Weitzman Takes Step Toward Becoming Smithsonian Institution

By Andrew Guckes, Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, September 19, 2024

Image: The Weitzman Museum in Philadelphia could become a Smithsonian institution in the near future (Photo courtesy of the Weitzman Museum)

This week, the United States House of Representatives’ Administration Committee voted unanimously to send a bill to the House floor that would create an eight-person commission tasked with investigating the feasibility of converting Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to a Smithsonian institution.

The bill must be passed by both the House and Senate to be sent to President Joe Biden’s desk for approval. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., were among the politicians to propose the bill in March. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was a co-sponsor.

Boyle said that there is not an exact timetable for the rest of the process at this point.

The museum’s chair emeritus, Phil Darivoff, said that the bill has cross-aisle appeal largely because it is a preliminary step in the process, but also because legislators from both parties recognize the pivotal nature of this moment in American Jewish history.

“I have said many times that there is an epidemic of ignorance about the Jewish people in America,” he said. “The museum has a sense of urgency to fulfill the mission of educating all Americans about Jews, and we feel becoming a part of the Smithsonian can help us fulfill that mission.”

Darivoff said that the addition of the Smithsonian brand may open up the museum to a new crowd. He said visitors to Independence Mall might be spurred to visit a museum they wouldn’t have otherwise gone to because of the Smithsonian name.

The Weitzman was previously known as the National Museum of American Jewish History until a gift from shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, which totaled in the tens of millions, was given to the museum in 2021. The gift pulled the museum out of bankruptcy and allowed for the purchase of its current building on Market Street in Center City.

Boyle, who represents Northeast Philadelphia as well as some portions of Center City, said that he hopes the destination can become a staple of visitors’ trips to the city, just like Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell.

A commission made up of the aforementioned eight “individuals with relevant expertise to study the feasibility of transferring [the museum] to the Smithsonian Institution Act,” will be chosen by the leaders of the House and Senate if the bill passes. The speaker and minority leader of the House and majority and minority leaders of the Senate will each select two nominees to join the commission.

Casey said in March that this proposed change was partially inspired by current events, specifically the waves of antisemitism that have increased since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
“We knew antisemitism was a terrible problem before Oct. 7,” Casey said at the time. “It was growing exponentially, and then it just increased substantially since then. We’ve never had a period like this in our history.”

Darivoff said that the information at the museum could help to reduce this rising antisemitism. Current exhibitions at the Weitzman include one with artifacts from the Colleyville, Texas, synagogue hostage crisis, an exhibit on the rapid social change that the country has undergone since 2020 and an exhibit on photography from nearby Jewish high school students.

The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum complex, with more than 21 museums located across the Washington, D.C., area and New York. Other notable destinations under the Smithsonian umbrella include the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Portrait Gallery. The Weitzman museum would be the first Smithsonian institution in Philadelphia.

The legislation is endorsed by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federations of North America. The museum was founded in 1976 and moved to its current location in 2010.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, said in a statement released by Casey’s office that this bill has the potential to change how the rest of the country views American Jews.

“Amidst rising antisemitism, it is more important than ever to celebrate the inspiring history of the Jewish people in America, educate diverse public audiences about Jewish culture and spark conversations about the American Jewish community present and future,” he said. “We thank Senator Casey and Representatives Wasserman Schultz, Turner, Boyle, and Miller for leading the effort to create a commission to study the transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian.”

See article at the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent.