Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

08/27/2026

Many stories of restitution revolve around famous pieces of art by high-ranking N**i officials. However, thousands of German civilians also partook in the looting of their Jewish neighbors. These bowls, owned by Leo Leeser and his family, were stolen from him after he was deported to and murdered at Theresienstadt concentration camp. Over 80 years later, these bowls were returned to the family and donated to the Museum.

For information about donating objects to the Museum, contact [email protected]

Credit: Gift from Eva Lynn Gans and Family in memory of Leo Gans

08/26/2026

As summer winds down, the sunflowers that grow on the Museum's rooftop are soaking up every ray of sun — a good reminder that we should do the same! Next time you visit the Museum, take a moment to explore Wagner Park to enjoy the warm weather, flowers, and beautiful New York Harbor view.

Plan your visit to the Museum at: mjhnyc.org

08/25/2026

How do you prepare a testimony presentation? This summer, our High School Apprenticeship cohort tackled that question, planning a special two-part presentation. Half the apprentices interviewed survivor Maritza Shelley in front of their peers; the other helped prepare a presentation and Q&A session with Maritza’s daughter, Alexandra, a new member of our Heritage Testimonies program. The result was a unique pairing: two perspectives — mother's and daughter's — on one family's story of survival.

Learn more about our High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP) at: mjhnyc.org/hsap

08/24/2026

Communal organizing has long been a cornerstone of Jewish life. Pictured here is a poster in Yiddish issued by the Minsk Jewish Labor Bund ca. 1920 calling for a "big meeting" on the theme ‘What Awaits Us?’ Founded in Vilna, Lithuania in 1897, the Bund was a Jewish socialist political party that fought for the rights of Jewish workers, opposed the spread of antisemitism in their cities and towns, and championed Yiddish language and culture. It would grow to become a prominent Jewish political party in Eastern Europe in the interwar period. The poster, declaring “Workers of the World Unite!” alerts readers to a general meeting likely organized in response to the various revolutions in Belarus and local elections to the City Council. Inclusive to all, it called upon all: "Comrades Laborers, attend this meeting en masse! Comrades Female Laborers, all of you come to the meeting...." Through their profound commitment to political activism, the Jewish Labor Bund championed the safety, prosperity, and cultural life of Eastern European Jews while seeking to usher in a better world for all.

Credit: Bund meeting notice, ca. 1920. Collection of Museum of Jewish Heritage, 2372.90

08/23/2026

Join the Museum for these upcoming programs and events:

✏️ Introduction to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising with Dr. Zachary Mazur: A Series – August 26 & September 2
📚 “A Promised Land” Book Talk - Wednesday, August 26 | 7 PM ET
📚 “The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum” Book Talk – Sunday, August 30 | 2 PM ET

Learn more and register at: mjhnyc.org/events

08/22/2026

On World Folklore Day, take a look at this colorful Aleph crafted for the birth of Elia Moshe Avraham Negrin in Ioannina (Janina), Greece in 1868. An Aleph, or Alef, is a type of birth certificate and protective amulet given to newborn boys in the Romaniote Jewish communities of Greece. Alephs contain many of the details seen on birth certificates today: the child’s birthdate as well as the parents' names. However, an Aleph also contains mystical Jewish symbols and prayers for the safety of the mother and child. This amulet would have then been hung above Elia's cradle, safeguarding him from the potential complications of circumcision and the dangers of infancy.

Elia brought this precious heirloom with him when he immigrated to New York City in 1911 with his wife and children. The Negrin family were active members in the Janina community of Harlem and continued to practice their rich cultural traditions in the United States.

Credit: Aleph illuminated birth amulet of Elia Moshe Avraham Negrin, Ioannina, Greece, 1868. Gift of Belle Negrin Davis in memory of her father and grandfather, 1999.A.43

08/21/2026

Take a look at this recording of "The Life and Legacy of Theodor Herzl" which was presented by the Museum earlier this summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKIfODv4EoA

Warren Klein, the director and curator of the Herbert & Eileen Bernard Museum at Temple Emanu-El in New York, and David Matlow, owner of the world’s largest private collection of Herzl memorabilia, discuss the life and lasting legacy of Theodor Herzl, highlight objects from Matlow’s collection and explore the "All About Herzl" exhibition, which was hosted at the Herbert & Eileen Bernard Museum.

Join the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Warren Klein, the director and ...

08/20/2026

We are pleased to announce that Greta Fischman Elbogen, a member of our Speakers Bureau, will be paid a special tribute as part of the Simon Wiesenthal Prize award ceremony taking place in Austria this November. Greta, along with other Holocaust survivors, is being recognized for her “long-standing and exceptional commitment to Holocaust education, remembrance culture, antisemitism prevention, and advocacy for democratic values.” The Board of Trustees of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism unanimously chose Greta as one of their special tributes, writing to Greta: “Through your personal testimony, you convey this dark chapter of our history in a powerful manner and strengthen the awareness of our shared societal responsibility to decisively oppose antisemitism. Your commitment serves as both an example and a mandate for us all.”

Congratulations to Greta - her work with our Speakers Bureau to educate visitors and young people makes an important difference. Learn more about our Speakers Bureau at: https://mjhnyc.org/sb/

08/19/2026

Ruth Zimbler z”l has a message for young people today - be an upstander, not a bystander.

Before she passed away, Ruth participated in “Survivor Stories: An Interactive Dialogue,” recording her story so that people can learn from her in perpetuity. Hear Ruth discuss her life and ask questions about her experience for yourself through our “Survivor Stories” website at: https://mjhnyc.org/survivor-stories-experience/

08/18/2026

Save the date! It’s one month until the opening of “Will These Words Reach You? The Underground Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto” on September 18th. This exhibition examines one of the most significant acts of Jewish resistance and historical preservation during the Holocaust: the creation of the Oyneg Shabes Archive in the Warsaw Ghetto. Led by historian and activist Dr. Emanuel Ringelblum, a clandestine group of Jewish scholars, educators, journalists, religious leaders, artists, and youth activists formed “Oyneg Shabes” - Over three years, they gathered nearly 35,000 documents, including testimonies, diaries, letters, underground newspapers, artwork, ration cards, children’s writings, and cultural ephemera. Together, these materials form the most comprehensive contemporaneous Jewish record of life in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Produced by the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, “Will These Words Reach You?” commemorates the 80th anniversary of the archive’s recovery. By preserving their voices in the midst of catastrophe, Oyneg Shabes ensured that Jews would continue to speak across generations, creating an archive that stands as a testament to Jewish agency, intellectual life, and the enduring commitment to memory.

Learn more about our upcoming exhibition at: https://mjhnyc.org/exhibitions/will-these-words-reach-you-underground-warsaw-archive/
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"Will These Words Reach You? The Underground Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto" is made possible, in part, thanks to generous support from the David Berg Foundation, George Klein and Family, the Goldie and David Blanksteen Foundation, the Charina Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Matthew F. and Terry Schwartz Breitenbach, Michael Eberstadt and Nina Beattie, Nancy Fisher, Patti Kenner, Stacey and Marc Saiontz, and the Nartel Family Foundation. The Museum of Jewish Heritage’s programs are also made possible by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.