Virtual Talking Circles

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Council of American Jewish Museums initiated a weekly or twice-monthly facilitated Virtual Talking Circle for members to share information and discuss issues of importance and common interest via Zoom. See home page for most current information.

Alliances and Partnerships - 11/1/24
As we begin a new year, we will want to turn our attention to new forms of collaboration with other cultural organizations and community institutions. What new alliances are you planning or already engaged in? What kinds of partner institutions are proving most reliable, sustainable, and effective – and why? What forms of collaboration are most helping you and your institution to grow?

Who Are Our Audiences? - 9/27/24
How do we differentiate between the communities we serve and those we represent? Is there a difference? How do we remain the cultural institutions that we (many of us) are - that is, Jewish-centric - while continuing to address the issues of our local and regional communities and the broader world around us? Alisha Babbstein, Director of Collection and Exhibitions, Oregon Jewish Museum and Holocaust Education Center, discusses with us.

The Jewish Museum Effect - 9/6/24
Rutgers Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies Jeffrey Shandler joins us to discuss “The Jewish Museum Effect” - how exhibiting objects transforms their significance; how museums shape the public’s encounters with history, science, or culture; and museum practices of the public’s own making.

“Images on which to build, 1970s-1990s” - 7/19/24
Writer, curator, and photographer Ariel Goldberg discusses the “Images on which to build” traveling exhibition - currently on view at the Chicago Cultural Center - and also the ways in which Jewish museums can present LGBTIA content and attract and sustain LGBTIA staff and visitors.

ANU and Audiences Since October 7th - 7/11/24
Special guest Lindsay Shapiro, Senior Coordinator of English Education at ANU-Museum of the Jewish People, discusses strategies the museum has used to help international Jewish visitors and support museum staff members since October 7.

Navigating New Exhibition Issues: Reflecting on Seattle's "Confronting Hate Together" Exhibition - 6/21/24
Lisa Kranseler, Executive Director of the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, and Max (Maxima) Pasternak, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, discuss the evolution of the exhibition, a collaboration among three area cultural institutions; the protests that arose in response to it; the resulting impact on the local Jewish community; and some lessons learned from the experience of working on the exhibition and managing the controversy.

Relevance and Responsiveness: Preparing for Public Conversations about Challenging Issues - 6/7/24
Enimini Ekong, Principal of NoGrey Consulting, and Lance Wheeler, Director of Exhibitions at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, guide and inform a conversation on the pressures on American Jewish museums—internal and external—to respond to the crises of Israel and antisemitism.

Democracy in Motion, Part 2 - 5/24/24
CAJM members reflect on the recent CAJM conference about "Museums & Democracy" — pressing issues regarding democracy and session themes explored; kinds of programs and online learning communities that CAJM might offer to support members and member institutions taking up the call to elevate civic engagement.

Democracy in Motion, Part 1 - 5/3/24
An open discussion leading up to CAJM’s conference on “Museums & Democracy.” What issues and concerns are on your minds, and what might these suggest for future CAJM programming after the conference?

Two Intriguing Projects - 4/5/24
CAJM colleagues share information on two exciting upcoming projects: A day of remembrance focusing on a rediscovered concentration camp site in Latvia; and a first-ever, soon-to-air, Jewish-themed genealogy television program. Presenters (respectively): Karen Frostig and Karen Franklin.

On the Ground: What Are You Seeing in Your Community? - 3/15/24
Jewish community organizations and Jewish museums continue to experience vandalism, hate mail, swatting, protests, and other forms of explicit and implicit antisemitism. An opportunity for CAJM members to share what they are seeing on the ground in their own communities, and to explore ideas surfacing from CAJM's work with IMLS on the "Museums Respond" Summit.

The Challenges of Membership Development - 2/16/24
How are membership programs staffed at our museums - assuming that such programs exist? How have membership practices and results changed at our institutions since the pandemic? This conversation looks at challenges, successes, and smart ideas for growing museum membership. Bin Goh, Membership and Development Operations (Contemporary Jewish Museum) and Gail Mandel (Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education) lead off our conversation.

Serving as a Sanctuary for Creative Wellbeing - 2/2/24
Art and creativity have been integral to Jewish continuity and resilience, contributing to a sense of wholeness.  This important work aligns with studies showing that participating in creative activity with others is a potent tool for helping individuals and communities develop a sense of positivity, purpose and connection. Fraidy Aber, Director of Education and Civic Engagement at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and Rachel Stark, Vice President, Education and Family Programs, Skirball Cultural Center, discuss creative wellbeing, how it can be brought to life in a museum, and some of the ways their museums are centering creative wellbeing in its work – with a particular focus on teens, school programs, and seniors.

