoming a part of the Smithsonian would send “a very important message that we belong here, particularly at this time of record antisemitism.”

The museum already has a relationship with the Smithsonian as one of its many affiliate partners, but becoming a part of the Smithsonian brings the contribution of Jewish people in America to a different level of visibility, Galperin said. “This is saying we are part of the nation’s museums.” Even if it becomes part of the Smithsonian, he said, the Weitzman would stay in Philadelphia. “The museum was built on Independence Mall, the birthplace of America, symbolically, to underline the fact that American Jews are an integral part of the United States of America.”

“Integrating the Weitzman with the Smithsonian would pay tribute to the role that the Jewish American community has played in the progress of America,” said Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.),

“With antisemitism on the rise, the Weitzman Museum stands as an opportunity to educate the next generation on the contributions Jewish Americans made to our nation and help stem the tide of hate.” Supporters of the bill include Sens. John Fetterman (D., Pa.), Mike Crapo (R., Ind.), Jacky Rosen (D., Nev.), and Susan Collins (R., Maine); and Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), Mike Turner (R., Ohio), and Max Miller (R., Ohio). The museum was founded in 1976..
https://www.inquirer.com/arts/weitzman-museum-jewish-history-smithsonian-bill-20240320.html

The Weitzman Museum,
https://theweitzman.org/