WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY

EXHIBITION - THE WEITZMAN WELCOMED NEARLY 40,000 VISITORS TO ITS EXHIBITIONS IN FY 2023. IN ADDITION TO THE MUSEUM'S CORE EXHIBITION DETAILING 350 YEARS OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY AND CONTINUATION OF A SPECIAL EXHIBITION, THE FUTURE WILL FOLLOW THE PAST: AN EXHIBITION BY JONATHAN HOROWITZ, THE WEITZMAN PREMIERED AN ONLINE EXHBITION WILLIAM SHEMIN: ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY ABOUT A WORLD WAR I MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT. IT ALSO ACQUIRED A COLLECTION FROM PIONEERING COMPUTER SCIENTIST BEN SCHNEIDERMAN INCLUDING ARTIFACTS FROM HIS LIFE, THAT OF HIS PARENTS WHO WERE YIDDISH JOURNALISTS, AND OF HIS UNCLE, FAMED PHOTOJOURNALIST DAVID "CHIM" SEYMOUR. OTHER SIGNIFICANT ACCESSIONS INCLUDE CLOTHING MADE BY "RODEO BEN" LICHTENSTEIN (1893-1985), A JEWISH IMMIGRANT TAILOR WHO SPECIALIZED IN WESTERNWEAR AND WHO DESIGNED STAGE CLOTHING FOR MANY STARS INCLUDING ROY ROGERS, TOM MIX, AND GENE AUTRY AND DESIGNED WRANGLER JEANS POPULAR "COWBOY CUT AND THREE PAINTINGS BY RACHEL RAY FAUST (1900-1993), A FOLK ARTIST BORN IN POLAND WHOSE ART HAS BEEN EXHIBITED AT THE WHITNEY AND THE SMITHSONIAN.PUBLIC PROGRAMS - THE WEITZMAN STAGED 40 PROGRAMS, INCLUDING 20 IN-PERSON, DRAWING OVER 3,500 PARTICIPANTS, AND 13 ONLINE OFFERINGS WITH 1,500 REGISTRANTS. ITS VIRTUAL "SECRET CHORD" CONCERT SERIESSHORT CONCERTS FROM CELEBRATED JEWISH MUSICIANS REPRESENTING A BROAD RANGE OF STYLES, HERITAGES, AND HISTORIESHAS ATTRACTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VIEWS. NOTABLE PROGRAMS INCLUDED FREEDOM SEDER REVISITED, A PREVIEW OF KEN BURNS' "US AND THE HOLOCAUST," THE PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE OF "HOW SABA KEPT SINGING," A FILM EXECUTIVE-PRODUCED BY HILLARY CLINTON, AND CONVERSATIONS WITH NOTABLE PERSONALITIES INCLUDING MICHAEL TWITTY, SARAH PODEMSKI, AND ALEEZA BEN SHALOM. IT WELCOMED FAMILIES FOR ITS ANNUAL "BEING (BLANK) AT CHRISTMAS" FAMILY ACTIVITY EVENT. THE WEITZMAN ALSO EXPANDED ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM AND MEDIA, BECOMING THE VENUE FOR THE PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL, AND A NONPROFIT PARTNER, TRIBE12, UTILIZED THE WEITZMAN FOR ITS PROGRAMMING FOR JEWISH YOUNG ADULTS (I.E., 20'S AND 30'S).AS THE ORGANIZER OF JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH (JAHM), THE WEITZMAN LED MAY 2023 WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL JAHM YET, WITH RECORD ONLINE MEDIA IMPRESSIONS THAT EXCEEDED 3 BILLION, 12 PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS ACROSS THE U.S. WHO JOINED AS PARTNERS FOR THE FIRST TIME EXTENDING JAHM'S REACH TO MILLIONS OF LIBRARY CARDHOLDERS, AND A NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP COALITION OF JEWISH AND SECULAR ORGANIZATIONS THAT GREW FROM 50 MEMBERS IN 2020 TO MORE THAN 200 IN 2023.EDUCATION - THE MUSEUM REIGNITED ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOLLOWING THE COVID PANDEMIC, HIRING A NEW DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION. THE WEITZMAN WELCOMED 80 SCHOOL, YOUTH, AND CAMP GROUPS, FOR PROGRAMS UTILIZING THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION TO TELL THE MULTIFACETED STORIES OF JEWISH PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY, ALSO PROVIDING OFF-SITE PROGRAMS. IT HELD ITS NATIONAL EDUCATORS' INSTITUTE AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT SERVED OVER 100 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATORS. AND IT CONDUCTED ACTIVITY DAYS FOR FAMILIES AND FOR SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS.