Look to the Cookie

...And now, we approach Labor Day, the American symbol of the end of summer. Here at the Museum, the summer internships end about now, too. Now, summer internships not only mean fabulous young people bustling about the Museum, they also mean "leftover sandwiches and cookies from training sessions." The staff very much looks forward to that kind of anticipated but always appreciated email announcing "Sandwiches in the staff lounge!" That simple message is like the starting gun at the beginning of a 5K, and to the victor go the spoils.

So now that we no longer have an influx of delectable sandwiches, does the staff shrivel up in culinary despair? Of course not! We have the Heritage Café where we can get "The Cookie." The Cookie™ is an ultimate good. It is a healthy portion of chocolately, melty, chewy, kosher amazing-ness that can be shared between two people with no lingering feelings of animosity over who ate more. There is no fighting around The Cookie™; it incites only euphoria. The Cookie™ is used by the staff to help themselves through a rough day and helps them realize that life is sweet. It is in that spirit that we do not jealously hoard all this deliciousness for ourselves: but we are happy to leave some for Museum visitors as well.

So, this Labor Day, I encourage you all to (in the words of Jerry Seinfeld) "Look to the cookie."

Némirovsky in the News

We were happy to see this article about Woman of Letters in USA Today's "Book Buzz" section this morning. We're getting very excited for the September 24 opening to share Irène's story, and are so pleased that the exhibition has garnered national attention.  In the words of the article...

"The fact that Suite Française was so popular has led us to a teachable moment," says museum spokeswoman Betsy Aldredge. "We think that we can provide historical context to this amazing writer's life and the time period in which she lived."


Couldn't have said it better myself, Betsy!

Honoring Liberators on the World Stage

Last night, during the convention, John Kerry honored Barack Obama's great uncle, Charlie Payne, for his role in liberating Buchenwald. Regardless of political leanings, it was a very moving reminder that in addition to survivors, liberators and witnesses will not be with us for many more years. We hope that whomever is elected will make Holocaust education and remembrance a priority and that they will listen to survivors and educators about how to Meet Hate with Humanity, as the Museum of Jewish Heritage curriculum teaches.

Missing Molly Ivins

Whenever there is an election or something interesting on the political stage, I miss columnist Molly Ivins. I sometimes imagine what sorts of things she would say. She just had the gift of putting people in their place and putting their actions into historical context. For instance, when Pat Robertson was running for president and he gave a barely veiled incendiary speech, Molly Ivins quietly quipped that she liked it better "in the original German."

She was more than pointedly funny, she also perfected the art of political satire and carried on the American tradition of dissention, as former Harper's editor Lewis Lapham said in a very eloquent tribute to her. Speaking of Lewis Lapham, the Museum of Jewish Heritage is very lucky to welcome the author on September 10 when he will interview playwright Frederic Morton about his new work. Until then, you can listen to Lapham's well thought out interviews with other authors and historians via podcast.

What, this old thing...?

Betsy pointed me in the direction of this very interesting article today from the New York Times. It tells the story of the eclectic collection of the late John Lattimer, which is currently being sorted and sent to auction by his daughter, Evan. There doesn't really seem to be much of a theme when it comes to the artifacts Lattimer accrued in his lifetime--a dinosaur egg, the collar Lincoln wore the night of his assassination, a medieval torture device, and Göring's boxer shorts (Lattimer, a medical officer at the Nuremberg war tribunals, treated the Nazi while he was imprisoned) are just a few of the 3,000+ relics.

It seems that every item in the Lattimer Collection has an equally fascinating story to go with it. Within the Museum's collection, it's important to us that our artifacts have a personal connection to their former owners and convey a story. Whenever possible, we like to display objects with a picture, quote from the owner, and/or anecdote on how it was used. Though these items often seem mundane, they become emblematic of a bigger picture and show Jewish history from a first-person perspective. Thea Gottesmann Rumstein's dress and tote bag, on display on the second floor, look simply ordinary at first glance. Upon reading the accompanying wall text, however, visitors learn that Thea hand-stitched blue and white checked skirt and blouse from fabric supplied by US armed forces after her liberation from Mauthausen: it was only clothing she had aside from her camp uniform, with which she made a bag to carry any food she found as she journeyed back to Vienna.

