With the one-year anniversary ofthe Museum approaching,

President and CEO MichaelRosenzweig (MR) and newly appointedGwen Goodman Museum Directorand COO Ivy L. Barsky (IB) took timeto reflect on various aspects of theMuseum, including its accomplishments,future goals and the challenges thatlie ahead.

Q. The Museum had its grandopening Nov. 13 and then opened tothe public on Nov. 26. In the 11months since then, what do youthink have been the Museum’sbiggest achievements?

MR. Our biggest achievement, Ithink, has been meeting and exceeding the high expecta-tions people had for this Museum. There was a great dealof fanfare about this institution—the only one anywherededicated exclusively to telling the story of the AmericanJewish experience, from 1654 to the present—and peopleexpected it to be extraordinary. That was a very tall order,and I am delighted that visitors seem to believe over-whelmingly that we succeeded.

Q. What has been the most gratifying Museum experiencefor you since its opening?

MR. Speaking with visitors, especially non-Jewish visitors,and hearing first-hand how many of them see in the storywe tell profound reflections of their own stories. Visitorscome away from our Museum with a deep sense of thecommon values and experiences all Americans share,which is especially moving given the sometimes divisiveand hostile nature of our civic discourse these days.

Q. What were your major accomplishments at theMuseum of Jewish Heritage?

IB. I was at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A LivingMemorial to the Holocaust for almost 15 years, so it’s a

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E N AT I O N A L M U S E U M O F A M E R I C A N J E W I S H H I S T O RY

C O N T E N T S

George Ross Remembered 1

Q & A 1

President’s Message 2

Museum Gala Planned 3

Chairman’s Message 3

New Board Members 4

Founding Donor 5

Events Have a Home 7

Program Calendar 8-9

Artifact Accession 10-11

Only in America® 12

Museum Co-Chairman George Ross Remembered

History Museum Leaders Discuss the Future

®

VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 2 FALL 2011

The National Museum of AmericanJewish History sits on Independence

Mall in Philadelphia, a physical reminderof the blood, sweat and tears of itsfounding father, George Ross.

But the building’s soul, its enduring lega-cy, comes from the hundreds and thou-sands of visitors to the Museum whocome away with an appreciation for theAmerican Jewish experience and theopportunities provided by the AmericanDream.

Mr. Ross, the Museum’s Co-Chairman,who died in July at age 77, embodied thatDream. A second-generation American,

he went from manager at Sears, Roebuck& Co. to senior partner at GoldmanSachs, and was named one of the firm’syoungest partners in 1971.

“George told me that Goldman Sachslooked like a better opportunity thanSears, where he had worked. He wasright!” said his longtime friend andGoldman Sachs partner RichardMenschel at the memorial service heldfor Mr. Ross at the Museum, attended bymore than 700 people.

“George, as many of you know, never letgo, and when he thought a graduatestudent was right, he and his partner,

(continued on page 2)

George Ross spoke at the September 2007 groundbreaking of the Museum,stating, “We’re doing something important on this sacred ground.”

A

Michael Oren (third from left), Israeli Ambassador to the United States, recently visited theMuseum with Daniel Kutner, Consul General of Israel to the Mid-Atlantic Region of theUnited States. They were given a tour of the Museum by Michael Rosenzweig, MuseumPresident and CEO, and Ivy L. Barsky, the Gwen Goodman Museum Director and COO.

Photoby

IlanaBlum

enthal

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President’s MessageMichael Rosenzweig

Museum Direction Mapped Out(continued from page 1)

OOne of the most enjoyable aspects of my job isthe opportunity to talk about the Museum to

communities and individual supporters across thecountry. I have had the privilege of speaking tocommunity groups recently in California, Georgia,Michigan and Tennessee, in addition to the manyI meet with regularly in Greater Philadelphia, andthe many more we welcome virtually daily to theMuseum.

I have also met one-on-one recently with Museumsupporters in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois,Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, DC and,believe it or not, Israel. Two things are strikingabout these visits: First, support for the Museumis both deep and wide, spanning the country (and,indeed, the globe). Second, historical societies,synagogue groups, Federations and others areintensely interested in the details of our Museum—our exhibition, our programs and cultural events,our educational mission and our vision for thefuture. Put differently, it is clear from my manyconversations with groups and individuals that, 11months after opening our spectacular new Museumon Independence Mall, we are seen as a nationaldestination museum of distinction and excellence,a unique, and uniquely important, institution thattells a story told nowhere else in a compellinglyengaging way.

These achievements are not to be taken lightly.When the Museum’s Board of Trustees decided toexpand the small gem that was the NationalMuseum of American Jewish History, the dreamof creating a truly national museum that woulddraw visitors and supporters form every part ofthe country seemed more than audacious. But theBoard’s astonishing tenacity in pursuit of itsvision ultimately produced the Museum that hasalready welcomed more than 100,000 visitors, hasnearly 20,000 members from all 50 states, andhas a core exhibition that has received virtuallyunanimous praise from both serious museumcritics and the public.

I am privileged to work with our extraordinarilytalented and dedicated staff and our deeplycommitted and generous Board and supporters.We are all so fortunate to be part of an enterprisethat is preserving and telling such an importantstory.

I wish all of you a happy, healthy and peacefulShanah Tova.

little difficult to distill. And of course, all museumwork is a group effort, so it’s especially hard tosingle out “my” accomplishments. We created oneof the great museum education departmentsanywhere. In addition to an extremely effectivecore exhibition, we created several world classspecial exhibitions such as Ours to Fight For:American Jews in the Second World War and Woman ofLetters: Ir ene Némirovsky and Suite Française, amongothers. We trained, nurtured, and mentored a gen-eration of young museum, education, and Jewishworld professionals. We were able to preserve andshare the precious legacies of thousands ofHolocaust survivors.

Q. Do you think Jewish museums have a differentrole than other museums?

IB. I think all museums have a very special place inthe world right now. People are hungry for genuinesocial interactions and the encounters with authenticartifacts, documents, and stories. Museums areunique in providing those opportunities. Jewishmuseums in particular have become a safe space forvisitors—Jews and non-Jews—to look at Jewishlife, history, and tradition in an unthreatening,non-judgmental place. Jews of all denominations,Jews who would never walk into a synagogue,interfaith families, all have a place here.

Q. What are some of the challenges the Museumfaces?

MR. As with other non-profits, one of our mostsignificant challenges is ensuring our sustainabilityin a particularly difficult economic climate. Weneed to raise more than half of our budget annuallyand, at the same time, grow our endowment quicklyso that it will soon generate annual incomesufficient to support our operations. That is a verychallenging assignment.

