American Jewish History

If there is an expectation of what it means to be a museum, and if there is an expectation of what it means to present Jewish history and culture, then a "Jewish museum" is hypothetically the amalgam of such expectations. The reality is, however, that Jewish museums have always fallen somewhere beyond expectations. Jewish museums are much more about an idea than a collection, and ideas are bound to change.

Now faced with the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic and a number of pressing social concerns simultaneously, Jewish museums are presented with unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Nearly a year into the pandemic, we can already see how Jewish museums are experimenting and evolving at an accelerated pace.

It is worthwhile to explore this new period of experimentation against the context in which American Jewish museums emerged. Like other identity museums that ripened in the second half of the twentieth century, Jewish museums were created with a specific purpose: to tell stories that are not represented elsewhere, and to do so with voices and materials from source communities.

Jewish museums evolved alongside other compatible concerns and developments over the last century: the relevance of Jewish immigration and refugee narratives to the "melting pot" storyline; the re-embrace of the ethnic past; academic and popular writings on Jewish subjects; efforts to save stories and materials from Holocaust survivors; the crystallization of "continuity" as a communal priority; and new academic disciplines—including Jewish studies, Holocaust studies, and museum studies—which propelled new research and methodologies forward to explore Jewish history and identity.

Not coincidentally, the years 1970 to 2008 saw a boom in Jewish museum building projects and expansions. Each project supported a particular emphasis, such as American Jewish history, regional Jewish history, contemporary Jewish art, or Holocaust memorialization. Some museums promoted wider intellectual frames, such as tolerance and immigration.

In the time of Covid-19, Jewish museums are facing new possibilities and difficult choices. Some of the most pressing issues include: [End Page 661]

1. 1). The economic realities of running a nonprofit known for presenting inperson experiences.

2. 2). Innovating new models for content delivery while also preparing for onsite exhibitions to resume and meet expectations.

3. 3). Preparing for the safety of vulnerable Jewish-museum audiences, including inter-generational families, school groups, teachers, and the last of America's Holocaust survivors.

4. 4). Working to satisfy new communal program needs for seniors, schools, summer camps, and synagogue audiences seeking community and beauty.

5. 5). Resuming the museum functions of collecting, research, and exhibit production. While some of this work can be conducted online, much of it requires physical contact and production.

It is already a profound responsibility for museums to take on the challenge to document, interpret, and describe our times; doing so during a pandemic has special challenges and rewards. Organizations including the National Library of Israel and George Mason University have provided platforms for digital images and ephemera. The Council of American Jewish Museums is working with Jewish museums to record Jewish experiences throughout the Covid-19 era.

Though the mechanics of collecting remain challenging, it is compelling to imagine the Jewish topics we might better understand as a result of these efforts: the pandemic, antisemitism, protests, racial justice, innovations in Judaism, and the 2020 elections, to name just a few.

Most Jewish museums have expanded their programmatic repertoire, technical fluency, and audiences as a result of the pandemic: most notably, through online offerings. Many have posted online versions of exhibitions and an unprecedented number of free educational resources. Regional museums including the Jewish Museum of Florida have built international audiences attracted by subjects such as Judith Leiber and Jewish tattoos.

Some museums are utilizing outdoor spaces instead of galleries for the fall 2020 season. One example is the Oregon Jewish Museum, which is displaying Adam McKinney's "Shelter in Place" piece addressing issues of racial justice through video and photography. The work is one of several commissioned by the "Dwelling in A Time of Plagues" project, which pairs Jewish museums with artists to create outdoor works for Sukkot and Pesach of 5781.

As part of the same...