So go through your attics/basements/storage units/closets/grandparents houses! We are always eager to welcome new objects into our collection, especially when these items have a personal story that accompany them. (In addition to items described in the link, we are currently seeking items pertaining to Jews adopting children from other cultures and countries. We currently have items from adoptees from Asia, South America, and others.)

In the News

While the Museum is frequently covered in the NY-metro media (I've got a huge stack of press clips on my desk to prove it), two articles in particular struck me this past week. One comes from New Jersey Jewish News about the Newark Boys Choir School's trip to the Museum, which was organized by real estate developer Jerry Gottesman. Mr. Gottesman saw the students perform for Yom Hashoah and wanted to expand their knowledge of Judaism and the Holocaust.

Another article from The Jewish Week takes a look at the future of Holocaust education. One of the models examined is none other than the Lipper Internship! (There's even a quote from yours truly...)

Understanding Jewish Heritage through Artifacts

My colleague Dr. Paul Radensky, the Museum Educator for Jewish Schools, had an interesting and productive week. He’s joining us as a guest blogger today.

Fourteen educators from across the New York area and one from Toronto joined us on August 18th and 19th for our seminar on how to implement the Living Museum program in Jewish schools. The Living Museum was started about eight years ago as a way to show students how they can learn about their Jewish heritage through studying artifacts, including family heirlooms. On the first day of our seminar, the participants visited the first floor of our Core Exhibition to get a sense of how to study artifacts and the galleries in a museum context. Then, the teachers presented their own artifacts that they brought from home. Many of the objects were utterly fascinating. One teacher brought in klezmer sheet music that had been written by her great-grandfather in 1901. Another presented a piece of rubble that had been picked up at Auschwitz. A third had a Kiddush cup that was made from silver coins that were given to his grandfather by a Hasidic rebbe. The educators wrote labels for the artifacts, which we then sorted into galleries. Once the labels and galleries were ready, we had our Living Museum exhibition (seen above), which was well attended by members of the Education Department, Visitor Services, and other staffers. The teachers were able to share their objects and everyone’s knowledge was deepened by being able to study first hand a wonderful group of historic artifacts.

On the second day of the seminar, the teachers were ably led by Allison Farber, Museum Educator for New Media, who guided them through our Living Museum website. The seminar participants learned how as teachers, they could create the framework for their own online exhibition and how as students, they could add an artifact to the site. We look forward to hearing about their in-school Living Museums and viewing their online exhibitions.

Lippers and Flippers

I believe I have spoken on here about the Lipper Internship, the Museum's internship for college students and that I myself was a Lipper in 2004. (There are a couple former Lippers on staff. We call ourselves "Flippers".) This incredible program brings a fresh batch of interns into the MJH family two times a year. The Fall class is currently on day four of their intensive 10-day training to learn how to teach the Museum's Core Exhibition to middle- and high-school students. Speaking from experience, this is an exciting, exhausting, and emotional time. The combination of reading, discussions, films, lectures, gallery tours, presentations, and hearing survivor testimony creates an educational experience unlike any other.

Today, I had the opportunity to work with this group in the second floor galleries. Each intern took a minute or so to acquaint her/himself with an artifact s/he had never seen before and presented it to the rest of the group (posing as students) in order to illustrate the themes represented by the object, such as Jewish self-reliance after the Nuremberg Laws or the Kindertransports. It was so impressive to see how the interns were able to intelligently and uniquely present these items with so little prep time. Their enthusiasm and quick thinking served them well. As they were taught, they asked a lot of questions of the group "What do we see here?" "Why do you think this person wanted to bring this with them?" "How is this different from the artifact we just looked at?" "What would you do if you were no longer allowed to go to school." At the end of training, these students will bring their lessons and expertise to high schoolers from all over the Northeast. After seeing what the Lippers are capable of after just four days, I know they will be incredible ambassadors of MJH wherever they go.

(Pictured: Roy Ben-Moshe and Jessica McCarthy engage in Lipper-ly discussion during a rare break.)

