National Museum of American Jewish History
The National Museum of American Jewish History. Photo Credit: Photo by bklphoto.com for PHLCVB
Located on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, the National Museum of American Jewish History strives to connect those of Jewish heritage with their ancestral legacy and history while educating those of non-Jewish lineage through interactive displays, curated galleries of artifacts, and personal stories. Visit and explore the diversity of Jewish culture, the hardships, and triumphs of this religious people's history, and the freedoms which they help uphold on American soil.
The museum is continuously working to become the nation's premier, most authentic, and most visited museum on Jewish history, acquiring and curating a plethora of artifacts and collections. The museum's exhibits center around the Core Exhibition which traverses three and a half floors of educational and enlightening collections. Start with the first floor to see the Only in America Gallery featuring the special and rare opportunities America provided to 18th and 19th-century Jewish immigrants through personal stories and period possessions. From there, visit the Choices and Challenges of Freedom: 1945-Today gallery, the Dreams of Freedom: 1880-1945 exhibit, and finally the Foundations of Freedom: 1654-1880 gallery. Each gallery focuses on the Jewish people, their beliefs and heritage, and the legacy they created on the American dream starting as immigrants and descendants.
Also learn about themes of charity, family, and togetherness during war times, growing up as the children of Jewish immigrants, the work immigrants found in major U.S. cities, and the diversity and adherence to Jewish religious culture in America among others. Witness the evolution of Jewish art through paintings and photography, observe collection highlights featuring major accomplishments by American Jewish individuals, and much more.
