Weitzman National Museum Of American Jewish History

1917: GATEWAY TO THE 20TH CENTURY

CHASING DREAMS

LEONARD BERNSTEIN: THE POWER OF MUSIC

THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY WILL PROTOTYPE A NEW METHODOLOGY FOR ITS CORE EXHIBITION. USING A MODEL THAT ENCOURAGES VISITORS TO INTERACT, THE EXHIBITION WILL SHARE THE EXPERIENCE OF AMERICA’S JEWISH COMMUNITY AND INFORM THE VISITOR’S THINKING ABOUT THE KEY VALUES AND CHALLENGES OF A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE CREATING A PROTOTYPE THAT MODELS ONE SECTION OF THE NEW DESIGN, AND TESTING THE PROTOTYPE AT TWO LOCATIONS WITH KEY TARGET AUDIENCES OF JEWISH PHILADELPHIANS, NON-JEWISH PHILADELPHIANS, AND NATIONAL TOURISTS. THE FEEDBACK FROM THE TEST AUDIENCES WILL BE COMPILED BY AN EVALUATOR IN A REPORT, AND THE FINDINGS WILL BE USED TO ADJUST THE FINAL DESIGN FOR THE CORE EXHIBITION. AS A RESULT, THE MUSEUM WILL ENGAGE WITH A WIDER AND MORE VARIED AUDIENCE, AND VISITORS WILL EXPERIENCE A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF AND COMMITMENT TO AMERICA’S IDEALS.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

THE FIRST SALUTE: JEWS, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION [THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY, LOCATED ON PHILADELPHIA'S HISTORIC INDEPENDENCE MALL, WILL PRESENT THE FIRST SALUTE, A SPECIAL EXHIBITION OPENING IN APRIL 2026 TO COMMEMORATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. THE EXHIBITION WILL FEATURE UNIQUE ARTIFACTS AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES THAT UNCOVER LARGELY UNKNOWN STORIES ABOUT JEWS? ROLES IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICA'S FOUNDING IDEALS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND SELF-DETERMINATION.]

LEONARD BERNSTEIN: THE POWER OF MUSIC