Another challenge is maintaining the freshness andexcitement of our Museum. Our core exhibitionhas been a huge success in both critical and popularterms, but we must work hard to maintain theinterest of visitors over time. We are working on aseries of very engaging special exhibitions that webelieve will be quite attractive to visitors, eventhose who have seen our core exhibition morethan once.

Q. What opportunities and challenges broughtyou to the National Museum of American JewishHistory?

IB. We are a new institution with a unique mission

and the most powerful location in American history.There are incredible opportunities for specialexhibitions, public programs and other forms ofinterpreting the core ideas engrained in the mission,and a robust education program to be developed.I’m looking forward to working with this remarkablytalented staff and dedicated Board to build on thesuccess NMAJH is already enjoying.

Q. What prompted your entrance into theMuseum field?

IB. I didn’t expect to be in the museum field.Although I had always loved museums, it neveroccurred to me as a career option. When I was ingraduate school at the University of Pennsylvaniafor art history, I started working at the PhiladelphiaMuseum of Art and became very interested in thepublic reception of art and history. The possibilityof addressing an audience beyond the academicone became more and more appealing.

Q. What do you want the visitor experience to be?

MRR.. We are first and foremost an educationalinstitution, so more than anything we are determinedto succeed in educating about the American Jewishstory by making our visitor experience engagingand immersive, one that grabs and maintains thevisitor’s interest. That is why we include 30 originalfilms and 13 interactive displays in our exhibition.We designed the exhibition very carefully toengage visitors in a way that many history museumsdo not.

Q. What do you want the visitor experience to be?

IB. The most important thing for me is to deeplyengage visitors in our subject matter and for themto recognize themselves and find stories that haveresonance for them and their lives. I want thevisitor to leave here inspired by, and appreciativeof, the story of freedom and curious to learn andthink more—about Jewish history, American history,immigration, and the blessings and challenges ofbeing a citizen in a democracy.

Q. How do you want the Museum thought offive years from now?

MR. We want to be known as one of the leadingnational destination museums in this country and arenowned and vital center of Jewish education andJewish cultural life. Less than a year from our opening,I am happy to say that we are well on our way toachieving that goal.

MMuseum Co-Chairman George Ross, who diedin July, was a lifelong friend of mine. We

met in the schoolyard of our elementary school inWest Philadelphia. I could never have dreamed ofthe impact that he would have on my life.

George was unique in many ways. He was a fiscalconservative, a budget-conscious businessmanand he was also a risk taker—a rare combinationand at the same time, he was entrepreneurial. Iremember when he was Chairman of DrexelUniversity and the Bulletin property becameavailable, I told him they should buy it. Drexelwas far from flush. George saw the strategic needfor Drexel to control that property and convincedthe Board to agree to the purchase and webought the property – a gutsy move by a fiscallyconservative Chairman – a great move for Drexel.

Approximately 70 years after we first met, wepartnered together on the final stages of the newNational Museum of American Jewish Historywhen he asked me to join him as Co-Chairman.

We both realized that we had an opportunity todo a world-class project in an irreplaceable location.

As I said in my eulogy for him at the memorialservice held at the Museum, “Not only did wehave the best site, the best architect and designer,we had the absolute best fundraiser. George,almost by himself, raised the funds necessary tocomplete this project. He used his relationships toshare his passion for this wonderful project andeven with our economic challenges was able toexceed our goal: An exceptional piece of work forwhat we all believe will be a legacy project on asite which will be here for hundreds of years.”

Just to show you his passion for this Museum,several days before he passed away, George, Lyn[his wife and fellow Museum Trustee] and I wereworking on a game plan to raise endowmentfunds to help defray our costs of operations.

We will miss him greatly. He is irreplaceable. Hepushed us but he pushed himself more. He was atrue leader because he led by example.

Goodbye Dear Friend. Your sweet life was tooshort – we wanted more.

Chairman’s MessageRonald Rubin

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It’s a celebration of firsts.

The theme of the National Museum of AmericanJewish History’s Only in America® Gala is “LookWho’s Turning 1,” and it will be a celebration of theMuseum’s first birthday, highlighting the events,milestones and accomplishments of the Museum.

The Gala Co-Chairs are Lisa Popowich and KentGushner.

Among the milestones that will be celebrated at theGala and in the Gala Album will be the Museum’sfirst visitors, the first artifact accessioned after theMuseum opened, and the first celebrities to visit.

The Gala will be held Saturday, November 12, atthe Museum, and it will mark another first: Thefirst Gala to be held in the Museum’s new building.

“Now, more than ever, the Museum merits ourinvestment in its first year of operation, an importanttime in its growth and development. The Gala willsupport the Museum’s thought-provoking exhibitions,permanent collection and education and culturalmissions,” Ms. Popowich said.

“People should get their tickets as soon as possible,”Mr. Gushner said. “We know it is going to be a verypopular and successful Gala. People will want tosupport the Museum, which is quickly becoming aPhiladelphia and national landmark. I can imaginehow spectacular and inspirational it will be to belooking over Independence Mall at the Gala andcelebrating the Museum and the freedoms that ledto its creation.”

Lisa Popowich is president and owner of ThinkTank, Inc., a worldwide company devoted to thedesign and manufacturing of jewelry and watchproducts for domestic and international sales. Both

Doc Tock® and Tricked Out Time® are trademarksof Think Tank. Think Tank has offices inPhiladelphia and Asia.

A longtime Museum Trustee, Ms. Popowich is theMuseum’s secretary and serves on its education,marketing and public program committees. Sheserved as Creative Director of the Museum’s GrandOpening Gala in November.

Ms. Popowich serves on the Board of Trustees ofPeace and Love, whose mission is to serve as acollaborative social cause marketing platformcommitted to the positive promotion of worldpeace and non-violence. She is a member of theNational Association of Female Executives and theParents Association of Brandeis University.

A member of the World Retail Hall of Fame, Mr.Gushner is the third-generation President of Boyds,the iconic men’s and women’s luxury clothing storein Center City, Philadelphia. Among his manycommunity activities, he is a member of theASPCA, the Haverford School LeadershipCouncil, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, thePhiladelphia Art Alliance, the Police AthleticLeague of Philadelphia, The Children’s Hospital ofPhiladelphia and the USC Shoah FoundationInstitute.

“With Lisa and Kenny as chairs, the Gala promisesto be incredibly elegant and fun. What a way tospend a beautiful evening and support the goodwork of the Museum,” said Ivy L. Barsky, the GwenGoodman Museum Director and COO.

For information on the Gala or to purchase tickets,please call the Development Department at215.391.4636 or email Jannine Malave Medrana atjmalave@nmajh.org.