News from the Windy City

It's a little quieter here in the offices of the Museum of Jewish Heritage this week, as some of our staff members are in Chicago at the IAJGS Jewish Genealogy Conference. The folks of JewishGen, a Museum affiliate, are busy making new friends, talking about how they can help you trace your Jewish roots, and showing off the website's new logo (seen here).

You can read more about what they are up to on their blog.

Interfaith Heritage

In case you haven't noticed, I figured now would be a good time to tell you that the Museum is really big into dialogue. Dialogue on historical figures, dialogue on political issues and, of course, interfaith dialogue. This week, the Museum is once again hosting Dialogues About Teaching Jewish/Christian Heritage and the Holocaust, a seminar for teachers in Catholic schools. Over the course of five days, teachers and administrators meet with educators from the Museum and distinguished speakers for an enlightening conference. They explore Jewish and Christian understandings of the Hebrew Bible, artifacts used in Jewish religious practice, and the impact of WWII and the Nazi genocide on Jewish lives and communities in Europe. I was able to sit in on a lecture by Sister Mary Boys of Union Theological Seminary last year about the historical relationship between Jews and the Catholic Church and it was truly fascinating.

This seminar is the result of the Museum's relationship with John Cardinal O’Connor--the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York from 1984 to 2000-- who made it a mission to heal Judeo-Christian relations. Part of his action plan? He mandated that a visit to the Museum be added to the curriculum of every high school student in the Archdiocese of New York. The Cardinal was a guest speaker at the Museum’s dedication in 1997, and something he said then resonates strongly with me today: “…I pray...that through this Museum, every Jew will be ever prouder to be a Jew and that those of us who call ourselves Christians will become ever prouder of our Jewish Heritage.”

It's Almost Convention Time

JTA has announced that Rabbi David Saperstein (seen here) the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, will offer the invocation at the DNC on the night Obama is scheduled to accept the nomination. (FYI: both conventions will have interfaith elements) It is a great honor for Rabbi Saperstein and should provide him with an interesting perspective. Come hear what he has to say about Religion and the 2008 Political Campaign when he participates in a panel discussion here at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on September 17. Washington Post reporter and On Faith moderator Sally Quinn will moderate a panel that will also include the Interfaith Alliance's Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, author Susan Jacoby, and the First Amendment Center's Charles Haynes.

Interestingly, I stumbled across a tool on Beliefnet.com called the G-d-o-meter that scientifically rates the candidates' religious talk leading up to the election. I wonder what the panelists will say about its accuracy.

Espionage with Julia Child

Due to my love of the late great Julia Child and of all things espionage, I was very pleased to read this article. Apparently, files pertaining to Ms. Child's time with the OSS, an international spy ring established by Franklin Roosevelt during WWII, were made available for the first time ever yesterday.While it has been a long-confirmed fact that Child was a member of this organization (a precursor to the CIA) her employee records, job assignments, and missions have been kept classified until now. So what do you think? Did Julia attend black tie galas in order to sneak into a dictator's study to steal microfilm for the President of the United States? One thing's for sure, as a 6 foot 2 inch former basketball player, she wouldn't have been particularly inconspicuous in such a situation.

While Julia Child is best known for making haute cuisine accessible to everyone, opening these files will let us all know precisely how (like the men and women featured in Ours to Fight For) one woman was able to make a difference in one of history's darkest hours.

We miss you, Chef! Bon Appétit!

Community Service: Everyone WINs

Today, Blog from Battery Place features special guest writer Navpreet, this week's Communications intern! -JK


An important principal of the Museum of Jewish Heritage is Tikkun Olam—repair of the world. To make a difference in our community the 2008 HSAPs spent our last Tuesday together leaving a mark at Women in Need (WIN). WIN is a great organization whose goal is to help the homeless and provide them with better opportunities. With just a few weeks left until the beginning of school, we thought it was important for the children to have essential supplies and start the year on a positive note. After running a successful school supply drive in the Museum for two weeks, we departed for WIN (pictured above). Once there, we distributed school supplies, including over 300 pencils, over 100 glue-sticks, 3000 sheets of loose-leaf, over 200 notebooks, over 1,000 pens, 47 book bags, and organized a thriving book drive for people of various ages.

