2024 Programming At Philly's Jewish Museum to Feature a Reimagined Passover Event, Concerts & More

The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is gearing up for its busiest programming year since before the pandemic. A robust events calendar features leading Jewish thinkers such as Yossi Klein Halevi and Dara Horn, a reimagined Passover event that engages those impacted by the criminal justice system, world premiere concerts, book releases, family-friendly activities, and a lecture series with Penn about on-campus antisemitism.

In May 2024, the Museum leads the nationwide Jewish American Heritage Month celebration, which is anchored by a diverse series of in-person and virtual events.

The Museum is open Friday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and currently offers free admission. The special exhibition, “The Future Will Follow the Past: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz”, which offers a visually striking commentary on pressing issues facing America today, is currently on view.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Tuesday, January 23

Conversation with Dara Horn on Antisemitism and Education, Live at Penn Hillel (part of Penn's Katz Center's “Campus Antisemitism” series, details below)

Sunday, January 28

Tu B'Shevat Gathering and West Laurel Hill Arboretum Tour

Annual tour of Laurel Hill West's wintry arboretum in celebration of Tu B'Shevat, often called the Jewish New Year for the Trees, followed by Camuna Cellars wine and fruits significant to the holiday.

Thursday, March 28

Book Release: Judaism is About Love with Shai Held and Robert Krulwich

Thought leader and director of the Hadar Institute, Shai Held, comes to talk about his new book with Radiolab's Robert Krulwich.

Wednesday, April 3

Conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi

Thought leader and New York Times Best-Selling Author Yossi Klein Halevi, known for his “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor,” will appear at The Weitzman in conversation with award winning writer and editor, Sandee Brawarsky. Halevi plans to discuss the current state of affairs in Israel, chances for peace, what it means for Israelis and American Jews to share the experience of vulnerability and the future of American Jewish-Israeli relations. 

Thursday, April 11

Book Release: PHISH and Contemporary Jewish Identity

Celebrate the release of the highly anticipated book, This is Your Song Too: Phish and Contemporary Jewish Identity, as co-editors Ariella Werden-Greenfield, Oren Kroll Zeldin and Rabbi Eli Freedman take the Weitzman Museum stage for a conversation about the band Phish, their diehard fans, Jewish identity, and Jewish experiences in unexpected places.

Sunday, April 14

Freedom Seder Revisited

This year, The Weitzman's signature Passover storytelling event teams up with First Person Arts and Mural Arts Philadelphia. For a reimagined version of this annual event inspired by Mural Arts Philadelphia's Restorative Justice program, which amplifies the voices of individuals, victims, and communities divided by the criminal justice system. The event will feature the popular and high energy band, Snacktime Philly. 

With the hope that the Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza will yet celebrate this Passover in freedom with their own families, The Weitzman plans to set places for them at the Freedom Seder on the 190th day of their captivity. In the words of the Haggadah (Passover Seder service), “Let all who are in need come to celebrate Passover.”

CONCERTS

March 12

World Premiere: Wild Burning Rage and Song: Replies to Scottsboro

Yiddish and English poems that captured the struggles against racial prejudice in the 20th century are set to music in this world premiere performance that features Professor Amelia Glaser, composer/vocalists Heather Klein and Anthony Russell, and pianist/arranger Uri Schreter.

This Harmonizing History series is produced by The Weitzman and the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. 

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Sunday, February 18

Sensory Friendly Day

A Shabbat-themed day, in partnership with jkidaccess, dedicated to making the Museum accessible for children with sensory sensitivity. Activities include a craft, a snack, and a specially designed scavenger hunt and activity in the Museum galleries.

Monday, February 19

Presidents' Day Family Day

Free family day on Presidents' Day when schools are closed. Expect performances, tours, crafts, and more. All ages are welcome.

FILM

Thursday, March 7

Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media International Women's Day Film Screening 

Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media screens “ROSE” on International Women's Day at The Weitzman.

April 4-7

Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media Spring Festival

The Weitzman is the home of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media's Lindy SpringFest. Expect exciting and carefully curated films which engage with Jewish culture and values.

CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM LECTURES

A series of free lectures on the topic of “Jews and the University: Antisemitism, Admissions, Academic Freedom”, co-presented by Penn's Katz Center and Penn Hillel, and co-sponsored by The Weitzman:

• Tuesday, January 23 | Conversation with Dara Horn on Antisemitism and Education, Live at Penn Hillel

• Wednesday, February 7 | Past and Present: The Impact of Antisemitism on the Study of American Jewish History with Pam Nadell (online)

• Tuesday, February 13 | Antisemitism and Admissions at Stanford University with Ari Kelman Lecture (online)

• Wednesday, February 21 | Fun, But Free? Jewish Sororities and Acculturation with Shira Kohn (online)

• February 27 | Campus Free Speech After October 7 with Sigal Ben-Porath (online)

• March 14 | Antisemitism in Elite College Admission: A Brief History with Jerome Karabell (online) 

BOOK RELEASES & EVENTS

Wednesday, February 7 | The Jewish Catalog Turns 50: Revolutionary Manifesto of DIY Judaism

A conversation celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Jewish Catalog – a groundbreaking 1973 publication (created in Philadelphia) that revolutionized Judaism.

Thursday, March 28 | Book Release: Judaism is About Love

Rabbi Shai Held's book “Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life” is a profound, startling new understanding of Jewish life, illuminating the forgotten heart of Jewish theology and practice: love. He will be speaking with NPR correspondent Robert Krulwich.

Tuesday, April 9 | Weitzman Book Club: “Most Fortunate Unfortunates” (online) 

Marlene Trestman will discuss her book “Most Fortunate Unfortunates,” which is the first comprehensive history of the Jewish Orphans' Home of New Orleans, with Dr. Jonathan Sarna, Chief Historian of The Weitzman.

Thursday, April 11 | Book Release: “This Is Your Song Too: Phish and Contemporary Jewish Identity” Book Release  

Book release event for Oren Kroll-Zeldin and Ariella Werden-Greenfield's “This Is Your Song Too: Phish and Contemporary Jewish Identity,” an in-depth look at Jewishness in the Phish universe that also provides a deeper understanding of how spirituality, ritual, and identity function in the world of rock and roll.

ABOUT THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY

Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia's Independence Mall, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Weitzman presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. Standing as a joyful bulwark against antisemitism, bigotry, and hate, The Weitzman serves to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire. www.theweitzman.org

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