Museum Metrics - 1/19/24
A discussion about museum metrics. What kinds of measures do we track - and why? Do we track what is easiest to track (money, number of visitors) or what is most important (impacts, benefits to the community)? Is there something we've never considered measuring before? And how can we expand our definition of "measuring"?

Changes at the Zekelman - 1/5/24
An opportunity to learn about new developments at the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, MI - including a complete transformation of the core exhibition. Mark Mulder, Director of Curatorial Affairs, and Ruth Bergman, Director of Education, speak about some of the choices made, interpretive directions, intended audiences, and plans for the first year of use, followed by a group discussion on new directions in Holocaust museum work and exhibits. 

Communications in Times of Crisis & Change - 12/8/23
In times of crisis and change, museums are challenged by the complexities of messaging - both internally and externally. Because museums and their communities of service vary, singular or narrow responses seldom work for all. This CAJM Talking Circle offers space for museum professionals to reflect on how we identify different constituencies, how we communicate about the current war with these communities, and how we navigate messaging differences within our organizations. Communications staff from several Jewish museums share reflections before the open-ended group discussion.

Museum Responses to Crises - 11/17/23
An opportunity to discuss museum responses to crises overseas and in the US: Responding to the events in Israel and Gaza and to the rise in antisemitism; differences of opinion about how to respond; positive or negative fallout that has resulted. Comparing notes, considering ways our museums might address ongoing events, and discussing creative responses undertaken by arts and museum colleagues.

New Exhibitions - 11/3/23
Highlighting new and upcoming exhibitions across CAJM member museums: Laura Mandel (Jewish Arts Collaborative, Boston) on Be the Change; Kristina Parsons (Jewish Museum, NYC) on Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloé; Rebecca Shaykin (Jewish Museum, NYC) on Marta Minujín: Arte! Arte! Arte!; Molly Dubin (Jewish Museum Milwaukee) on Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse; and Susan Bronson (Yiddish Book Center, Amherst) on Yiddish: A Global Culture.

Polish-Jewish Memory - 9/8/23
Dan Samuels, Director of Public Programs at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, and Judy Margles, Director, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, discuss their recent study visit to Poland, with a focus on the complicated subject of Polish-Jewish memory. 

AEJM Report - 7/21/23
A report on the recent annual conference of the Association of European Jewish Museums (AEJM), held in Berlin from June 4-6, 2023. Impressions, themes, and key conference takeaways from Emile Schrijver, General Director of the Jewish Cultural Quarter in Amsterdam, and Karen S. Franklin, Director of Family Research at Leo Baeck Institute in New York.

Holocaust Education - 7/7/23
Dara Horn's article in the May issue of The Atlantic magazine provided a focus for this discussion of Holocaust education practices. Three colleagues, Amanda Coven (Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education), Jordanna Gessler (Holocaust Museum LA), and Gabriel Goldstein (Yeshiva University Museum), offered reflections and points for group conversation.

Introducing The Hunger Museum - 5/18/23
Guest Naama Haviv, Vice President of Community Engagement at MAZON | A Jewish Response to Hunger, introduces the groundbreaking virtual museum project that tells the story of 100+ years of hunger and anti-hunger public policy in the United States.

Jewish Museum Programs and Initiatives for Teens - 5/4/23
Guest presenters Julie Grigoryan (The Contemporary Jewish Museum) and Jessica Handler (Holocaust Museum LA) discuss practices and insights from five special programs designed for this critical cohort. 

Ghosts in the Gallery: Historic Synagogues, Nostalgia, and American Jewish Religion - 4/20/23
Historic synagogues are places where Jews find meaning and connect to the past by standing in the footsteps of previous congregants. Since the 1980s, staff members at many historic synagogues in the United States have deliberately worked to engage Jewish and non-Jewish visitors in feeling nostalgia for Eastern European immigration histories. Guest presenter is Prof. Rachel B. Gross, author of Beyond the Synagogue: Jewish Nostalgia as Religious Practice.

Strategic Thinking & Processes for Our Museums - 3/16/23
We look at processes and practices for strategic planning in our organizations, with perspectives and approaches from the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, CAJM, and also Randi Korn - distinguished evaluation specialist and author of Intentional Practice for Museums: A Guide for Maximizing Impact.