Museum Plans Gala Birthday Celebrationin November

Kent Gushner

Lisa Popowich

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The National Museum of American JewishHistory’s Board of Trustees has elected five

new members. They are:

Michael Jesselson is the President of JesselsonCapital Corporation.

Mr. Jesselson worked at Philipp Brothers, aninternational trading company, and helped foundtheir sugar trading department. Afterward, in theearly 1980s, he worked at Salomon Brothers intheir mortgage trading department. Subsequently,he has been involved in many investment oppor-tunities. He was a founding investor inICQ/Mirabilis, an early Israeli-based internetcompany that was successfully sold to AOL. He iscurrently involved in many different investments,primarily in the United States and Israel. Mr.Jesselson is a long-standing director of AmericanEagle Outfitters Inc., and serves as the company’slead independent director. Additionally, he is amember of the Board of Directors of U*tique Inc.and Express –1 Expedited Solutions Inc.

Mr. Jesselson has numerous non-profit affiliations,including serving as Chairman of AmericanFriends of Bar-Ilan University; Co-Chairman ofShaare Zedek Medical Center Board of Directorsin Jerusalem; Trustee of Yeshiva University and theAmerican Jewish Historical Society; and a Boardmember of SAR Academy, Center for JewishHistory, Leo Baeck Institute, American JewishHistorical Society, Bezalel Academy of Arts andDesign, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, PEFIsrael Endowment Funds, Manhattan JewishExperience, and American Friends of the IsraelMuseum. Mr. Jesselson also serves on theExecutive Committee of the UJA Federation ofNew York.

Sharon Tobin Kestenbaum is President of BalaProperties Group, Inc., a commercial real estatecompany located in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. Ms.Kestenbaum has been involved in acquiring,refinancing, and selling more than $100 millionof commercial real estate as well as managingover 1 million-square feet of real estate space.

Ms. Kestenbaum previously worked in the realestate division of Chemical Bank N.Y., where she

specialized in investment banking, lending andworkouts, and before that for RaytheonCompany’s Missile Systems Division’s financialmanagement training program.

Ms. Kestenbaum serves as President of TheKestenbaum Family Foundation and is a trustee tothe Tobin Family Foundation. She is Board VicePresident and Development Chairperson forChildren’s Crisis Treatment Center and is on theLeadership Council for The Wistar Institute, bothin Philadelphia, Pa.

Ms. Kestenbaum was graduated from the WhartonSchool, majoring in real estate and with a bachelorof science degree in finance. Subsequently, Ms.Kestenbaum earned a master’s degree in businessadministration from the Wharton School, majoringin real estate and entrepreneurial management.

Anne Welsh McNulty is co-founder andManaging Partner of JBK Partners, with businessesincluding investment management and a privatephilanthropic foundation. Before starting JBKPartners, Ms. McNulty was a Managing Directorof Goldman Sachs and a senior executive of theGoldman Sachs Hedge Fund Strategies Group.

She serves on the Boards of Trustees of the WhartonSchool of the University of Pennsylvania, andVillanova University, where she chairs theInvestment Committee. She is also a member ofthe Board of Directors of the Aspen Institute, theMetropolitan Opera of New York and the ChildMind Institute in New York.

In addition, Ms. McNulty is a Trustee of theNaples Winter Wine Festival, benefiting children’scharities in Collier County, Fla. Ms. McNultyearned her M.B.A. in finance and insurance fromthe Wharton School and was valedictorian of herclass at Villanova University.

Daniel Promislo spent most of his career as apartner at the law firm of Wolf, Block, Schorr andSolis-Cohen, specializing in corporate law.Several years after retiring from the practice oflaw, Mr. Promislo returned to the firm for threeyears as the Managing Director.

He founded and served as President/Director of

the Institute for Paralegal Training, the first para-legal school in the U.S. He also foundedHistorical Souvenir Company, and continues toserve as its President as well as President of itsaffiliated company, Historical Documents Co.

Mr. Promislo is currently on the Board of RAITFinancial Trust, the Advisory Board of the Collegeof Arts & Sciences of Drexel University, and theBoard of the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall ofFame. He previously served as Chairman of theBoard of WHYY, Inc., the Philadelphia DramaGuild, and the Philadelphia International Programfor Youth Leaders and Social Workers.

Mr. Promislo was graduated from Drexel Universityand also the University of Pennsylvania LawSchool, where he was magna cum laude, Order ofthe Coif, and Article and Project Editor of theLaw Review.

Ira Saligman runs a boutique real estate invest-ment firm, Saligman Capital, which concentrateson properties in the Pennsylvania-New Jerseyarea. He has more than 25 years hands-oncommercial real estate experience in numerousproperty types, including retail, industrial, office,multi-family, and mobile home communities.

Prior to starting Saligman Capital, Mr. Saligmanwas in the finance and acquisitions group atPreferred Real Estate, where he oversaw theunderwriting, leasing and financing of “difficult tofinance” repositioning projects.

Mr. Saligman holds an M.B.A. from EmoryUniversity in Atlanta. Prior to earning his M.B.A.,he was a naval aviator and flew the S3B “Viking”torpedo bomber and electronic intelligence aircraftaboard the U.S.S. America (CV-66). Mr.Saligman’s service in the United States Navyincludes Operation Desert Storm.

Mr. Saligman chairs the Investment Committee ofthe Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, andis active on the board of the Jewish Federation ofGreater Philadelphia’s Real Estate Affinity Group,and in Federation Housing. He is also a den masterof his son’s Cub Scout troop.

New Trustees Named to Museum’s Board

Michael Jesselson Sharon Tobin Kestenbaum Anne Welsh McNulty Daniel Promislo Ira Saligman

4

Donor OptionsThe National Museum of American Jewish

History has created a number of donor fundsthat will allow supporters to contribute to specificareas of the Museum’s operations. These newfunds, which complement the Annual Fund, arecritical to the Museum’s continuing success,according to Museum President and CEO MichaelRosenzweig.

“Annual Fund gifts provide vital support for theMuseum’s exhibitions, educational activities andpublic programs, and ensure our future as a livelycenter connecting people and ideas for generationsto come,” Mr. Rosenzweig said.

Mr. Rosenzweig noted that some donors havespecific interests, and the new donor funds providean opportunity for those supporters to contributeto those areas.

Among the new funds are:

School Outreach Fund – schools unable to visitthe Museum due to the cost of transportationand admission will be subsidized by generousdonors totally or in part, based on need.

Artifact Preservation Fund – these funds willensure the preservation of the Museum’s artifactcollection. This includes conservation treatmentsand protective housing and supplies that willensure that future generations will continue tolearn about American Jewish history through theMuseum’s extensive artifact collection.

