The New
Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU Bi-Annual Digital Newsletter Summer, 2021
Chairman’s Message What an incredible past 15 months we have universally experienced during this historic COVID-19 pandemic! In March 2020, we wondered how we would get through this once in a century ordeal. Retreating in lockdown to our homes, our anxiety levels rose as uncertainty became a constant. Today, we can look back and marvel at our collective success in surviving and creatively finding solutions to living. Our Museum was faced with many challenges during the “new normal” of COVID-19 as well. Closing for more than a year presented enormous challenges to the staff and leadership. Through the leadership of our Executive Director, Susan Gladstone Pasternack, creativity and improvisation prevailed. The redesign process for “Mosaic,” our core exhibit — with 21st century technology and interactive concepts to better tell the story of the Jewish experience in Florida —was accelerated. COVID-19 forced new spacing allocations and exhibit reconfigurations and improvisation brought long stored artifacts to public view. Returning visitors will find an interesting, new experience as they view these long-hidden gems in our collection. We have received major funding commitments for completing the redesign and installation of the new “Mosaic” core exhibit telling our story with a fresh experience.
I regret that last year we were unable to collectively celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU! The celebration was to be a moment of great pride in our Museum and a time to reflect on our past as well as our future. The dream of Marcia Jo Zerivitz has come a long way since 1995 thanks to the continued support of our many donors, volunteers, and members. I’m looking forward to rejoining in our mutual efforts to make the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU even better as we emerge from COVID-19. The Advisory Board has made personal commitments to “own” a part of the Museum’s future with both time and money. To fulfill the Museum’s destiny, significant additional private and corporate support is needed to sustain the wonderful cultural, historic, and academic programs that are part of the JMOF-FIU experience. We need your personal commitment to “own” a part of the Museum: partake of the unique exhibits, enrich our collection of Jewish artifacts, support our academic programs, engage new friends with the museum, and provide funds to fulfill our vision. Engage your passion! Ira D. Giller Advisory Board Chair
Advisory Board Officers Chair Vice-Chairs
Treasurer
Advisory Board Members
Past Presidents
Linda Widrich Weitz, Miami Beach Leonard A. Wien, Miami Beach Sharyn Wittner, St. Petersburg Linda B. Zilber, Bay Harbor
Executive Director Susan Gladstone Pasternack
Founding Executive Director Marcia Jo Zerivitz, L.H.D. * Deceased
The New Tiles compiled by Nancy Cohen, Museum Manager
Cover Photo: By Michael Fryd
Executive Director’s Report Dear JMOF-FIU Family,
What a remarkable year it has been! I am incredibly proud of the unwavering dedication of our JMOF-FIU staff. During a global pandemic, they pivoted overnight, from in-person to digital and virtual programming, and continued to work remotely both diligently and efficiently. Since April 2020 we hosted over 80 Judith Leiber: Master Craftsman virtual tours across the US and Canada and joined forces with our Miami Beach FIU partner museums, the Wolfsonian and Miami Beach Urban Studios, to launch On the Avenue, an integrative virtual arts programming series. Our curatorial staff conducted virtual interviews on monthly Thursdays at Three with artists and curators from around the world. JMOF-FIU STEAM+ educational programs with Miami Beach public schools continued virtually in full force. Our education manager also launched an uber successful, virtual health and wellness series, #BeWell, where hundreds of visitors enjoyed tips from some of Miami’s most prestigious healthy living experts. Our beautiful new, temporary exhibition The Sanctuary,opened to the public in April, 2021 and highlights our stunning building architecture, beautiful stained-glass windows, the history of Beth Jacob Synagogue, and features a selection of significant Judaica items from the original MOSAIC* collection. In addition, we are highlighting several of the museum’s most popular exhibitions from the past including Mah Jong, Jews in the Fashion Industry, Jews in Sports, and others. There is also a section about the restoration of the building. The Sanctuary will remain on display in the main gallery until work begins on the new core exhibition. Some favorite items that are usually on display in the MOSAIC collection, are getting a well-deserved break from public view and are being assessed for restoration. Once assessed and/or restored, we will rotate the these remarkable artifacts back into the gallery. Behind the scenes, we continue to digitize our permanent collection, making it available to researchers worldwide. Our Bess Myerson Gallery currently features an exhibition about the Jews of North Florida. Every few months, the museum will feature another Florida region and its Jewish history. Next up, Jews of Tallahassee! Also on display in this small but mighty corridor gallery are more treasures from the original MOSAIC collection. The 311 Gallery remains a wonderfully-curated space for temporary exhibitions. In October, Will Eisner: Comic Creator, Illustrator & Innovator will soon make way for the Southeast premiere of Hello Gorgeous, which tells the Barbra Streisand story. The main gallery will feature an art exhibition by Marty Kreloff and the Bess Myerson Gallery will present a collection of menorahs. Look for more details on upcoming exhibitions in the pages that follow. Since reopening in April, 2021, we have welcomed several hundred enthusiastic visitors from Florida, and around the globe, who have left glowing reviews in our guest book, along with generous cash donations. We are very grateful to the continuing support of our generous donors and members during the past year. Please renew or become a new member TODAY! From the top of the 301 building, with its gleaming copper dome, to the freshly painted walls and newly polished gallery floors, everything is looking beautiful at our museum. No wonder the Miami New Times recently voted JMOF-FIU as “Miami’s Best Museum!” We invite you to join us as we embark on the next vibrant chapter. Together, we will strengthen the Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU to create a true gem in Florida’s rich museum community! With gratitude, Susan Gladstone Pasternack, Executive Director *From
the Collections of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, originated by Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LH.D, Founding Executive Director
From the Curator, Jacqueline Goldstein The museum opened Judith Leiber: Master Craftsman on March 1, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum closed the following week and remained closed to the public for the next thirteen months. With the museum closed, we began offering live, curator-led, virtual exhibition tours of Judith Leiber: Master Craftsman, Will Eisner: Comic Creator, Illustrator and Innovator and Zachary Balber: Tamim. Recorded versions of the exhibitions are available on the museum website. These curator-led tours became extremely popular during the pandemic and are still going strong today! To date, the JMOF-FIU team has given more than 70 tours around the United States and Canada. In addition to the virtual tours, I began hosting an online series called “Thursdays at Three,” where I interviewed museum directors, film producers, artists and gallerists, via Zoom. Among the guests this year were documentary filmmaker Billy Corben; Director of the Musee Chagall in France, Anne Dopffer; Director of the Judisches Museum in Vienna, Danielle Spera; and artists Typoe, Marty Kreloff and Don Eddy. “Thursdays at Three” is generously sponsored by Merle & Danny Weiss. More to come beginning this fall!
