Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

01/10/2024

What went into the creation of our new groundbreaking exhibition, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark?

Hear about this exciting achievement from the folks who are involved, such as our writers, artists, curators, and designers. From the multimedia aspects to the inclusion of children in the creation of the exhibition, we’re excited to highlight the stories that went into sharing the bigger story of the Danish Rescue and the important messages of being a good neighbor, standing up for what’s right, and making a difference in the world.

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/zITJ86frxRQ

01/10/2024

“I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears. And deep inside me, if I could have searched the recesses of my feeble conscience, I might have found something like: Free at last!” – Elie Wiesel

Survivor Elie Wiesel wrote these powerful words in his seminal memoir, “Night,” which was published in 1960. This year, for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Museum is hosting a special community reading of “Night,” on Sunday, January 28. Hear Wiesel’s world-changing words and connect with the urgency of his survivor story by joining us in person or on live stream with readers including Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Stephanie Butnick, Ann Curry, Jackie Hoffman, Carol Kane, Caissie Levy, Maira Kalman, Joshua Malina, Julianna Marguiles, Eleanor Reissa, Peter Riegert, and Jessica Shaw.

Register for free to join us in person at the Museum or on livestream at mjhnyc.org/events/nightreading/.

01/09/2024

During the Holocaust, Jews had to celebrate holidays and milestones in secret. Pictured here are two brothers of the Diamondes family (left and right) and their friend, Leon (middle). They’re wearing prayer shawls, called talesim, for their bar mitzvahs at a children’s home.

The Eclaireurs Israélites de France (French Jewish Scouts) organized a children's home and rural camp near Moissac and took in children of Jews imprisoned during the Holocaust. Framed as a scout camp, its real role was to supply food for children hidden in the forest outside of Moissac.

Bar Mitzvah in the Children’s Home, 1940-41

Collection of Jacques Heller, 1991.F.381

01/07/2024

In January 2020, the Museum celebrated the opening of “Rendering Witness: Holocaust-Era Art as Testimony.” This exhibition highlighted artwork from the Museum of Jewish Heritage collection made during and immediately after the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, and Poland. Much of this art was created in secret, with artists facing punishments as harsh as death if they were caught. Some of the artworks are tiny, reflecting their hidden origins. Other drawings were folded and hidden under a mattress or beneath one’s prisoner uniform.

To peer into history through the eyes of an artist, documenting what they saw and how they saw it, is the rarest of encounters. “Rendering Witness” offered a special opportunity to see art made under the most difficult circumstances — and to learn the stories of how it survived.

To experience a virtual tour, go to mjhnyc.org/exhibitions/rendering-witness-holocaust-era-art-as-testimony/.

01/05/2024

Shabbat Shalom. Pictured here is Alfred Wertheimer (far right, second row), the father of the person who donated this photo, at a Bavarian Costume Ball in Ober-Schreiberhau, Germany in 1930. Alfred was the second son of Henriette and Julius Wertheimer. He was born April 12, 1896, was married to Marion Warner, and died in New York after World War II.

Whether your Shabbat has you decked out in formal attire or at home in pajamas, we hope you’re surrounded by loved ones and enjoy delicious food and rest.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Wertheimer, 1259.89

01/04/2024

Calling all New York young professionals (ages 21-39): Join us on Friday, January 26, for an intimate Young Friends Shabbat dinner commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The evening will feature testimony from Holocaust survivor and member of the Museum’s Speakers Bureau, Ruth Zimbler. We’ll also hear from the grandchild of a survivor, who will share their family’s remarkable story.

This event has sold out quickly in the past — so reserve your spot today at mjhnyc.org/youngfriendsshabbat. We look forward to breaking bread with you.

01/03/2024

An excerpt of our program “Wounds into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma.” by Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Ph.D.’s for International Mind Body Wellness Day today.

We simultaneously inherit gifts and struggles from those who came before us. The comfort of family recipes and traditions is paired with the obstacles of past hardships and the impact they have on current and future generations. Rabbi Tirzah, Ph.D., who is an author, a Jungian psychotherapist, a leader in the international Jewish Renewal Movement, and a renowned Jewish scholar and teacher, explores this duality for Jews in a powerful way.

To watch the full talk, go to mjhnyc.org/woundsintowisdom.

