Maine Jewish Museum

10/22/2026

Procrastinators, this one's for you. ⏰

You have exactly ONE WEEK to see our current exhibitions before the art comes down and the construction crews move in.

Four exhibitions. Seven days. Zero excuses.

What's your favorite thing you've seen at MJM this year?

10/21/2026

Sara Crisp, “Untitled (Delphiniums), 2026. Delphiniums, mixed media, mica, 6x6 in.*

Two opportunities to meet our exhibiting artists before these show close:

COFFEE WITH THE ARTIST: BETSY COOK
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 10-11AM
SPIEGEL GALLERY

COFFEE WITH THE ARTIST:SARA CRISP
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 10-11AM
FINEBERG ROOM

We look forward to seeing you soon Maine Jewish Museum!

*Artwork shown at MJM is available for purchase. Proceeds benefit artists and the Maine Jewish Museum.

10/21/2026

COFFEE WITH THE ARTIST: BETSY COOK

Thursday, October 22, 2026
10:00 am –11:00 am at the Maine Jewish Museum

Come and have coffee with exhibiting artist Betsy Cook, who will give an overview and answer questions about her current exhibition in the Spiegel Gallery, “The 72 Names of God: How the Light Gets In.”

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Photos by: Bret Woodard Photography

10/20/2026

Coffee. Art. Kabbalah. ☕🎨

Not necessarily in that order.

Join artist Betsy Cook Thursday morning for coffee and conversation about The 72 Names of God: How the Light Gets In, her fascinating exhibition inspired by Jewish mystical traditions.

☕COFFEE WITH THE ARTIST: Betsy Cook
📅 Thursday, October 22
🕕 10:00–11:00 AM

Come curious. Leave caffeinated. And possibly enlightened.

Betsy Cook September 10 - October 29, 2026 About This Exhibition Here, 72 pieces of art, each infused with one or more Divine energies, have been created to invite viewers into a contemplative encounter with an ancient and mystical tradition from Kabbalah: THE 72 NAMES of GOD. Kabbalists understand....

10/19/2026

Under "things we never thought we'd need at the Maine Jewish Museum," a basketball may top the list.

But when Tony Award winner Ari’el Stachel made a last-minute request for a basketball to use in his performance of OTHER this past weekend, Team MJM sprang into action.

Basketball procured. Crisis averted. Show went on.

And now, we have a signed basketball commemorating Ari’el's transformation into Shaq.

We're thinking of adding it to the permanent collection. 🤣

10/16/2026

THIS is Delet (MJM's signature K-12 educational program) in action!

Tony Award-winning actor Ari’el Stachel brought OTHER to the Maine Jewish Museum this morning, sharing his experiences growing up as a Yemenite Arab Jew and challenging Maine high school students to rethink identity, belonging, and the boxes we put people in.

Powerful theater. Big questions. Extraordinary conversations.

Little Museum. Big impact. 💪

10/15/2026

What do time, memory, and a croissant have in common? More than you might think.

MJM Executive Director Dawn LaRochelle bends time, revisits the past, and somehow works French pastry into the equation in this month’s Third Thursday Thoughts.

Time has a way of folding in on itself, accordion-like. Years and decades, past and present, layered over each other like butter into delicate sheets of croissant dough, until a single moment holds an entire lifetime. A few weeks ago, an email landed in my inbox. “Hi, Dawn. It’s been a while. Ho...

10/14/2026

Betsy Cook, “A Quantum Leap into the Co-Creative Realm of The Mystical,” mixed media.

COFFEE WITH THE ARTIST: Stop by the museum for coffee with artist Betsy Cook on THURSDAY OCTOBER 22 FROM 10-11 AM. Betsy will be in the Spiegel Gallery to chat about her exhibition, “The 72 Names of God: How the Light Gets In,” on view until October 29, 2026.

10/13/2026

Last week, we asked you:

Who belongs in the Maine Jewish Hall of Fame?

Now it’s time to make your case.

Open nominations are officially underway for the next class of the Maine Jewish Hall of Fame, presented in memory of Dorothy "Suzi" Osher and Alfred Osher.

Who has made an extraordinary contribution to Maine or beyond?

Who has strengthened a community, broken new ground, built something that matters, changed lives, or made the world a little better?

Who deserves to have their story celebrated?

We want to hear from YOU.

Please send your nomination along with a detailed summary (but not to exceed 500 words) of the nominee's background and accomplishments to HOF Committee Chair, Steve Brinn, at [email protected].

And a reminder: If you nominated someone in a previous year who has not yet been inducted, you do not need to nominate them again. All previous nominees remain under consideration.

Nominations are open through November 21.

Now go nominate someone fabulous.

Presented in Memory of Dorothy "Suzi" Osher and Alfred Osher. The Maine Jewish Hall of Fame was created in 2018 to bestow recognition on outstanding Jewish leaders from throughout the state who have brought distinction and honor to the State of Maine or beyond. Watch videos of the induction ceremoni...

10/12/2026

Today, on Indigenous Peoples Day, we honor the Wabanaki peoples — the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq, and Maliseet — whose histories, cultures, communities, and connections to this land long predate the State of Maine.

As a museum devoted to preserving and sharing the stories of a people, we understand the importance of people being able to tell their own stories, in their own voices.

Today, we encourage our community to listen to and learn from Wabanaki voices.