Internship Fund – the Museum is developing aninternship program that will meet the needs andinterests of college students who want to learnabout some aspect of American Jewish history, orabout working in a non-profit organization,particularly a museum. By working side by sidewith staff, students will have the opportunity tocontribute to the Museum and enhance theirpersonal growth.

The Museum also offers tribute gift opportunities,allowing supporters to honor someone or make adonation in memory of a loved one or celebratethe birth of a child, b’nai mitzvah, milestones,marriages and anniversaries. Special cards,highlighting Museum artifacts, are sent to thosein whose name the gift is purchased.

To learn more about the NMAJH Annual Fund,our new donor funds, tribute gift opportunitiesor other ways to support the Museum, contactCobi Weissbach, the Museum’s AssociateDirector of Development, at 215.391.4651 orcweissbach@nmajh.org.

All gifts are tax-deductible.

Charles Bronfman became the first Chairmanof the United Jewish Communities (today,

The Jewish Federations of North America) in1999. He is currently Co-Chairman of Taglit-Birthright Israel. A member of the Bronfmanfamily, most well-known for their ownership ofThe Seagram Company, he and his childrenand their relatives are leading philanthropistsin both the Jewish and non-Jewish worlds.

So, his Founding Gift to the National Museumof American Jewish History, made after a recentvisit, is an important endorsement. The gift byThe Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropieswill help underwrite costs associated withpublic school class trips to the Museum.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing for young peopleto see other peoples’ cultures, particularly thatof the Jews in the United States, their trials andtribulations, their successes and failures,” Mr.Bronfman said.

He said he made the gift, in part, because hewants the Museum to be “a place for blacks andwhites, Hispanics, Asians, Jews and Gentiles,for everyone. I’d hate to see the Museum as aplace for Jews only.”

While visiting the Museum, Mr. Bronfmannoted an aspect of the Museum that he valuedwas its interactive media. Mr. Bronfman saidthat he liked to learn experientially “and I thinkkids like to learn experientially, too.”

The Museum has 13 interactive media experiences,designed to engage visitors in the history ofJews in America and to make the AmericanJewish experience relevant and accessible topeople of all ages and from all backgrounds.

One is the “Immigrant Experience,” in whichvisitors have the opportunity to take on the roleof an immigrant arriving in America and under-going the inspection process, learning aboutthe experience of entering the United States inthe early 20th century in a direct and personalway – through persona-based role-playing.Visitors are linked to the journeys of one of fourimmigrant characters based on actual Jewishimmigrants who came through Ellis Island andother U.S. ports of entry.

Another is the Contemporary Issues Forum™, aunique multimedia installation that allowsvisitors to participate in a vigorous discussionabout some of the most important issues facingthe American Jewish community and the worldtoday. The Forum enables visitors to opine on

current events and, in the spirit of opinion,insight and debate that typifies democracy,America, and the American-Jewish experience,provide their points of view on complex andprovocative topics.

“The Museum has a wonderful design. It’s theonly institution of its type,” Mr. Bronfman said.“I’m looking forward to seeing it evolve into aworld-renowned institution and realize itsvision as a learning institution.”

Educators should contact Johanna Moss, theMuseum’s Education Associate, at 215.391.4645or jmoss@nmajh.org, to plan a visit.

FOUNDING DONORS

Freedom Wall ReflectsIdeals of LibertyMajor Donors who make minimum gifts of$100,000 will be inscribed on the FreedomWall of Honor, which is prominently locatedin the Museum’s entrance foyer. The namesof these leadership donors will become apermanent presence on Independence Mall,a proud and public expression of theircommitment to the ideals of liberty and tothe continuity of the American Jewishexperience. For information on beinginscribed on the Museum’s Wall of Honor,contact Cobi Weissbach, the Museum’sAssociate Director of Development, at215.391.4651 or cweissbach@nmajh.org

The Andrea and Charles BronfmanPhilanthropies

Charles Bronfman

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MUSEUM NEWS

California Beaming

After attending the Museum’s Grand Opening, Shirleyand Saul Turteltaub hosted a luncheon in their home inBeverly Hills. “The luncheon was a terrific opportunityto expose the Museum to folks in the Los Angeles area,and I must say that it was gratifying how interested theywere,” said Museum President and CEO MichaelRosenzweig (center) with host Saul Turteltaub (left)and television host and producer Monty Hall. “We aregrateful to the Turteltaubs for hosting us so graciouslyand providing that opportunity.”

Shirley and Saul Turteltaub (right) with guest HerbGlazer. Among the shows Saul Turteltaub produced wereSanford and Son and Kate and Allie.

Friends and Museum Supporters Pay Tribute to George Ross

Lyn, would do a full-court press. This included aSunday brunch with smoked salmon, white fish,bagels and it didn’t matter if the student was aMormon, Catholic, or a Jew.

“Although George wanted students to come toPhiladelphia, he freely introduced people toother offices. George spent time with youngpeople and he helped them to grow. Over timePhiladelphia alumni managed St. Louis, Miami,San Francisco, capital markets, New York salesand several top fixed income positions.”

That he was a wonderful mentor was well-knownto everyone at the memorial service. When hisson Michael asked those in the room who hadbeen mentored by Mr. Ross to stand up, it’s notan exaggeration to say more than half the peopleat the service rose from their chairs.

Mr. Ross’s tenacity and his drive were noted bymany speakers, and is evidenced by the Museumitself, an institution that many said could not bebuilt. The Museum has been a critical and popularsuccess and in his role as the Museum’s CapitalCampaign Chairman, Mr. Ross is credited withalmost single-handedly raising $154 million forits construction, $4 million above its goal.

“George was the central, driving force behindthe Museum. He was utterly unique in his passionfor this institution,” said Museum President andCEO Michael Rosenzweig. “George and his wife,Lyn, together simply decided to dedicate them-selves completely to raising the money neededto build the Museum. They were an absolutelyastonishing team.”

Joe Neubauer, Chairman and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Aramark, said, “He would recount withglee how many times he visited potential donors

for a favored project. Hewould say, ‘I went to see thisperson 20 times.’ Just like agunslinger counting thenotches on his belt. Andyou knew very well, that if itwould take 21, or 22, hewould do it again. That’s thekind of persistence thatGeorge had. Everybodywalked away from his tablea winner. The Museum isclearly an example of his lastbig win. He understood thetransformative power of artand culture for everybody.”

Mr. Ross was also a highly visible and generousforce connected to projects throughout GreaterPhiladelphia, Jewish and secular, large and small.He was a vice president and secretary of theJewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia andwas on the board of the Philadelphia Orchestrasince 1985.