01/02/2024

It’s a new year, which means new programs at the Museum. We’re kicking off 2024 with four special events. Join us for a virtual walking tour of Jewish Amsterdam; a community reading of Elie Wiesel’s seminal memoir “Night” for International Holocaust Remembrance Day; a conversation about antisemitism and racism with Dr. Janice Cohn, author of “The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate”; and a screening and talkback of the critically acclaimed film, “Eva’s Promise.”

Browse our full catalog of events and register today at mjhnyc.org/events.

01/01/2024

Happy New Year! With warmest wishes for 2024 from all of us here at the Museum, we wish you and your loved ones a year of happiness and health. We hope to welcome you to the Museum soon, and we’re so grateful to have you in our community.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Wertheimer, 1182.89

12/28/2023

Events at the Museum are so special, from the gorgeous spaces to the delectable catering to the breathtaking views of the New York Harbor.

These photos are from our Generation to Generation Gala event, which featured Liam Neeson, Julianna Marguiles, and Miri Ben-Ami in a tribute to Schindler survivors on the 30th anniversary of the release of the film Schindler’s List.

The Museum’s space is a unique site for social, corporate, or nonprofit events. Host your next event in our Lower Manhattan setting. We’re a versatile venue for gala dinners, conferences, luncheons, film/commercial shoots, performances, theater presentations, and everything in between. We also provide customized event experiences for significant life celebrations such as engagements, weddings, b'nai mitzvahs, and memorials.

With three floors full of different spaces to choose from, there’s something for every occasion. To learn more about our space rentals, go to mjhnyc.org/rentals.

Catering: Madison and Park Events
MBD Floral Designs/ Miles Dallas
Rental: LUXE Event Rentals
Rental: Alan Party Rentals
A/V and Lighting: Zikron Productions
Decals: I Do Event Decals

12/27/2023

How do you write an exhibition for children? Here, Steve Sheinkin, the script writer of our Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark exhibition, shares how important it is to have young people's stories from the Danish Rescue for kids today to connect to.

Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark was created for visitors aged 9 and up, telling stories in age-appropriate ways on themes of separation, bravery, and resilience. These stories help visitors of all ages make connections to their own lives and reflect on the dangers of prejudice—as well as their own potential for compassionate, moral, and courageous collective action and upstanding.

Plan your visit today at mjhnyc.org/visit.

12/26/2023

Keep stories of resilience, courage, and hope alive in 2024. Your year-end support preserves Jewish heritage and secures a brighter future ahead! Together, let's write the next chapter of our shared legacy. Thank you for being a crucial part of our community.

Donate today at mjhnyc.org/donate.

12/25/2023

This album was created and given to Marguerite Pohek for the aid she provided while working with refugees at the Hebrew School of the Volksuniversitat in Amsterdam.

To all celebrating this joyous holiday within our Museum family, we extend warm wishes for a Merry Christmas. During this festive season, let's come together to embrace the beauty of interfaith unity and lend a helping hand. It's a time to share moments with loved ones, honor diverse traditions, and spread joy throughout our community.

May this holiday season bring you warmth, love, and cherished memories.

Collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Gift of Frank and Emily Ullman in memory of Margaret Pohek. 700.90

12/25/2023

Born in Croatia in 1879, Mavro Moster was one of nine children — five of whom perished in the Holocaust — to Hinko (Heinrich) Moster and Theresa (née Hirsch-Lederer). Together with his brothers, Edmund and Alexander, Mavro purchased the “Penkala” patent for an automatic pencil under the name Edmund Moster & Co. (1912), and it became the first automatic pencil in the world. The success led to the construction of a Penkala-Moster factory in Berlin. In addition to being a partner in the Penkala factories, Mavro Moster was a reserve officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army during WWI and was promoted to the rank of captain and decorated with an Iron Cross.

During World War II, Mavro was held in an internamento libero — an Italian fascist internment camp — in the remote Italian village of Offida, Ascoli Piceno, where he went by the name Antonio Mauro Moster and had to sell his paintings for food. His daughter, Mary, donated his work to the Museum. She doesn’t know how long he was in the camp, but his paintings and a diary entry are dated 1943.

A document she donated [549.92] from 1944 details that Moster died by su***de in an Italian jail and was buried by Catholic priests on April 9, 1944.