New Jewish Creativity: Resource and Purpose - 3/2/23
Jewish creativity is an important resource and a raison d'être for American Jewish museums. Sol Davis, Executive Director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, and colleagues discuss their newest original exhibit, Material/Inheritance: Contemporary Work by New Jewish Culture Fellows, featuring the work of 30 artists whose work has been supported by the New Jewish Culture Fellowship (NJCF). The exhibition builds on new experiments in mounting boundary-pushing, community-building contemporary Jewish art.

New Voices, New Ideas, and New Values - 2/16/23
New generations of museum professionals bring new insights. What do emerging professionals bring to our museums? How do they see the field differently, and how can they help plan for and effect changes in their organizations? Guest presenters: Jordanna Gessler (Holocaust Museum LA), Mark Gunnery (Jewish Museum of Maryland), and Jonathan Edelman (Capital Jewish Museum).

Behind the Scenes of “I’ll Have What She’s Having” - 2/2/23
Laura Mart was co-curator of this popular and dynamic exhibition, which opened at the Skirball, L.A. in the spring of 2022 and then traveled to the The New-York Historical Society. Laura presents and discusses the exhibit, which explores how Jewish immigrants, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe, imported and adapted traditions to create a uniquely American restaurant - and a community forged by food.

Meet Kolture! - 1/19/23
JArts Executive Director Laura Mandel and Kolture Editor Sarah Dauer discuss Kolture, the first digital space for understanding the diversity of the Jewish experience through arts and culture, featuring curated work by leading field experts in a centralized place. It’s a tool for Jewish communities everywhere seeking needed resources to better educate, inspire, and connect - and your museum can be a part of it.

Looking Ahead - 1/5/23
At the start of a new (secular) year, we are all thinking about what lies ahead. New programs and services. New policies and practices. New leadership, staff and volunteers. What new initiatives and changes are in YOUR mind for 2023--personal, institutional, and field-wide? Join us for a thoughtful conversation about what is in the offing for the new year.

Long-term Partnerships, Short-term Collaborations - 12/1/22
With so many museums trying new partnerships and collaborations across communities, come explore with us the differences, the work required, and the potential impact. Leslie Gordon (Breman Museum), Judy Margles (OJMCHE), and Susan Gladstone Pasternack (Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU) discuss how this work is being done, and what it suggests for the future.

All About the Conference - 10/20/22
A preview of Re/Imagining: The Future of Culturally Specific Museums – the CAJM conference to take place in NYC from November 1-3.

Report on the 2022 ICOM Conference - 9/15/22

The 2022 ICOM conference convened in Prague,  August 19-27. The key item on the agenda this year was approval of a new definition of "museum," following a controversy over a proposed new wording in 2019. Read the new definition here. Karen Franklin and Gabe Goldstein report on sessions of interest to American Jewish museums, as well as their take on the implications of the new ICOM definition for policy and practice in the field.

Report on the Congress of Jewish Studies - 9/1/22

The 18th World Congress of Jewish Studies convened at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, August 8-11. The program brought together hundreds of scholars on a wide range of Jewish Studies. Several sessions dealt with museums and material culture, ranging from medieval frescoes to Jews of color. American Jewish museums were well represented by Gabe Goldstein, Shir Kochavi, Judy Margles, and Judith Rosenbaum. Gabe, Shir and Judy report on the sessions that they found most personally meaningful, those that most directly impact their ideas and practice, and those that they think have greatest application to American Jewish museums.

Next Steps: The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History - 8/4/22
Misha Galperin, President and CEO of the Weitzman, reports on the museum's strategic plans and projected initiatives, followed by Q&A and general discussion. Misha was instrumental in stabilizing the museum during Covid, shepherding the museum out of bankruptcy, and then securing an endowment to ensure its future.

New Beginnings - 7/21/22
Three CAJM member museums are projecting important new projects now and in coming months. The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York has just opened a new core exhibition,  "The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do." The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia is completing its new strategic plan. And the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC is preparing to open its new facility early in 2023. Curatorial Researcher Rebecca Frank (MJH); Josh Perelman, Chief Curator & Director of Exhibitions and Interpretation at the Weitzman; and Rebekah Sobel, Director of Interpretation at CJM, provide updates.

Digitization and Online Access - 7/7/22
In a keynote talk for the Association of Jewish Libraries, Arthur Kiron argued that digitization and online access can expand the scope of Jewish heritage and make access easier and more democratic. Digitization can also be used to encourage private collectors to act as stewards rather than sole possessors of cultural material and to share their collections with a large, open public. Alisha Babbstein, Luna Goldberg, and Christa Whitney lead off our discussion.