After preparing the children for school, we transformed into little kids ourselves. We raced into WIN’s incredible playground where we played sports and socialized with the kids. While watching and participating in the heated basketball, handball, and volleyball games, I realized the children could potentially be great athletes. Despite the kids’ scheming on how to keep us at WIN, we finally were able to say goodbye. Looking back, I hope that we have left the children at WIN with the prospect of a bright future. I’m really proud of the community service committee for choosing such a great organization to work with. I feel overwhelmed (in a good way) knowing that we helped so many kids get ready for school. These kids have the potential to be successful in life, but they need a little encouragement and motivation, which I hope we provided. Supplying the children with necessary materials for school (and receiving beautiful smiles in return), I think we possibly made a difference in their world. Sometimes, a little can go a long way.

Cool Jews

I just got word that the Museum of Jewish Heritage is in a new book, Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe , by Lisa Alcalay Klug. Promotional copy for the book says:

"Cool Jew does for gefilte fish and matzah balls what the Preppy Handbook did for plaid and polo--only with much more chutzpah. Cool Jew covers everything Hebraic from womb to tomb, finally putting an end to Christmas tree envy. Short essays, lists, instructional guides, photographs, and original illustrations celebrate Jewish cultural pride with love, enthusiasm, and irreverence."

What aspect of the Museum tipped them off? Is it our hip programming, our beautiful views, our Andy Goldsworthy memorial garden? I haven't read the book yet, but being called cool brings back memories from my drama-geek days from high school-- I'm just happy to be included.

P.S. The book is available at the Pickman Museum Shop.

An Interview with Author Frederic Morton

On September 10, the Museum will present the New York premiere of award-winning author Frederic Morton's new play Commandant. Set in a death camp on the brink of liberation, this staged reading tells the story of imprisoned actor Victor Gruner as he faces the camp's scheming commander--and the greatest acting challenge of his life. Gruner is presented with a horrible choice: to take on the role of the officer and face questioning while his captor escapes, or to die at the hands of his enemies when the end of the war is, literally, in sight. I was recently able to have a conversation with Mr. Morton about his writing, the play, and how his past his influenced his work...

Jamie Kenney (JK): What inspired you to write this play?

Frederic Morton (FM): My father was in a concentration camp and I saw him arrested. He told me all kinds of stories from the camps. One was of a very well-known cabaret actor who was asked to do performances for the Nazi guards. I always thought this was a promising springboard for a novel or a play. The actual story is of course very different, but it was inspired by a true story. Furthermore, I am a child of the Nazi period. The problem and nature of evil was always very much on my mind. This play is an explanation of the nature of evil: it is an examination of evil from both sides--the evil in us.

JK: You are the author of twelve books two of which, The Rothschilds and A Nervous Splendor, have been adapted for stage. But Commandant was written for stage. What inspired you to make this particular story a play?
FM: I knew the hero would be a stage person, so a stage vehicle made sense. I always new I would make it at the end of the Third Reich, but with flashbacks and I thought this might work better as a stage presentation. Though I don’t have much experience with it, I did write another play that was done in an experimental theater. But I felt more confident from the beginning with this one.

JK: Commandant premiered as a staged reading in your native Vienna--how do you think the audience reactions will differ between a European city and New York?
FM: It will be hard to tell. The first [American] test will be done at your theatre. [In Vienna] it was done in a small theater which ironically, had a room built for Hitler behind the main box, even though Hitler never came. The handling of the play over there was very complicated, though we did get a positive response, and that made us very happy. We had five small performances, but [the staged reading in New York] is its first exposure in a larger audience. In a sense, it may upset some people and be controversial since the victim who is also the hero isn’t very heroic, even though he is a genius.

JK: Why did you feel it was important to have the premiere at the Museum of Jewish Heritage?
FM: It's a very impressive place and a very important part of New York's cultural repertoire and of the Jewish cultural situation in New York. I believe part of Jewish heritage should include self examination, which is part of what I examine in the play.

Frederic Morton will be interviewed after the premiere of Commandant by Lewis Lapham, former Editor of Harper's. To purchase tickets, click here.

