A Visit from the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington

Last week, our colleagues from the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington visited the JMM to learn more about what we do and how we do it, and to talk about potential collaborations between our two institutions. Laura Cohen Apelbaum, the JHSGW’s director, brought a group of trustees, staff members, and interns to meet with Duke Zimmerman, JMM vice-president and chair of our collections committee, Deborah Cardin, and me.

After a morning spent touring the Lloyd Street and B’nai Israel Synaogogues and our “Synagogue Speaks” exhibition, the group settled down to chat with us over lunch. We talked about plans, challenges, and common interests.

The JHSGW and the JMM have a lot in common. Like the JMM, their museum chronicles the story of a Jewish community (in their case, Jews living in the greater Washington, DC area) through collections, publications, programs, and exhibitions. Like the JMM, they are stewards of an historic synagogue—though our Lloyd Street Synagogue (1845) has their Adas Israel Synagogue (1876) beat by 31 years! And like us, they were founded by volunteers in 1960. We’ve grown in similar directions since, with a shared commitment to preserving and interpreting Jewish history and culture in a meaningful way for both Jewish and general audiences.

Visit the JHSGW’s website (http:///www.jhsgw.org/) for a look at their many exciting programs and initiatives, and plan to pay them a visit next time you’re in Washington.

 

 

A blog post by Associate Director Anita Kassof.