Taking Stock - 6/16/22
As the summer season approaches, we’re taking stock:  What is different in your museum's leadership, staff, programming, and audiences compared to three years ago (pre-pandemic), two years ago, and last year?

In the Eye of the Storm - 6/2/22
At the recent AAM conference, a keynote address suggested that museums might serve as "Eyes in the Storm" - providing clarity in times of crisis.  How do you see your museum as a center for reflection and lucidity in these times?  What are the special messages and experiences your museum can offer? 

Should Environmental Issues Be Our Top Priority? - 4/21/22
We are all-too aware of the many crises of the past two years, including a resurgence of antisemitism and Russia's invasion of the Ukraine. But humanity's degradation of the Earth System is likely, over the long run, to cause irreversible climate change, flooding and drought, crop failures, starvation and mass migration, with radical shifts in global economies and power structures. Emlyn Koster, PhD, an advocate for museum activism on environmental issues, and Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, an environmental activist, will argue that all museums—and especially Jewish museums and Holocaust centers—need to move environmental issues to the top of their mission, interpretive agenda, and programming. 

Jewish museums respond to Ukraine - 4/7/22
As devastating events unfold in Ukraine, museums are responding.  Some museums in Poland are providing aid, relief, housing, food, jobs, and daycare for refugees.  Other colleagues around the world are doing fundraisers, online campaigns, charity concerts, and sending craft supplies and toys for refugee children.  Come talk with us about how museums might respond most effectively, and what your museum is working on specifically.

INTO 2022: WHAT LIES AHEAD - 2/17/22
As we move into 2022 (and into the third year of Covid-19), what are our key opportunities in museums - as practitioners, museum goers, and observers of the field? What are your most anticipated plans for the year ahead, and how are they different than what has come before? How hasyour practice has evolved, and what does this imply for the direction of Jewish museums.

JEWISH MUSEUMS AND COLLECTING THE CONTEMPORARY - 2/3/22
Following a three-part Museum Intensive: New Considerations in Collecting Antisemitism, we explored questions, predicaments, and opportunities in collecting 21st-century Jewish experiences, discussing why we collect; what is being collected (and for whom); and what our museums should be collecting.

2021 IN REVIEW - WHAT WAS NEW AND WONDERFUL? - 12/16/21
Year 2021 was a challenge on many fronts - as Jewish museums balanced the realities of openings, repeat closures, and producing content online for new audiences. At the last CAJM Talking Circle of 2021, participants shared their most innovative, unusual, and breakthrough contributions at work, and discussed what was noteworthy in the field at large, new trends, and what this suggests for future practice.

PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS - 12/2/21
Marsha Semmel was special guest presenter. This national museum leader has been past President and CEO of two museums; has served in senior executive positions at NEH and the IMLS; and is on the faculty of the Bank Street College of Education. The author of Partnership Power: Essential Museum Strategies for Today’s Networked World, Marsha shared principles for effective and new kinds of cooperative efforts, and some participants brought menorahs for a group Hanukkah candle-lighting.

ON GRATITUDE - 11/18/21
In the context of Thanksgiving, we turned attention to the subject of gratitude. What are we thankful for in our profession? What are some opportunities not yet explored? How do we express gratitude to our staff members, visitors, and other communities - and how will we embrace/address more of the human condition in the year ahead?

VOLUNTEERS - 11/4/21
During the pandemic, docents and other volunteers have shifted their priorities, expectations, and behaviors. In some museums, rather than viewing volunteering as a commitment to serve the museum in ways that it needs, volunteers often expect us to serve them. Amanda Coven, Director of Education at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, leads off a discussion of the changing dynamics of volunteerism and museum responses.

POLYPHONIC INTERPRETATION - 10/21/21
A presentation and conversation about interpretation that incorporates a diversity of voices and points of view - e.g., in exhibits, labels, catalogues, programs, and tours, with special guest presenter Sara Blad.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN UNCERTAIN TIMES - 10/7/21
Throughout the pandemic, we know that colleagues have sought opportunities for professional development, learning, and togetherness - even in uncertain times and in new formats. Lookingat the year ahead with a mix of hopefulness and uncertainty, we explore what colleagues’ professional development wishes are for the year ahead - including in-person conferences, online forums, and workshops.

