Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
39°57′01″N 75°08′55″W / 39.950288°N 75.148593°W
For other uses, see Jewish Museum.
The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) is a Smithsonian-affiliated museum at 101 South Independence Mall East (S. 5th Street) at Market Street in Center City Philadelphia. It was founded in 1976.[2]
History[edit]
With its founding in 1976, the then–15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) museum shared a building with the Congregation Mikveh Israel.[3]
In 2005, it was announced that the museum would be moved to a new building to be built at Fifth Street and Market Street on the Independence Mall. The site was originally owned by CBS' KYW radio and KYW-TV. The project broke ground on September 30, 2007.[4] The 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) glass and terra-cotta building was designed by James Polshek and includes an atrium, a 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) area for exhibits, a Center for Jewish Education, and a theater.[5] The structural engineer was Leslie E. Robertson Associates.
The project, including endowment, cost $150 million.[6] The opening ceremony was held November 14, 2010 and was attended by over 1,000 people, including Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Michael Nutter, Governor Ed Rendell, and Rabbi Irving Greenberg.[7] The building opened to the public November 26, 2010.[7]
In 2012, Ivy Barsky was appointed as the CEO of the museum and she served until 2019.[8] During her tenure the George Washington 1790 letter was given on permanent loan.[9]
In March 2020, the museum closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and staff wages were reduced. In May the museum furloughed two thirds of its staff without pay. The acting CEO was Misha Galperin who had taken over when Barsby resigned the year before. The staff were not entitled to some benefits because of the museum being in chapter 19 protection.[10]
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.[1] The museum exited bankruptcy in September 2021 after several creditors forgave $14 million in debt and board member Mitchell Morgan purchased the museum building for $10 million.[11]
In August 2020, following the signing ceremony for the Great American Outdoors Act in which President Donald Trump mispronounced the name of Yosemite National Park as "yo-semites",[12] the museum's online gift shop experienced a surge in sales for a pre-existing, similarly phrased "Yo Semite" T-shirt. Sales of the shirt, which brought in $30,000 in the three days following Trump's statement and led to continued sales thereafter, provided unexpected international publicity and required financial assistance to the museum.[13][14][15]
In November of 2021, it was announced that the museum would be renamed in honor of a generous contribution from Stuart Weitzman. The museum is now known as The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.[16][17][18]
Hanukkah lamp from Lodz, Poland, prior to 1881, silver
Hanukkah menorah, Russia, 1890, brass
Kiddush cup from Russia, engraved sterling silver
Portrait of Joyce Mears Myers by Edward Green Malbone, c. 1803, oil on ivory. No longer on view.
Silver menorah, William Gale and Sons, c. 1852
Torah finials, c. 1850, silver
Tzedakah (charity) box or Kupat Tzedakah, Charleston, 1820, silver