In 1985, Mr. Ross co-founded OperationUnderstanding with former U.S. Rep. WilliamGray. The program brought Jewish and African-American teenagers together in a summer travelprogram designed to build “bridges of under-standing among future leaders of our community,”Gray explained to the Jewish Exponent.

It had surprised them both a little to see howmuch the organization had flourished at a 25-year anniversary celebration last fall, Gray said.“All the kids, black and Jewish, went on to doexactly what we’d hoped and they stayed closetogether,” Gray said.

At his alma mater, Drexel University, Mr. Rosschaired the Board of Trustees and helped overseean expansion. He also was a supporter of Hillelof Greater Philadelphia and, in 1987, helpedHillel establish a presence at Drexel University.

Dan Promislo, a Museum Trustee and a studentwith Mr. Ross at Drexel, shared a telling storyabout his relationship to the university at thememorial service.

“George came to Drexel, and while no one inauthority encouraged it, George believed he andthe school had entered into a partnership. Theschool would provide the education and Georgein turn would do his best to make the schoolbetter. Students don’t usually think that way.Whatever his mind imagined, George had theinitiative, follow-through and know-how to

make it happen. Whether it was a major project suchas creating a Drexel magazine, or a more trivial onesuch as a pep rally for the basketball team, Georgethrew his full energy into it. When he needed thecooperation of the university, George had no reluctanceto visit the Dean, who incidentally became a lifelongfriend of his, to discuss the state of the school or comeup with a new idea. Some of these ideas were adopted,much to the amazement of most of the rest of us.”

“He was an unstoppable force,” former PennsylvaniaGovernor Ed Rendell told the Jewish Exponent. “We willmiss his commitment, we’ll miss his ability to getthings done, we’ll miss his passion for doing things thatreflect well on all of us. But most of all, we’ll miss theexample he set.”George and Lyn Ross with Walter Cronkite.

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Davi

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students to present their work.

“The concept of stamp artwork is an idealformat,” said Bruce Wartman, the Presidentof the school. “It’s a unique piece of art inits own way, depicting a part of a person’slife that is distinctive, someone who madea contribution to American Judaism andAmerican society. It’s presented in a waythat most people would be able to relateto, and from a creative point of view it wasa big success.”

Wartman said the research theproject required also engagedstudents. “Each of the membersof the gallery has a fascinatingstory. Their lives really openedup the students’ eyes. The studentsbecame more enlightened about anotherculture,” he said.

Continuing, Wartman said, “the receptionthe Museum had for the students was justso gratifying for them. More than producinga grade, it gave them a sense of accom-plishment.”

“The creators and supporters of theMuseum envisioned it as a place wherestudents from all backgrounds could learnabout the contributions of American Jewsand how American freedom providesopportunities for all people to achievegreat things. To see this vision realized insuch creative ways is gratifying,” said EdSnider, Chairman of Comcast-Spectacorand the major benefactor of the Only inAmerica® Gallery/Hall of Fame.

The 18 individuals featured in the Only inAmerica® Gallery/Hall of Fame are IrvingBerlin, Leonard Bernstein, Louis Brandeis,Albert Einstein, Mordecai Kaplan, SandyKoufax, Estée Lauder, Emma Lazarus, IsaacLeeser, Golda Meir, Jonas Salk, MenachemMendel Schneerson, Rose Schneiderman,Isaac Bashevis Singer, Steven Spielberg,Barbra Streisand, Henrietta Szold andIsaac Mayer Wise.

The Only in America® Gallery/Hall of Famefeatures major original films, iconic artifactsand an interactive database. It celebratesthe lives and achievements of 18 individualswho exemplify a central theme of theMuseum: that a hallmark of the Americanexperience has been an unparalleledopportunity to aspire, achieve, and possiblychange the world.

Only in America a Lesson Learned

Audrey Angel performing asBarbra Streisand.

Jael Ellman as Estée Lauder.

Ari Elkins as Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Photosby

JillBrown

If it’s a spectacular place for a bar or bat mitzvah or weddingyou are looking for, look no further than the National Museum

of American Jewish History. The Museum has quickly becomea popular venue for b’nai mitzvah and other simchas.

In addition, businesses are finding the Museum to be a uniquespace for corporate events and meetings, lectures and relatedactivities.

“The Museum was a wonderful place for our son David’s barmitzvah,” said Michele Golkow, whose family celebrated thefirst bar mitzvah at the Museum. “The space, with the viewoverlooking Independence Mall, is spectacular. Our guestswere able to have cocktails among exhibitions in a uniquelobby area. Afterwards, we enjoyed the dinner dance in a spa-cious, private room with a beautiful outdoor terrace. Mostimportantly, the Museum was a meaningful place to gatherin to celebrate David’s bar mitzvah.“

The Museum has also been the venue of choice for manyorganizations sponsoring galas, fundraisers and private parties.

Featuring 20,000-square feet of multipurpose event space onfive floors, a state-of-the-art 200-seat theater and convenientparking, the Museum offers a spectrum of support services.

To view the Museum’s event spaces, contact Ellen Weiss,Facilities Rental and Event Planning Manager, at215.923.3811 x 143 or eweiss@nmajh.org.

Events Have a Home atthe Museum

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The Golkow family celebrates at the Museum.

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2011 FALL CALENDAR OF MUSE

OCTOBER

A SEPHARDIC JOURNEY: FROMAMSTERDAM TO PHILADELPHIA(AND PLACES IN BETWEEN)

Sunday, Oct. 9, 2 p.m.Rembrandt’s Jewish neighbors in Amsterdamwould largely have been Sephardic families (fromSpain and Portugal) who settled in the regionseeking religious tolerance. In this lecture,

William Pencak,Professor of AmericanHistory atPennsylvania StateUniversity, looks at thehistory of the SephardicDiaspora as it crossedEurope to Amsterdamin the 16th century andthen to the Americas.It also spotlightsPhiladelphia’s MikvehIsrael, a SephardicJewish congregationfounded in 1740.

Co-presented with the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Free for members of the Museum and thePhiladelphia Museum of Art and studentsNon-members $10

REFLECTIONS OF A JEWISHSOUTHERNER

Sunday, Oct. 16, 3 p.m.Eli N. Evans, well-known southern historianand “master storyteller,” will lecture on south-ern Jewry and sign copies of his acclaimedbook and classic in the field, The Provincials: A

Personal History of Jews in theSouth. Mr. Evans will reflecton growing up in the South,share stories of communities,individuals, and events, andreveal the deeply intertwinedstrands of what he calls aunique “southern Jewish con-sciousness.”