THE TURN TO DIGITAL - 9/23/21
During the past 18 months, a lot of our museums have turned to virtual programming to stay in touch with and serve their constituents. Programming has ranged from webinars and online exhibitions to virtual tours, galas, and collecting initiatives. We discuss those digital programs that have been unusually (or unexpectedly) successful and/or innovative, or, in some cases, pretty much abject failures we would not repeat again.

CHESHBON HA-NEFESH - 9/9/21
Extending the annual exercise of Cheshbon Ha-Nefesh, the accounting of our souls, we discuss what lies ahead in the coming New Year. What long-term changes have we instituted? What are our plans for new kinds of programs and activities? And what lies directly ahead in the coming Fall season? Please join us as we share ideas and experiences.

THINKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE - 8/19/21
An opportunity to reflect upon this critical and timely topic, made more so by a recent UN report on climate change, which offered a clear, stark picture of potential consequences for the Earth and all humanity. Avi Decter provided an overview of environmental justice topics and then opened up the conversation, which considered why this is a Jewish theme, ways this topic might be addressed, potential partners, and possible actions by museums. As prior reading, CAJM recommended this summary report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), part of the United Nations Environment Programme.

CONTINUING IMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 - 8/5/21
We collectively consider the implications of the new Covid variant on our plans for the fall. How is it affecting your hours and planned in-person experiences for the coming season? What new precautions are you taking? To whom are you turning for advice and guidance? What other local agencies and organizations can help us to develop policies or refine our practices?

JEWISH MUSEUMS & GENDER - 7/15/21
A discussion of dynamics of gender in Jewish museums, with a special focus for this conversation on masculinity. We'll discuss and consider how gender affects our work in distinct realms: from Jewish history and culture; to portrayals in exhibitions and branding; to gendered dynamics in workplaces. Colleagues Jonathan Edelman, Ari Goldstein, Gabriel Goldstein, Zachary Levine, and Eddie Maza help us delve into these subjects.

OUR RETURN TO WORK - 6/4/21
Despite rustiness and/or burnout, many of our museums are beginning to resume a schedule of in-person visitation. What are the special challenges of transitioning back to on-site work? What is new or different about your institutional purpose, structure, or practice?

CURRENT EVENTS IN ISRAEL - 5/21/21
As we learn about conflicts in Israel on a daily basis, how do we - as Jewish museum practitioners - contend with the information and news narratives? What is the impact on our work culture, and how do we manage conversations and questions with our board, staff, and publics? What are the implications for the content we might deliver? Gabriel Goldstein joins us to help explore these issues.

DIGITAL & HYBRID FUTURES FOR JEWISH MUSEUMS - 5/14/21
Now that many parts of the country are reopening, how will our museums plan their future to make use of digital and in-person possibilities to their fullest, strategic advantage? What have we learned that forever changes the way we conduct business in both realms?

CONFERENCE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUED (5/7/21)
An opportunity to share ideas generated by CAJM's April 2021 global conference on the theme of Upheaval: the most interesting and productive ideas; new ways of working in response to the pandemic and other conditions; particular issues for specific museums; and global comparisons and exchanges.

CONTEXT MATTERS (4/9/21)
Each museum operates within its own context of social, political, historical, local, and national realities. How are our museums all quite different, owing to differences in context? And in what ways are we the same, nonetheless? What are the critical local circumstances and forces that shape your museum?

THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE (3/12/21)
Climate change and ecological degradation are facts of life these days. Many of our museums are vulnerable to the effects of climate change (e.g., flooding). What precautions are we taking? Beyond our own institutions, what steps are we taking to discuss, interpret, and educate our communities about climate change? Are we meeting resistance, encouragement, or advocacy? And how can we embed conversations about climate change in the larger conversations about social justice and tikkun olam?

NAVIGATING OUR POLARIZED WORLD (3/5/21)
Political divisions within the Jewish community will have an impact on exhibits and programs at our museums. What effects are we seeing and experiencing? What might constitute effective institutional responses to those instances?

RE-THINKING OUR COLLECTIONS (2/26/21)
Many museums are trying to re-think their collections. How can we make collections even more of a source of strength and energy and not so much of a cost center and burden? How is the composition and range of our collections shifting as we collect intangible resources (oral histories, born-digital materials, etc.)? Have the paradigms for sharing collections changed in the wake of the pandemic?

LIGHTENING THE MOOD (2/19/21)
With Purim just ahead, this is a good opportunity to talk about humor and wit as part of the museum experience. Which of your programs and exhibitions have employed humor and wit to make their points? Do humor and wit have a role in your museum - and, if so, what? Are some mediums more conducive to using humor and wit than others?

