Join Us in Philadelphia - February 27-March 1, 2011

We are delighted to announce that CAJM's 2011 conference will be convened in Philadelphia, PA, providing an early opportunity to visit the spectacular new home of the National Museum of American Jewish History, our host institution (below).  The conference will take place approximately one month later than has been our custom: from February 27-March 1, with a possible post-conference activity on Wednesday, March 2.  Due to open in November, NMAJH's new building represents a $150 million campaign and has been designed by Polshek Partnership Architects, with exhibitions by Gallagher & Associates. The museum will occupy 100,000 square feet on five floors, just steps from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. A distinguished team of historians, led by Brandeis University Professor of American Jewish History Jonathan Sarna, has worked collaboratively with staff on museum content and interpretation. Attendees will also visit an array of notable historical and cultural destinations throughout the city, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Constitution Center, two Philadelphia-area CAJM member institutions, the Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art at Congregation Rodeph Shalom and the Temple Judea Museum at Congregation Keneseth Israel, as well as the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Beth Sholom Synagogue.

Conference Theme

Our Stories, Our Museums: New Chapters for Jewish Culture will explore a theme that evokes the primacy of narrative in museums. The particular story conveyed by the dazzling new NMAJH is that of the Jewish experience in America, a story illuminated by CAJM's other institutions, as well as a story with universal implications for the shared American experience, revealing the promise and challenges of liberty. The conference theme also looks at the future, addressing emerging trends.

Conference Chairs

Three outstanding CAJM colleagues are overseeing plans for the Philadelphia conference. Independent consultant Lynette Allen (who also co-chaired our successful Los Angeles conference this year) and Deborah Cardin, Director of Education at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, are serving as Co-Chairs. Josh Perelman, Deputy Director of Programming and Museum Historian at the National Museum of American Jewish History, is Host Chair. As the Founding Executive Director of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, Lynette Allen oversaw the development of a multi-disciplinary program that served as the impetus for the building of an arts and culture facility at the Lawrence Family JCC. She was Program Director for the Institute of Southern Jewish Life in its nascent years, and she remains active in the arts through involvement with the SDCJC, Art Council of San Diego State University, and the CAJM Steering Committee. Deborah Cardin oversees all aspects of the JMM's educational programs serving adults, families, teachers, and more than 7,000 school children from across the state, and she served as exhibition curator for Cabin Fever! Jewish Camping and Jewish Commitment. She previously worked in museum education and visitor services at the Smart Museum in Chicago, the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, and Port Discovery, the Children's Museum in Baltimore.  Josh Perelman is overseeing creation of NMAJH's core exhibition, as well as the education and public programming departments. Interested in the intersection of politics, the performing arts, and ethnic identity, he has taught at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University, participated in the development of many exhibitions, and held leadership roles at the American Jewish Historical Society and with the State of Israel.