Presented with Beth Am Israel and supported by theCharles & Esther Lee Kimerling Charitable Foundation

Members $5Non-members $10

RUTH GRUBER:A CENTENARY CELEBRATION

Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.Join Dr. Ruth Gruberand special guests fora screening of theacclaimed documen-tary about her life,Ahead of Time, andremarks from thecentenarian herself,who turned 100 yearsold on Sept 30.

Ruth Gruber didn’t just report the news, she madeit. Dr. Gruber gained unique access and insightinto the modern history of the Jewish people:Assigned by Harold Ickes, FDR’s secretary of theinterior, she escorted Holocaust refugees toAmerica. As foreign correspondent for the NewYork Herald Tribune, she covered the Nurembergtrials, documented the journey of the Haganahship Exodus, and developed relationships withworld leaders, including Eleanor Roosevelt, HarryTruman and David Ben-Gurion.

This program is dedicated to the memory of journalistand music-lover Daniel Pearl.

Members $10Non-members $12

ONLY IN AMERICA®:EMMA LAZARUS

Thursday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

Happy Birthday, Statue of Liberty! InOctober 2011, the Statue of Libertyturns 125 years old. The Statue hasbecome the voice of welcome forgenerations of immigrants due tothe words of one extraordinary

American Jewish poet: Emma Lazarus.Lazarus is one of the first 18 Jewish Americans tobe included in the Museum’s Only in America®

Gallery/Hall of Fame, a signature gallery in thenew Museum’s core exhibition showcasing thechallenges and opportunities a select group ofextraordinary Jewish Americans encountered onthe road to remarkable achievement.

Join Lazarus biographer and Princeton Universityprofessor Esther Schor as she explores Lazarus’slife and writing beyond the words, “Give me yourtired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning tobreathe free,” inscribed on the Statue of Liberty,and for which Lazarus is popularly known. Ms.Schor highlights Lazarus’s unique AmericanJewish experiences and identity. Book sales andauthor signings will follow.

Ms. Schor is a poet and Professor of English atPrinceton University. Her biography, EmmaLazarus, won the 2006 National Jewish Book Award.

Schor will be in conversation with MelissaMartens, curator of Emma Lazarus: Poet of Exiles,opening Oct. 26 at the Museum of JewishHeritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaustin New York.

Co-sponsored by

Members $5Non-members $8

NOVEMBER

AMERICA AS HAVEN

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.

In conjunction with The Wilma Theater’s productionof Our Class, America as Haven will examine theidea and reality of this country as a place whereimmigrants can find a new life.

In a conversation moderatedby noted author and RutgersUniversity Professor of JewishStudies, Jeffrey Shandler, OurClass Director and WilmaArtistic Director, BlankaZizka, who was born in theformer Czechoslovakia, willdiscuss her own experiencealongside Bosnian refugee

and immigration lawyer, Emina Hadzic, and otherswith expertise in 20th century immigration.Actor Michael Rubenfeld from the Wilma’sproduction of the play will offer further insightsinto the immigrant experience through dramaticreadings of letters from the Museum’s collection.Complimentary reception follows the discussion

Co-presented with The Wilma Theater and held at theMuseum

Free

I DANCED BECAUSE I WANTED TOSAY SOMETHING - Anna Sokolow

Sunday, Nov. 20, 3 p.m.

Inspired by her book, Seeing Israeli and JewishDance, a remarkable exploration of the diversityof dance in Judaism, choreographer, dancer andscholar Judith Brin Ingber will explore the historyof Jewish dance in America through a uniqueprogram that features discussions and performancesby contributing writers and performers.

Ingber navigates American Jewish dance fromAnna Sokolow’s famous post-WW II piece,

Portrait of a Young Jew, c.1648. Rembrandt Harmenszvan Rijn, Dutch. Oil on panel,Berlin Gemäldegalerie

We invite you to join the Museum in the months ahead for provocative, thought-provoking and fun programs that will immerseparticipants in 350 years of American Jewish history while looking toward the future.

National Park Service

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UM PROGRAMSKaddish, to be performed by young Jewishdancer, Hadassah Segal, to DouglasRosenberg, a modern artist and teacherwell-known for his video dance collabora-tions with contemporary choreographers.Respected dance ethnographer Jill Gellermanwill share her extraordinary research on womenand dance in the Lubavitch community.

Audience members will be able to participatein a demonstration dance and lesson. Booksigning will follow.

Members $5Non-members $10

COMING IN DECEMBERS AV E T H E D AT E S

TASTE OF LIMMUDSaturday, Dec. 10

AMERICAN JEWS AND THECIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTSunday, Dec. 11

Co-sponsored by

GRACE PALEY: COLLECTEDSHORTS (USA, 2010, 75 minutes)Philadelphia Film PremiereTuesday, Dec. 13

Film provided by The National Center forJewish Film

BEING JEWISH AT CHRISTMASSunday, Dec. 25

PHILADELPHIAJEWISH FILMFESTIVAL

Where I Stand:The Hank Greenspun Story(USA, 2008, 98 minutes)

Sunday, Nov. 6, 2:30 p.m.At the Prince Music Theater

The true story of a real American Jewishhero – Hank ‘Indiana’ Greenspun, whosecolorful life included murderous mobstersand transporting contraband military equip-ment during Israel’s War of Independence.

Sponsored by the National Museum of AmericanJewish History, Comcast-Spectacor and TheBorowsky Family Foundation

Remembrance (Die verlorene Zeit)(Germany, 2011, 105 minutes, in English,German, and Polish w/English subtitles )

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.At the Museum

In this heartfelt journey through remem-brance and reconciliation a Holocaust survivorliving in 1970s New York confronts thememories of her love for a Polish partisan,played by special guest Mateusz Damięcki,Polish television and movie star.

Sponsored by the National Museum of AmericanJewish History and Suzanne and Norman Cohn

Jews and Baseball(USA, 2010, 91 minutes)

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.At the Museum

Seamlessly weaving archivalfootage, photographs andinverviews (including a rareinterview with SandyKoufax), Jews and Baseballexamines the cultural importanceof the game for American integration and over-coming antisemitism. Narrated by DustinHoffman.

Sponsored by the National Museum of AmericanJewish History and the Philadelphia JewishSports Hall of Fame

The Art of Being Jewish in the City:a year-long exploration of Jews, urbanism

and the arts.

As part of The Art of Being Jewish in the City, the Museum willhost a week-long exploration of the politics and culture ofJewish urban life.

Aesthetics, Identity, Politics: From Black Power toJewish Radicalism - LectureTuesday, Nov. 29, 7 p.m.

Noted scholar Michael E. Staub, Professor of English, BaruchCollege, City University of New York, will offer an engagingpresentation about Jewish radicalism.