Paintings by Mavro Moster, Offida, Ascoli Piceno, Italy, 1943. Collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, gift of Mary Levine.

12/23/2023

We recently took a group of fourth graders through our new exhibition, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark. Following the tour, students made art of what they learned in the exhibition. Here, a 4th grader created their own version of the final mural of the exhibition with the Talmudic quote “To Save a Life is to Save the World.” This Shabbat, we are feeling grateful for and proud of the young people who come through our doors to learn the history and concepts that we pray will guide us this Shabbat and every Shabbat to come.

Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark is the Museum’s first exhibition for visitors aged 9 and up. The exhibition tells the remarkable story of the rescue of the Danish Jews during the Holocaust. Together, Jewish and non-Jewish neighbors of all ages mobilized to create one of the most effective—and exceptional—examples of mass resistance and escape in modern history. Despite the enormous risk, ordinary citizens united against Na**sm to save nearly 95% of Denmark’s Jewish population. Plan your visit or group tour at mjhnyc.org/visit.

12/21/2023

12/21/2023

Pictured here in our exhibition, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, is the Gran Sinagoga de Copenhague: the Great Synagogue of Copenhagen.

Considered to be one of the most beautiful synagogues in Europe, the Great Synagogue of Copenhagen was designed by architect G.F. Hetsch in 1833, and to this day it remains as a center of Copenhagen’s Jewish life.

During WWII, it was here that Rabbi Marcus Melchior alerted the Jewish people in Denmark of the N**i order for their deportation in the fall of 1943. Rabbi Melchior was filling in for the Chief Rabbi Max Friedeger, who had already been arrested by the N**is, along with a number of other prominent Danish Jews.

If you can’t visit the synagogue in Copenhagen, visit it in our exhibition, where you can see the beautiful interior — built as a 3D diorama — and you can hear a reenactment of the fateful announcement made by Rabbi Melchior, read by ’s Rabbi Maurice A. Salth. Plan your visit at mjhnyc.org/visit.

12/20/2023

From objects to oral history interviews, our Museum Wrapped showcases our annual year in review — and what a year it was. Whether we welcomed you into our exhibitions or you joined us from afar, we’re so grateful to have you in our Museum community.

12/19/2023

“People should remember that God created us all as equal beings. There are no
differences between us. We must create a world based on respect, tolerance, and
equality.” — Yona Amit

Yona was born in Fiume, Italy (today Croatia), in 1938. She survived the Holocaust by hiding in a convent in central Italy. Her words serve as a powerful reminder of the world we must all work to build.

Yona is one of the 75 people in portraits that comprise Martin Schoeller’s photographic project Survivors: Faces of Life After the Holocaust. Get tickets to see this powerful collection of portraits now at mjhnyc.org/visitor-information/.

12/17/2023

“Then with trembling hands I take photos, amateurishly draw a map, measure every grave in length and width by footsteps, and mark it all down.” — Boris Lurie

This month marks 82 years since the massacre by bullets at Rumbula, near Riga, Latvia, which took place on Dec. 8, 1941.

Artist and Holocaust survivor Boris Lurie lost his mother, sister, and girlfriend at Rumbula. This trauma as a teenager affected both his personal life and his artwork. The Museum’s 2021 exhibition, Boris Lurie: Nothing To Do But To Try, featured a section on Lurie’s return to Riga and Rumbula in the 1970s, where he photographed the memorial site.

The exhibition is traveling; please email [email protected] if it’s of interest to your institution.

12/15/2023

Shabbat Shalom. What are you praying for this Shabbat?

Gift in loving memory of Herbert and Nancy Bernhard, 2013.35.168

12/15/2023

We hope you can celebrate the last night of Chanukah surrounded by loved ones, lighting the menorah, eating latkes and spinning the dreidel, or however you celebrate the hopeful festival of lights.

This brass menorah belonged to W. Gunther Plaut in Berlin, Germany, in the 1930s.

Collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Gift of Rabbi W. Gunther and Elizabeth S. Plaut, 1010.92

12/14/2023

Join us at the Museum on Thursday, December 21st at 6:30pm for a live podcast recording of Person Place Thing! Person Place Thing is an interview show based on the idea that people are especially engaging when they speak about something they care about. Guests talk about one person, one place, and one thing with particular meaning to them. This installment will feature a conversation between host Randy Cohen and actor Peter Reigert, with music by Hubby Jenkins. Learn more and register here:

Join the Museum of Jewish Heritage on the event Person Place Thing with Randy Cohen featuring Peter Riegert.