VACCINATIONS AND THE WORK OF MUSEUMS (2/12/21)
A conversation looking at the topic of vaccination and its implications for our work: what it means as subject matter, for education and messaging, for the reopening of museums, and for the staff and constituents of our institutions. Zahava Doering will discuss an educational initiative to educate and encourage vaccination with which she is involved, led by the Smithsonian.

NEW DIRECTORS FOR EXHIBITIONS (2/5/21)
The events of the past year have had tremendous implications for exhibitions: How and where are exhibits shown? How have our audiences changed? How have our subjects changed, which voices are being elevated, and who are new partners in the work - now and for the future? Even though many gallery doors are currently closed, come share your experiences creating exhibits for these times, and how your museum's curatorial practice has shifted for the years ahead.

CHANGING REALITIES FOR MEMBERSHIP (1/29/21)
Given Covid statistics, and the probable continued lag of in-person visitation at our museums in coming months, we must give extra thought to memberships. How can we continue to serve our most invested museum constituents? What impact on membership revenues do we anticipate or have we already seen? What ingredients make up satisfying virtual membership experiences, and what other forms of outreach can help us retain members and attract new ones?

NEW BEGINNINGS (1/22/21)
In keeping with the New Year, the new administration, and the implication of more widespread vaccinations, let’s discuss how our work might change in the months ahead. What will come back? What has changed for the long term? What new ideas might impact our museums or our personal professional development? What do we expect from and hope for the year 2021 in regard to our work?

HOW HAS YOUR ROLE CHANGED? (1/15/21)
In thinking about your own job responsibilities of the past, the present, and of the future - how has your specific role in your museum changed? What changes have been welcome, unwelcome, or just totally unexpected? At our Talking Circle this Friday, we'll talk about the revelations we've had about our work contributions, our potential, and our changing roles in the ecosystem of Jewish museums.

Open Discussion Following January 6 Events at the US Capitol
(1/8/21)

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD (12/18/20)
With 2021 on the horizon, how are you planning your work for the year ahead?  Looking back at 2020, what needs to be scrapped or re-shaped in planning for 2021?  What have you learned this year that might change the course of your work (or work aspirations) for the longer term (beyond the pandemic)? And who gets to decide?

WHAT HAVE WE LOST? WHAT HAVE WE FOUND? (12/11/20)
The pandemic has taken much away from us (and us away from much of who we were). But it has also enabled us to discover new and meaningful things, as well. As we approach the end of calendar 2020, we talk about what we have lost and found, both personally and professionally.

ANTICIPATING HANUKKAH (12/4/20) 
During these winter months of the pandemic, we can look forward to Hanukkah - a holiday associated with light, resilience, and hope. How will our museums mark the Festival of Lights this year, and help their communities mark the holiday in new ways? How are we innovating new forms of engagement and community, and taking a more active role when we are physically apart? At this week’s talking circle, we brainstorm ideas for new ways of connecting museums with communities to make the holiday meaningful.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION (11/20/20) 
In tandem with the pandemic, 2020 has been a dramatic year for reckonings with painful history, social and economic inequities, and the forms of public response to these issues. (How) are our museums considering and addressing DEI – i.e, are we collecting and chronicling more broadly, reaching out more widely, and in other ways ensuring that our institutions are responsibly diverse, equitable, and inclusive places? 

MUSEUMS AND OUR COLLECTIVE WELL-BEING, Part Two (11/13/20)
Having enjoyed a compelling conversation on personal wellness, self-care, and healing last week, we talk more about how our museums can help us to stay well (and to heal), then turn to ways in which our museums can help to heal the wounds and divisions within our communities of service.

MUSEUMS AND OUR COLLECTIVE WELL-BEING, Part One (11/6/20)
In times of heightened anxiety, unusual pressures, and isolation – what role can museums play in fostering our collective well-being?  Museums have often been valued as centers for knowledge and beauty, and as places to expand our view of cultures. But what other benefits might museums extend – not just symbolically, but in direct relationship to individuals and communities? And what role might Jewish museums, specifically, play in serving as centers of healing, spirituality, and companionship for these times?

MUSEUMS IN THE ELECTION SEASON (10/30/20)
As we approach Election Day and navigate our messaging in this charged season, how do museums account for the election (practically, topically, and emotionally)?  How are museums advocating directly, and how are they calibrating their offerings in light of the national temperature around the election?  How are they serving as organizations that inspire and make possible civic engagement, and how are they preparing to respond to possible fractures and healing in their communities?    

