Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

Undergraduate students - don’t miss out on this opportunity to travel to Poland and explore your Jewish roots! Poland was once home to more than half of world Jewry; sadly, most of this community vanished due to the Holocaust and its aftermath. Rising second to fourth year undergraduate students have the opportunity to visit Poland to explore this history and how to preserve it from July 1st-10th through JewishGen's Bennett & Robin Greenspan L’Dor V’Dor Legacy Program. This 10-day immersive program seeks to train future generations of Jewish genealogical leadership. Save for a registration fee, the trip is fully subsidized & participants will visit Warsaw, Lublin, Krakow, Tykocin, Zambrow, and Aushcwitz-Birkenau. While in Poland, participants will: explore basic tools of genealogical researching; clean a neglected Jewish cemetery; and examine the critical role cemeteries play in preserving the memory and legacy of former Jewish communities. The application deadline is fast-approaching on February 21st - submit yours today at: https://lnkd.in/dFAEvuNk

We were honored to welcome over 200 survivors to the Museum?on Monday, January 27th?to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Members of the Museum’s Speakers Bureau joined us to help launch our new installation, “Survivor Stories: An Interactive Dialogue.” This groundbreaking exhibit features pre-recorded interviews with ten survivors, enhanced by AI technology, allowing visitors to engage in dynamic, lifelike conversations. Through this interactive experience, visitors can ask questions and receive real-time responses, preserving these powerful testimonies for future generations. ? Additional survivors, including those from Selfhelp Community Services, gathered to watch the live-streamed memorial from Poland. Following the commemoration, they enjoyed a moving performance by the Hebrew Public School Students & Staff choir and connected over a shared luncheon. ? Welcoming survivors to the Museum is at the heart of our mission - this is a place for them to feel recognized and at home, where they can share their stories and forge community. Gathering with them on occasions like this is a profound privilege, reinforcing the enduring importance of remembrance and resilience.

The Young Friends of the Museum kicked off the new year with their annual shabbat dinner, commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The dinner featured moving testimony from Lexi Klein and Holocaust survivor Dori Katz, members of the Museum’s Speakers Bureau. Interested in attending upcoming events for young professionals? Consider becoming a Young Friend of the Museum! The Young Friends are a warm community of young professionals (ages 21 – 39) who advance the Museum’s mission of Holocaust education and remembrance. Connect with other young professionals, hear from survivors, and become part of a dynamic community of present and future leaders. Learn more at: mjhnyc.org/youngfriends

With just two weeks left until the High School Apprenticeship application closes, we want to remind everyone about this summer opportunity for NYC public high school students. In this hands-on summer-length paid experience, students perform tasks with their fellow interns and staff in participating departments, rotating on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, and learn about the inner workings of Museum operations as well as Jewish culture, heritage and the Holocaust. Interested students must fill out an application where they will answer questions about their interests and goals, provide a teacher recommendation and a copy of their high school transcript. Submit your application today! Grades 9-12 are encouraged to apply at: https://lnkd.in/e3SEPsvA

As the year draws to a close, let’s take a look back at 2024! We are delighted to have welcomed so many students and visitors to the Museum - whether to tour exhibitions, listen to Holocaust survivors, or attend our public programs. We appreciate everyone who visits and engages with us. We can’t wait to welcome you back in 2025!

Do you know an NYC high schooler looking for an engaging summer opportunity that will look great on college applications? Let them know about the High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP) at MJH! Combining study and work, HSAP is designed to give participating apprentices a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to work in the Museum and explore both Jewish heritage and their own. In addition to the wonderful opportunity to learn, apprentices are paid for their participation in the program! Applications are open now for Summer 2025, and will be accepted until February, 11th. You must be in Grades 9-11 to apply. Learn more & start your application today at: https://lnkd.in/eSPQiaac

3,000 students visited the Museum in November! Coming from 44 schools across the Tri-State area, these students learned about Holocaust history from taking guided tours of our exhibits, hearing testimony from Holocaust survivors, and using our supplementary educational resources. Interested in bringing your class to the Museum? You can learn more about booking tours at: mjhnyc.org/student-tours

Between author talks, writing workshops, and lots of book shopping, it’s safe to say that the New York Jewish Book Festival was a huge success! Thank you to the 500+ bibliophiles who attended, as well as the fantastic authors, moderators, and partners who participated. We can’t wait for next year! This program was made possible in part through a partnership with the Battery Park City Authority. Photos by Melanie Einzig.

Join the Museum for a virtual Professional Development opportunity! On Sunday, December 15th, learn about “Messages from Survivors: One Family’s Holocaust Legacy,” a classroom resource that includes?six short informational videos, a website, and take-home cards to share with families. This seminar, led by artist Roz Jacobs and educator Laurie Weisman from The Memory Project Productions, will be a chance to explore the materials and develop lesson plans together. The materials follow the the lives of a family of survivors over a 40-year span, and can launch discussions about what it meant to live during the Holocaust and build meaningful lives afterwards. Register to attend at: https://lnkd.in/ey8bHaET This professional development program will be held via Zoom from 12:30-3:30 PM (ET), and participants will be eligible to receive CTLE credit. This program is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Dr. Jacqueline Heller in memory of her parents Fanya Gottesfeld Heller, z”l and Joseph Heller, z”l.

This Giving Tuesday, support our Holocaust Educator School Partnership (HESP) and our wonderful interns! Your donation, DOUBLED thanks to a generous match, will help combat antisemitism through Holocaust education by expanding the reach of this program beyond the Tri-state area. Listen to Museum Trustee Julianna Margulies introduce this amazing program. Give today at: mjhnyc.org/givingHESP