A Rare Dose of Inspiration in the Real Estate Section

If you have lived here in New York for a while, reading the Real Estate Section in the New York Times evokes many feelings including envy (how did they get such a great deal?), dispair (I'll never be able to afford an apartment bigger than a postage stamp), and longing (someday when I win the lottery..) . I sometimes wonder why I read it at all. Imagine my surprise this weekend to read an inspiring story about Bernard Adler, a Holocaust survivor in the Bronx who was saved because of his skills as a tailor.

When we tell people that we work at the Museum, one of the most common questions we get is, "Isn't it depressing?" While everyone on staff has a different response, I mention the amazing survivors that we encounter daily. Our Speakers Bureau members, and the Holocaust survivors who are Gallery Educators or Trustees are some of the most positive and giving people I have ever had the chance to meet. And you should meet them, too. Speakers can come to your school, church, synagogue, or they can speak to your group after a tour of the Museum; and many of our Gallery Educators who give tours of the Museum are survivors.

The photo above is of Museum Trustee and Holocaust survivor Dr. Ruth Westheimer on her 80th birthday, which she celebrated at the Museum. Trust us, you cannot help but smile when Dr. Ruth is around.

Cancel your plans for Sunday

I just wanted to remind everyone that our very popular exhibition Sosúa: A Refuge for Jews in the Dominican Republic is closing Sunday afternoon. Ask any recent visitor, student group, or staff member and I am sure they will tell you to cancel your plans this Sunday (or today--we are open until 5) and come on down to see it. Bring your friends, your Spanish speaking neighbors, and your 12 year old cousin. Truly, this exhibition is for pretty much everyone.

We're also hoping the exhibit will eventually travel across the country, so if you miss it this weekend, stay tuned.

On the very bright side, the exhibit is closing to make way for another exciting venture, Woman of Letters: Irène Némirovsky and Suite Française . More later..

1,000 Strong!

I am very pleased to announce that the Museum of Jewish Heritage's Facebook page recently hit 1,000 fans! (Actually, we're up to 1,005: five more than last night at midnight... not that I'm on Facebook at midnight or anything...) If you haven't had a chance to take a look, click on the link above. The Facebook page is a great way to keep up to date on new exhibitions, public programs (including the occasional fan discount), Young Friends events, and other Museum happenings. I'm looking forward to adding some new applications in the coming days that will make the Facebook page an even better forum to link Museum enthusiasts (and no, these applications will not send new requests to your account every other day).

Let's All Go to the Movies

In the spirit of the staff book club, some of us here at MJH decided we should start a film club. As with the books we choose, film club films are relevant to the subject matter we cover here at the Museum, such as Jewish heritage, World War II, the Holocaust, immigration, material from a special exhibition, and so on. Members will watch the films on their own time and then come in ready to discuss. For our first meeting, we chose The Believer starring Ryan Gosling. Loosely based on the life of Dan Burros, a KKK member who was revealed to be Jewish in an article in the New York Times in the 1960s, The Believer follows fictitious Danny Balint--a Yeshiva student turned Nazi-- as he rises to prominence in a modern-day American fascist party.

The film club will get together two weeks. I encourage everyone where to "join" us. Watch the movie and post your thoughts here. I will bring your comments to the book club so we can discuss. I have seen the movie and assure you, there is a lot to take in and a lot to think about. We'd love to know what you think!

Jews in Old New England

I'm back from a bit of a Busman's Holiday. For those not familiar with the term, it means a vacation during which you do what you do for a living. In this case, I once again poked my head into the oldest synagogue in the country, the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island , which was dedicated in 1763.

Some 15 Sephardic Jewish families arrived in Newport in 1658. Their ancestors had fled the inquisition and they in turn moved to Rhode Island in search of religious tolerance. While I have been to Touro Synagogue several times over the years with Hebrew School etc., this time the location, in particular, resonated with me. It is a proud building in the middle of town. These were Jews who did not have to practice in secret anymore. They were prominent members of the community. The Touro Synagogue is also famous for a 1790 letter written by George Washington to the congregation. In it he states that the new nation will "give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."