Mr. Staub is the author of numerous books on social change,including The Crisis of Jewish Liberalism in Postwar America, TheJewish 1960s: An American Sourcebook, and Madness IsCivilization: When the Diagnosis was Social, 1948-1980(University of Chicago Press, forthcoming.)

Young, Jewish, and Activist – Panel DiscussionWednesday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m.

Four young adult Jewish activists will consider how their Jewishorigins and identities shape their engagement and activism.

At Home in Utopia - Film(USA, 2008, 57 minutes)Thursday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m.

Jewish garment workers catapulted themselves out of the urbanslums and ghettos by pooling their resources and buildingcooperatively owned and run apartment houses in the Bronx.At Home in Utopia captures their epic struggle across twogenerations as they tried to build an equitable and just society.The program includes a conversation with filmmaker EllenBrodsky and film subject Yok Ziebel.

Story Circles: Documenting Radical PhiladelphiaFriday, Dec. 2, 2 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4, 4:30 p.m.

Here is your chance to be part of documenting a formative andvital element of Jewish Philadelphia, by bringing your ownmemories and stories from radical Jewish communities inPhiladelphia. The Story Circles will seed an oral history archivethat will help to pass the radical Jewish tradition onto the nextgenerations.

Museum visitors are also invited to share their stories using theIt’s Your Story™ oral history booths.

East Towards Home – PerformanceSunday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m.

Theater artist Billy Yalowitz will present a staged reading of hisplay, East Towards Home, a journey into the radical left-wingculture of New York City and beyond, as the culminating eventof the week-long The Art of Being Jewish in the City residency.

Co-presented with Temple University’s Tyler School of Art.

The Art of Being Jewish in the City is presented by TempleUniversity’s Feinstein Center for American Jewish History in col-laboration with the Museum and the Gershman Y.

See www.nmajh.org/publicprograms for ticketing information.

Anna Sokolow in The ExileBarbara Morgan, 1939

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For program details and to purchase tickets, visit nmajh.org/publicprograms. Questions?

Call 215.923.3811 x 110 or email programs@nmajh.org.

10

More Than 1,000 Artifacts Donated to Museum

ACCESSIONS

The Museum received more than 1,050 artifacts from 131donors during 2010. The Museum gratefully acknowledges

these contributions that are integral to our telling the story ofmore than 350 years of American Jewish history.

“As an institution that seeks to represent the Americana Jewishexperience in all its diversity, we could not fulfill our missionwithout the generosity of our many constituents. With these arti-facts come stories—those wonderful testaments to achievementand struggle, to culture and tradition, and most of all to history—that are the very building blocks of our collection and the coreexhibition,” said Dr. Josh Perelman, the Museum’s Chief Curatorand Director of Exhibitions and Collections.

If you have an artifact you would like the Museum to considerfor donation, please contact Rebecca Levine, the Museum’sAssociate Registrar, at rlevine@nmajh.org or at 215.391.4659

Here Comes The Bridal Dress

It was 1936. Evelyn was 16 and Sephardic, Max was 20 andAshkenazic. She lived in the Bronx. He was from the Lower

East Side. They met at a dance, and like Maria and Tony in WestSide Story, it was love at first sight.

But it was four years before theycould marry, due to her age andthe family tradition that dictatedher two older sisters had to marryfirst. But love prevailed and thecouple married in December1940.

Her father, Daniel, had emigratedfrom Salonika, Greece, with hiswife, Lucy, for a better life inAmerica. By the time Evelynmarried, her father had done wellenough to purchase her weddinggown.

It was a very popular gown.

Some of Evelyn’s friends couldn’tafford to buy a wedding gown.Others didn’t have time to findone because their husbands-to-bewere shipping out for militaryservice.

“While mom loved that gown,she was more proud of the fact that 21 brides borrowed it,” saidJulie Barri, Evelyn’s daughter, of Encino, California. “When youexamine the dress very closely, you can see some of the placeswhere the dress had been let out to fit brides of other sizes,” saidMs. Barri, who recently donated her mother’s wedding gown,wedding portrait and family Bible to the Museum.

“Like so many of the best artifacts in our collection, Evelyn’sgown allows us to tell her personal story and a communal story,

simultaneously,” said Ivy L. Barsky, the Gwen Goodman MuseumDirector and CEO. “We’re honored to preserve the dress and bethe custodians for it and the related family stories.”

Museum Home to Hall of Famer

Sid Gillman was the first coach to win divisional titles in boththe National Football League and the American Football

League. His team, the San Diego Chargers, won the AFLchampionship in 1973. He was the American Football

Conference Coachof the Year in 1974and is recognizedas the authority onfootball passingtheories and tactics.Those accomplish-ments, and more,got him into thePro Football Hallof Fame.

His four children,undeniably proudof him and hisaccomplishments,recently donatedthe plaques Mr.Gillman receivedfor his inductioninto the Pro

Football Hall of Fame and to The Ohio State University SportsHall of Fame to the Museum.

“We wanted to share his accomplishments with people,” said hisdaughter, Bobbe Gillman Korbin of Los Angeles. “We’re proud ofhim for having been an honorable man and proud of him forbeing a Jewish man who made it to the pinnacle of his profession.”

As important as Mr. Gillman’s contributions were to football, hischildren are equally proud of his stance as a civil rights pioneer.

His daughter remembered that when he was coaching collegeball, her father started a routine the night before a game in whichthe whole team went out together for dinner and then to a movie.In Cincinnati, when his “negro” players were asked to sit upstairsin the balcony, he gathered the team and left.

Another time, she said, in the early 1960s, when he was with theChargers, he was the first professional football coach to have theplayers room together by virtue of the position they played, whichmeant black and white players together. “No other professionalteam ever roomed black and white players together,” she said.

Ms. Korbin also recalled her father as someone who faced, andpersevered, through antisemitism. “Because Ohio State renegedon an offer of its head coaching job in the early 1950s when theylearned Gillman was Jewish, a few years later, when Dan Reeves,

Gift of the children of Max and Evelyn Weinberg:Julie Barri, Leonard Weinberg and Leah Bernstein.

Gift of Barbara Korbin, Tom Gillman, LyleGillman and Terry Hill.

11

IIt takes eight months to get the right merchandise for the eight days ofHanukkah.

Since spring, Kristen Kreider,the Museum Store Director, hasbeen on the lookout for exclusiveand distinctive traditional andnon-traditional Hanukkah gifts.And she has found them.

