The Jewish Museum of Maryland Visits the National Museum of American Jewish History!
I was asked to set up a visit to the brand new National Museum of American Jewish History on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall this past Sunday for members of the JMM’s Board of Trustees. Sunday coincided with the opening day of the annual conference of the Council of American Jewish Museums, which the NMAJH hosted, so the trustees had an opportunity not only to see the new museum, but also to attend the opening plenary session of the conference. No problem, I said to myself, this will be a breeze to do . . . but I quickly found out that one detail led to another, led to another, and so on.
Our Bus Trippers relaxed on the drive, enjoying bagels, juices, and chatting with one another. When we arrived in Philadelphia, we were all ready for our visit to the NMAJH.
The NMAJH building was imposing, sitting right on the mall at 5th and Market Streets. Our bus driver found the entrance and we were welcomed by a representative of the museum. We had plenty of time to check out the highlights of the exhibitions in the museum; although there was no way that we could see everything on the four floors in the few hours we were there. Everyone gave it their best shot, knowing that we would have to make a return visit. You know of course, that I made a bee line for their Museum Store and browsed and chatted with the Museum Store Manager to my heart’s content. It is quite a store and well worth visiting!
Trustees also attended the Plenary session of CAJM which they found very interesting, Following that, they had time to check out more exhibitions, and do a bit of shopping. Our bus returned promptly at 4:00 PM to take us back to Baltimore, arriving at 6:00 PM. Again, nourishment was provided, crunchy apples, dark chocolates and chocolate chip cookies were on the menu. If nothing else, we ate well.
Everyone had a great time, it was an opportunity to meet and greet in a relaxed way. We all agreed that the NMAJH is an amazing museum and we encourage you to make the trip to Philadelphia to check it out!