12/14/2023

At the Theresienstadt ghetto camp, N**i guards ripped Jewish families apart. Prisoners were starved, and some were forced to work. Many died, and those who lived were constantly in fear of being sent somewhere even worse. More than 80,000 of the Jews imprisoned in Theresienstadt were deported to death camps. How could hope exist in such a place?

This is a drawing that twelve year old Ludwig Biermann made to celebrate Chanukah in Theresienstadt. While struggling to survive, people still found ways to lift each other’s spirits: Musicians and actors put on shows, artists (like Ludwig Biermann) made drawings and paintings, teachers held secret classes for children, and there was a library of 60,000 books.

See a copy of this drawing on view in Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, in the section on life in the ghetto camp.

Drawing by Ludwig Biermann, Chanukah 1943, Theresienstadt, 1943. Collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Gift of Carol Biermann, 351.94.

12/12/2023

Stories have the power to shape our understanding of the present and ignite change in the future. As the number of Holocaust survivors dwindles, we must act to preserve their testimonies. Before 2023 ends, support our vital educational work in the year ahead.

Supporting the Museum of Jewish Heritage ensures that stories of resilience, courage, and hope continue to be shared. Your gift sustains the Museum as a place of remembrance and inspiration for generations to come. Donate here: https://898a.blackbaudhosting.com/898a/December-Appeal

Photo credit: The City University of New York/Marcus Beasley.

12/12/2023

Mazal Tov to Museum Chief Operating Officer Elyse Buxbaum on being named one of City and State's Responsible 100 for 2023! "The work that I, my dedicated board, and colleagues do at the museum is rooted in the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, to repair and improve the world. By educating about the past, we can ensure a hopeful future. This is what drives me every day."

Read more at: https://www.cityandstateny.com/power-lists/2023/12/2023-responsible-100/392584/ -buxbaum

12/12/2023

In Budapest, Hungary, in the years between the world wars, a man named Aryeh Steinberger was known within the Orthodox Jewish community as a teacher, a cantor, a ritual slaughterer, and a trade union leader. At the age of 65, Reb Aryeh put down the tools of his trade and picked up the tools of his art: ceremonial scrolls.

Steinberger was commissioned to draft ritual documents for members of the community: ketubot (marriage contracts), mezuzot (door post scrolls), tefillin (phylacteries), gittin (bills of divorce). For his family, he created major works, including a fully illustrated Passover Haggadah, a perpetual calendar, a Purim megillah, and a sefer Torah for each granddaughter, to be sold as her marriage dowry. Many of these objects survive today, in the family’s keeping, on both sides of the Atlantic.

Pictured here is the Scroll of Antiochus, a Hanukkah scroll made by Aryeh Steinberger in Budapest, Hungary, in the 1920s.

Collection of Andrew (Yankie) and Marlene Tewner, 2003.L.178

12/11/2023

These two dreidels were found in the ruins of a razed Jewish village in the Soviet Union. We don’t know who they belonged to and can only imagine what fingers spun them and what kinds of joy they brought. These dreidels are among the few objects in our core exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do, whose story we don’t know.

Collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Gift of Yahad-in Unum from the Yahad-in Unum Collection, Paris, 2010.32.2-3

12/08/2023

Shabbat shalom, and Happy Chanukah! This dreidel was used by Ruth Nathan when she was a child in Emmerich, Germany. Ruth was born in 1921 and brought it with her when she immigrated to New York in 1939.

Collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Gift of Ruth N. Taub, 1330.91

12/08/2023

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our annual Generation to Generation Dinner on Tuesday, honoring the legacy of the Jews saved by Oskar Schindler.

Pictured are some of our hosts, presenters, and attendees including Schindler survivor Saul Dreier who lit a Hanukkah candle in advance, emcee Julianna Margulies, speaker Liam Neeson, Grammy Award-winning violinist Miri Ben-Ari, Paul Rudd, Rachie Schnay, Chelsea Handler, and so many more made the night so special.

Here at the Museum, we’re committed to educating the next generation and honoring those who perished and those who survived the Holocaust. Learn more and join our community at http://mjhnyc.org/membership.