The store has an abundance ofHanukkiot and Hanukkahcandles, handmade in theUnited States as well as Israel,

available at a variety of priceranges. There are also toy and

collectible dreidels, designer jewelry, books, toys, games and tabletopgifts from leading designers Michael Aram and Mary Jurich.

“This will be our first full Hanukkah season open in the new Museumspace,” Ms. Kreider said. “We opened just a few days before Hanukkahlast year so we did not have the opportunity to showcase the holiday theway I would have liked. This December, I really get to push the envelope,”said Ms. Kreider, the founder of American Pie Contemporary Crafts &Abode Gallery, former Philadelphia-based award-winning stores knownfor their outstanding Judaica.

The Museum Store has been garnering a stellar reputation since its opening.Hilary Larson wrote in New York’s Jewish Week, “From books of humor tosilver jewelry to a vast array of mezuzot and menorahs, this is one of thebest-curated museum stores around.”

To see some of the many objects the Store carries, visitwww.judaicashop.net.

Ms. Kreider, who provides customized shopping services, can bereached at 215.923.3811 x 132 or kkreider@nmajh.org.

Museum Store Hopping for Hanukkah Shopping

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one of the owners of the then Los Angeles Rams, called him upand offered him the head coaching job, he wanted Dan to knowsomething,” according to Ms. Korbin. “When Dan asked, ‘what?’Sid said, ‘I’m Jewish.’ Dan Reeves, an Irish Catholic, replied, ‘well,maybe that will help.’”

“Sid Gillman was an innovator in ways that went beyond thegame, and obviously one of the football greats,” said Ivy L.Barsky, the Gwen Goodmann Museum Director and COO. “But,it is clear that he also exercised Jewish values in his leadershippositions in groundbreaking ways.”

Alliance Diploma Educates AboutImmigration

Nathan Langberg was so successful in the insurance businessthat he had an eight-bedroom apartment on Riverside Drive

in New York and a full-time maid. But like so many immigrantchildren, his roots were more than humble.

His June 28, 1910 diploma from The Education Alliance certifiesthe he “completed in a satisfactory manner the prescribed courseof study in Baron de Hirsch English Classes for ImmigrantChildren.”

The Educational Alliance was founded in 1889 to help Jewishimmigrants get settled in the United States.

Mr. Langberg was Miriam Grossmann’s sister-in-law’s father.Miriam and her husband, Saul, recently donated the diploma tothe Museum. “We thought it was a significant example of howAmerican Jewry adapted to life in this country,” said Mr.Grossmann, of the Haddon Heights, N.J. couple’s decision todonate the diploma to the Museum.

Dr. Josh Perelman, the Museum’s Chief Curator and Director ofExhibitions and Collections, agrees.

“An iconic institution that still exists today, The EducationalAlliance was a bustling center for art, culture, and learning,” saidDr. Perelman. “Its founders sought to address the economic andsocial ills found in America’s urban, working-class neighborhoodswhile hoping to make their charges better Americans.

“Immigrants streamed in and out for classes on a range of subjectsfrom elocution to cooking, and children filled its gymnasiums andlibrary. Meanwhile, teachers made every attempt to helpimmigrants learn how to talk, act, dress, look, and cook likeAmericans,” he said.

“We are thrilled that the Grossmanns chose the Museum as thehome for this diploma,” Dr. Perelman said.

Gift of Miriam and Saul Grossmann.

DISTINCTLY JEWISH. UNIQUELY AMERICAN.

101 South Independence Mall EastPhiladelphia, PA 19106-2517215.923.3811 • www.nmajh.org

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Ivy L. BarskyGwen Goodman Museum Director and COO

Jay NachmanPublic Relations Director

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PAIDPermit No. 296Philadelphia, PA

To subscribe to the Museum’s E-Newsletter,visit www.nmajh.org.For information or to make a contribution, call215.391.4651.© National Museum of American Jewish History

Students Learn Lessons of Only In America

CH A N G E SE RV I C E RE Q U E S T E D

Academy Award-winning filmmakerSteven Spielberg (right) points out his

first 8mm camera to ComcastCorporation Chairman and CEO Brian L.

Roberts during a recent visit to theNational Museum of American Jewish

History. The camera appears in theMuseum’s Only in America® Gallery/

Hall of Fame, which showcases thechallenges and opportunities a select

group of extraordinary Jewish Americans,including Mr. Spielberg, encountered on

the road to remarkable achievement.

Have you heard of IsaacLeeser? Well, Isaac Leeser

was an author, translator, andhe created the Jewish pressof America!”If you haven’t heard ofLeeser, a pre-eminent mid-19th century Jewish leader,don’t worry. You are notalone. Neither had ElianaEstrada or her 17 fifth-gradeclassmates at Temple Israelof Hollywood Day School,in Los Angeles, who wereeach assigned a report onone of the 18 JewishAmericans included in theOnly in America® Gallery/Hall of Fame in the NationalMuseum of American JewishHistory’s core exhibition.

Reporting on Leeser’s background and many achievements, Eliana alsowrote, “When Isaac Leeser was 17 years old, he immigrated to America.Once he reached America he lived with his uncle and went to a privateschool. Later on, Isaac Leeser published two books: ‘The Jews and theMosaic Law’ and ‘Instruction in the Mosaic Religion.’ He also made thefirst Jewish translation of the Bible into English and many Hebrew prayerbooks so they could be published in America! Isaac Leeser was the kind ofperson who wanted to make a difference for the Jewish religion inAmerica; he was a Jewish hero.”

Orley Garber, the students’ teacher, said the students not only had toresearch and write a report on the individuals they were assigned, but alsohad to dress up in character to deliver their findings. “They really got intothe presentation of the people and it was a more authentic assignment forthe students because the individuals are in a museum.”

She said she wanted the students to explore “What makes a hero?”

“If being an expert in your fieldand doing it well, someone whohas a vision and uses his or herskills, is a hero, then the Only inAmerica® Gallery/Hall of Fameprovided that message that eachstudent was capable of beingheroic, because all of them haveindividual strengths and weak-nesses,” Ms. Garber said.

Ms. Garber wasn’t the onlyeducator to recently use theOnly in America® Gallery/Hall ofFame as a teaching tool.

Students studying graphicdesign and illustration in theirjunior and senior years at theHussian School of Art, locatednext to the Museum, createdstamps of the Only in America®

Gallery/Hall of Fame inducteesfor a class project. The Museumthen hosted a reception for the

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Hussian School of Art student James Clark withhis design of an Albert Einstein stamp.

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Amanda Rosen as the Statue of Liberty.Amanda’s report was on Emma Lazarus,who wrote "Give me your tired, yourpoor, your huddled masses yearning tobreathe free," from The New Colossus,affixed to the Statue of Liberty in 1903.

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