The small but thriving Newport Jewish community must have been so relieved and grateful for these words. Especially when they reflected on another letter from heads of state --that we have in our collection-- from Ferdinand and Isabella ordering the expulsion of Jews from Spain.

The history of religious freedom in this country is certainly a hot topic these days. While it is important to look back, I also invite you to come to the Museum on September 17 for a discussion with Sally Quinn, Dr. Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, Rabbi David Saperstein, and Susan Jacoby, about how our leaders can best live up to George Washington's promise today.

Bar Mitzvah Abroad

With the Summer Olympics beginning on 8-8-08, it should come as no surprise that China is in the news quite a bit lately. I came across an article today, however, that I don't think one would expect. The piece tells the story of Isaac Shapiro, who will be celebrating his bar mitzvah in Beijing on August 16. (Perhaps you're thinking "Is there even a Jewish community in Beijing?" and the answer is "Yes. There have been Jews in China at least since 1841 though many historians will argue a Jewish presence was established in China since as early as the 7th century, CE.") In the article, Isaac's father Sam discusses some of the reasons they chose such an unusual locale for such a momentous occasion:

It will give Isaac a wonderful sense for the Jewish Diaspora... We also wanted to give our kids a better understanding of China since it is rapidly becoming one of the most important countries in the world.

I thought that sentiment was truly beautiful: examining one's own cultural identity by turning to the past, looking to the future, and seeing oneself as an active global citizen. The really fun part about being 13 (goodness knows there are about a million not so fun things) is that you are beginning to gain awareness of the world around you; a deeper understanding of history; and your place in both. This spirit of discovery and reflection are at the heart of a new curriculum of the Museum's called Coming of Age During the Holocaust, Coming of Age Now. COA provides the resources for in-depth Holocaust study in the classroom with bar and bat mitzvah students by presenting the touching, heartbreaking, and inspirational stories of 13 young people who came of age during the Holocaust. Click on the link above for more information on this program and materials.

So now I turn this post to you, readers: where was your bar/bat mitzvah? Was there an element of the unusual involved?

Surprise!

Under the subject title listed above, a friend of mine sent me a link about Olympic figure skating champion Oksana Baiul. In a recent appearance on LateNet with Ray Ellin at the Gotham Comedy Club, Oksana shared that her Jewish heritage had remained unknown to her until she was an adult, but that she was happy to learn about this aspect of her heritage.

Oksana is, of course, not the first to discover her Jewish heritage later in life; fear of persecution caused many Jews to subvert their cultural identity. It is this same persecution--pogroms, the Holocaust, and other atrocities-- that sometimes makes it difficult to trace one's Jewish heritage back very far. What is one way people are remedying this situation? They are turning to the internet! JewishGen is a Museum affiliated site that serves as a forum for the exchange of information about Jewish life and family history. It has enabled thousands of families to connect and re-connect in a way never before possible. If you are interested in learning more about your heritage, it's definitely a cool site.

Oh, and if you find out you're related to Ms. Baiul, might I recommend a pair of these. Winter Olympics are coming up in two years people and you don't win the gold reading a blog!

No One Looks Good in Horizontal Lines

... not the fashion statement, of course; I think anyone can look quite dapper in stripes. I'm referring to lines, like the one pictured. This particular line is for the Statue of Liberty ferry, which one can catch right here in Battery Park. I haven't been in a while--the first and last time was when I was a Lipper intern back in aught-four and we all went as a group and I definitely recommend it.

I have a special affection for one of the ferry's stops; my great grandfather, Carmen aka Papa Nooci, arrived to this country via Ellis Island when he was about 11. Working at MJH, I get a great view of the place where my family got its start in this country. (A fact that brings endless joy to Papa Nooci, who, whenever I mention it, will break into a story about the first time he saw Lady Liberty.) But every day at lunch, I get an even more up-close and personal view of the enormous, snaking line of people that, I assure you, wraps around the park on a nice day. I look at these poor souls in pity and think "Oh dear. Do they know that the Museum has air conditioning?"

I remember thinking when I first started that the Museum completed a lower Manhattan triad. Positioned across from Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the Museum is a conveniant complement to these other two sites of heritage. (The air conditioning and short lines are an added perk.)