COLLECTING WHILE SEPARATED (10/23/20)
Over these many months of working from home, many museums have reconfigured the way they approach and work with collections. What are we collecting today - materials relating to the pandemic, to social protest, the holidays, aging populations, and other communities of priority? What do we see as our most pressing work in collecting, and how are we accomplishing it?  This discussion will look at how our role in collecting is evolving, and if we are learning new ways of doing this work for the long term.  RSVP to join our next zoom Talking Circle on Friday, Oct 23 at 1pm EST. 

WHERE WILL WE FIND EXPERTISE? (10/16/20)
In an age when misinformation abounds and the authority of museums is in question, how will we equip our institutions with new and needed expertise?  Do we have adequate fluency in topics that matter today, and how can we re-fortify ourselves in content areas, research, and new thinking? Where will we find new kinds of expertise even as we are struggling with tight budgets, layoffs, and furloughs? 

CHANGING TIMES, CHANGING LAY LEADERSHIP (10/9/20)
Recent events and headlines  have questioned authority and leadership of all kinds.  In the museum world, how do our community affiliates and lay leaders define and signal what we prioritize?   What has changed or needs changing for the years ahead? To put it another way: how can we best align with the most exciting leaders and community partners to activate our agendas for the future?

CRAFTING THE NEW AMERICAN STORY (10/2/20)
What is the role of museums in helping to rewrite the American narrative in the year ahead? As keepers of history, what responsibility do we have in telling truths, illuminating the unseen, and seeking justice and reconciliation? As Bryan Stevenson discussed with IKAR’s Rabbi Sharon Brous on Yom Kippur - how can museums and public history projects help create a new landscape of truth?

ENGAGING THE CRISIS (9/25/20)
Our communities are beset with multiple crises simultaneously  – the pandemic, unemployment, climate change, injustice, and the tensions surrounding the forthcoming elections. As we prepare our fall programs, how will they address these crises directly? With whom can we partner who is not part of our normal network? What new kinds of programs, activities, and events might help alleviate our shared crises?

REOPENING OUR MUSEUMS (9/10/20)
These past weeks, many of our museums have experimented with reopening, or have made plans to do so.  New realities have profoundly affected our operations and strategies, and changing conditions keep our plans in flux - sometimes causing additional closures.  Let's talk about where we are, what steps have been critical to decision making, and what is different about our museums today. 

NEW FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES (8/27/20)
Since the pandemic began, our institutions have reinvented their fundraising strategies: from direct asks to grant applications; projecting earned income; and staging fundraising campaigns, messages, and "events."  With the fall season now upon us, let's talk together about what we have learned along the way, what's effective, and what opportunities lie directly ahead. 

DEFINING MUSEUMS, DEFINING OURSELVES (8/20/20)
The international museum community has been roiled by disagreements over defining the word "museum" - centering on ICOM's proposed definition of 2019. As Jewish museums, what do we see as the purpose of our museums? Do we define ourselves in terms of our sites, collections, disciplines, and programs, our audiences and users, or some form of social utility? And how do we see the definitions of our museums evolving?

MUSEUMS AS NEIGHBORS (8/13/20)
Jewish museums have always functioned within their local communities and contexts. But what does it mean to be a good neighbor now in new ways for more people? What is needed most from our museums, and are we equipped to envision our role as "neighbor?" 

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? (8/6/20)
As the pandemic and other pressures reorganize the way we conduct museum work, how will we know we are successful?  Given that attendance is unpredictable for the year ahead, we will need new approaches, definitions, and metrics to talk about "successes" and "failures."  Most importantly: what do we want to measure, and what do we hope to learn and take away? 

IN ANTICIPATION: A DIFFERENT HOLIDAY SEASON (7/23/20)
Each fall brings the start of the Jewish new year, and typically the beginning of the cultural season.  But given closures and limited capacity at synagogues and museums, how will we mark the meaning of the new year differently this cycle?  If Jewish families and individuals are seeking connection and meaning for the High Holidays, how can museums rise to the occasion in new ways - given their collections, content expertise, and creative capabilities? 

MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS: WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW (7/16/20)
Before the pandemic, exhibitions were the most defining feature of museums. As digital possibilities expand and physical reopenings continue, what will be the immediate future for our exhibitions for the seasons and year ahead? What should we be doing and planning for? Where might they safely take place? When will they most likely surface? Why do we believe (or not) that exhibitions still matter?  And how can we actualize exhibitions that are meaningful, inspiring, strategic, and fortifying? 

WHOM DO WE CELEBRATE - AND WHY? (7/9/20)
As sites of public memory, museums have long considered the problems inherent in statues, plaques, flags, and building names.  As we look through the contemporary lens, we must consider anew: what are we signaling through our own such material culture? Whom do we hold up as heroes in our museums and whom do we forget--and what might we want to reconsider? 

CONSEQUENCES OF THE PANDEMIC (7/2/20)
As COVID-19 continues to disrupt the entire way we do business, many museums are forced to consider significant (and often painful) changes. Whether reprioritizing the types of programs we offer, reorganizing for efficiency or cost, or instituting temporary measures, museum colleagues across the country have had to rethink what is needed to accomplish our most important work.  What has the pandemic meant for our museums operationally, budgetarily, and in terms of priorities, old and new?

STAFF LEARNING AND REFLECTION (6/25/20)
How we organize staff learning and reflection is key to our institutional growth. Some museums leave it to individual staff to learn as they can; others promote learning on the job or professional development; and a few build staff learning time into the museum's regular schedule. 

CONFRONTING MUSEUM “NEUTRALITY” (6/18/20)
ICOM's President recently declared that "museums are not neutral.” Jewish museums, historic sites, and Holocaust centers are not exempt from this general condition: Choosing to address antisemitism without working to end racism is not neutral. Discussing Jewish refugees and migrants without considering non-Jewish refugees, especially Palestinians — is not neutral.  Telling the story of Jewish economic mobility without addressing the racism that allowed them to pass as white is not neutral. Allowing our museums’ staffs to be comprised nearly entirely of white people is not neutral. Sticking to dominant — ashkenormative — narratives of American Jewish history is not neutral.

GATHERING STORIES (6/11/20)
CAJM recognizes that this is a critical time, one in which Jewish life is responsive and changing in the face of the pandemic, the protests, the election year, and the community work we do together. So it is a very important time to be collecting the Jewish experience in America. In partnership with the Jewish Women’s Archive and TheirStory, we are working to make available to our members new story collecting capabilities. Share your museum's own strategy for collecting these times, and learn more from about Story Aperture and TheirStory from Mikki Pugh, JWA’s Chief of Staff; Zack Ellis, Founder of TheirStory, Inc.; and engagement consultant Alice Rubin. 

MUSEUMS AND PROTEST (6/4/20)
A discussion of the role of museums in protest – past and present, and the impact of current events on our institutions and their approaches.

MUSEUM PARTNERSHIPS (5/21/20)
This week we brainstormed about how/when our museums should be working in partnership on combined platforms and collective initiatives; which efforts might serve specific institutions and audiences best; and how we might think collectively for the future.

ROUNDTABLE WITH AEJM (5/7/20)
Joined by peers from the Association of European Jewish Museums, we began with remarks on new institutional challenges from Bryan Davis (Jewish History Museum), Fraidy Aber (Contemporary Jewish Museum), William Weitzer (Leo Baeck Institute), Laura Mandel (Jewish Arts Collaborative), and Melissa Martens Yaverbaum (CAJM) before opening up the discussion to think together about current issues as an international community of museums and plan for the future.

REOPENING/REIMAGINING (4/30/20)
Amid unprecedented closures, Jewish museums around the country are contemplating what the "reopening" of their museums will look like. What will that gradual process be? What will the most decisive factors be? Most importantly: what will stay the same; what might be different? An opportunity to explore possibilities and options and take some risks together. 

FUNDRAISING (4/23/20)
Comparing notes and sharing information about best ways to maintain, secure, and grow resources for our institutions during and beyond the pandemic.

ONLINE ENGAGEMENT (4/2/20)
Considering the impact of COVID-19 and what our organizations are doing, or can do, to engage audiences and provide content and meaningful online experiences. 

IMPACT ON OPERATIONS (3/26/20)
Discussing the impact of COVID-19 on museum operations and how our organizations are responding to the need for contingency planning as external circumstances change day by day; including, how remote operations are working; budget planning in a time of crisis; how to minimize the impact of cancelled events.

CHECKING IN WITH MEMBERS (3/19/20)
Our first virtual Talking Circle was a chance to hear how colleagues around the country were managing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. From that first conversation, we identified several topics of interest for further consideration.