CAJM Museums - All Over

The museum at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is one of the four campuses of HUC-JIR, the educational and intellectual center of Reform Judaism, training religious and communal professionals. Since its founding in 1983 as the Joseph Gallery, in affiliation with the College-Institute's network of Skirball Museums in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and Jerusalem, the Museum has grown physically to four galleries encompassing 5,000 square feet of exhibition space. Eight to ten innovative exhibitions per year, featuring the work of such artists as Rosalyn Engelman, above left, and Larry Rivers, right, illuminate the 4,000 year-long span of Jewish experience; build bridges of interfaith and multi-ethnic understanding; showcase the creativity of contemporary artists; interpret core Jewish values, texts, and beliefs; explore the arts as an expression of Jewish spirituality; and showcase treasures of the College-Institute's library, archives, and museum collections.  The Museum is also a significant source for national traveling exhibitions.

The Magnes is a museum of art and history focused on the Jewish experience. The Museum, located in Berkeley, CA, demonstrates a commitment to both tradition and experimentation through a wide-ranging collection, original exhibitions, provocative programs, and research facilities, including the largest history center relating to the Jews in the American West. The Magnes is a place of discovery for Jews and the community at large, and contributes to international scholarship and culture. Its Jewish Digital Narratives make a creative (and at times unintended) use of current technologies and social networking tools to organize, showcase and share what the Magnes has collected in almost half a century. Digital images generated by the Magnes staff, or collected through programs like the Memory Lab (right), are presented on the Magnes website in an interactive learning environment created with the innovative software, MemoryMiner.

Shalom Street, an "address for Jewish discovery," located at the JCC of Greater Detroit in West Bloomfield, MI.  It provides a unique interactive experience in an exciting 4,500 square-foot facility. More than 30 programming-enhanced exhibits inspire a sense of wonder and explore Jewish traditions and values. In the Sharing Home (below right), one can identify smells in the kitchen, sample Jewish food, experience lifecycle events, and discover the everyday practices that make a life at home distinctly Jewish. At Nature's Way, connect to nature with live animals, a waterfall, a hydroponic garden, and a climbing tree. The Town Center highlights the variety and energy of life in a Jewish community; emphasizes the importance of caring for neighbors; provides access to other areas, such as Synagogue, The Repair Shop, Newsstand, and Adventure Travel; and serves as a gathering place for street performances and demonstrations. The activity center promotes the practice of Hiddur Mitzvah, the sacred beautification of objects.

The Vilna Shul, Boston's Center for Jewish Culture, is the last remaining immigrant era synagogue in the city of Boston - and is now a place of Jewish renewal for the vicinity. By weaving together Jewish history, culture, and spirituality, the 1919 building (left) energizes a sense of American Jewish pride and creates an approachable space to discuss Judaism. Although worn through the years, the 1840s high-back pews, turn-of-the-century chandeliers, restored period paint schemes (right), and quaint setting tucked between old tenements are great starting points from which to hear the unique story of the Jews of Beacon Hill. With over sixty diverse and enriching concerts, films and lectures a year, there is truly something for every audience. In addition, hundreds of young adults meet for Havurah on the Hill's non-denominational services; and families are choosing the Vilna Shul as the setting for weddings, B'nei Mitzvah, baby namings, and Brit Milah.