American Jewish History Museum on Way to Join Smithsonian

The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History may soon come under the care of the Smithsonian.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed legislation this week to explore the integration of the Philadelphia-based museum into the Smithsonian’s umbrella network, just four years after the museum filed for bankruptcy. The Jewish museum already has an affiliation with the Smithsonian but making it a full part of the trust would make the museum eligible for federal appropriations and elevate its recognition status.

“With the recent rise in antisemitism, now more than ever it is imperative that Jewish-American heritage be celebrated and exhibited at the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, the Smithsonian Institution.” Said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultzin in a press release about the legislation.

The museum’s core exhibition spans three floors and covers more than 350 years of American Jewish life. It features a rich collection of artifacts, documents, and interactive displays that narrate the stories of Jewish immigrants, their integration into American society, and their impacts on the nation’s culture and history. The museum houses some particularly notable items, such as George Washington’s letter to the Jewish community in Newport.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 with $30 million in debt. A significant donation from shoe designer Stuart Weitzman saved the museum in 2021, leading to its renaming in his honor.