In April of 2021, we reopened our doors and welcomed guests back to view Will Eisner: Comic Creator, Illustrator and Innovator, The Sanctuary, and more. Our Will Eisner exhibition will remain on view until the end of August and visitors can view original illustrations, first-edition comic books from The Spirit series, works from his army days and several of his graphic novels. The tour can also be viewed virtually on our website. Our curatorial team is currently working on three new exhibitions coming this fall. Read more below!
Coming Soon Hello Gorgeous Exhibition on View October 14, 2021—February 20, 2022 (Southeastern Premier)
Hello Gorgeous, an eclectic exhibition of costumes, photos, videos, record album covers and other objects, celebrating the life and work of Barbra Streisand. JMOF-FIU, the exclusive Southeast presenter, is proud to pay tribute to the iconic singer, actress, director, and producer, in an original exhibition and series of events. Exhibit organized by Bernard Museum, Temple Emanu-El, with a special thanks to Lou Papalas of Palm Springs, CA. Sponsorships Available.
Martin Kreloff: A Retrospective
Exhibition on View November 11, 2021— March, 2022 The highlight of this site-specific exhibition will be Marty Kreloff’s work painted directly on the museum’s walls and designed to accommodate the unique structural elements of the gallery. Earlier “Pop Art-influenced” paintings, drawings, and new media works, will also be featured. A long-time Miami resident, he is currently living and working in Las Vegas. The exhibition is sponsored by Merle & Danny Weiss.
Festival of Lights Exhibition on View November 28, 2021– February, 2022
A comprehensive look at the different styles and materials of menorahs used on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, Festival of Lights is a collection of menorahs, also known as hanukkiahs, from the 1st century BCE to today. This extensive grouping of artifacts is on loan from Rabbi Howard Berman.
Collection Updates from Todd Bothel, Registrar This summer, the museum underwent a total re-design in response to the COVID-19 protocols provided by FIU. The re-design included the removal of the carpeted walls that were the foundation of the MOSAIC exhibition. Before the exhibition was removed, I worked with Zachary Balber Photography to record a virtual reality tour of the entire exhibition. With the visual record completed, I wrote more than 200 captions that provide the detailed information the viewer sees on the tour. Anyone can now view MOSCIC: Jewish Life In Florida using the QR code to the right. Following the de-installation of the physical MOSAIC, the artifacts were returned to the collections department, who are in the process of updating the collections database. A good portion of the MOSAIC artifacts are currently on view in The Sanctuary. Informational text panels have been updated with details about the architects of the two museum buildings, stained glass window iconography, building features that are unique to the sanctuary, and more. Several pieces of the permanent collection are currently off display to protect them from damage and will be evaluated for possible renovation, including Fannie Moss’s Purim shell dress (left) and the Weinkle Torah. In addition to the VR project, I worked on several projects to preserve and update the collection of Florida Jewish history. The projects included the digitization of thousands of photographs from the collection. This fall, through a grant from the Mellon Foundation, and in coordination with the Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab, JMOF-FIU will hire an intern to assist with digitizing the ephemera and image collections. The grant enables JMOF-FIU to purchase a new collections database system which will improve functionality and accessibility of the collection.
The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU is always looking for additional materials to add to our collection. If you are interested in donating items, please email or call Todd at tbothel@fiu.edu; or 786-972-3167 so that we can determine if your item is an appropriate addition to our collection.
JMOF- FIU In the News! We are happy to report that our programming has received much attention from the media this past year. From Ocean Drive and Miami magazines, to the Forward and Hadassah magazines, to the Miami Herald, Miami New Times, Telemundo and the Sun Sentinel (to name a few), JMOF-FIU’s tremendous work had been highlighted by many regional and national media outlets. Our media outreach effort has resulted in over 190 media mentions, reaching an audience of over 286,615,317, with an estimated publicity value of over $1,706,136. We are grateful for the coverage and will continue to produce high-caliber exhibitions and programming worthy of such accolades and praise. - Erica Corsano
In celebration of JMOF-FIU’s 25th anniversary, last December, we presented Heritage Heroes. The week-long virtual program helped raise nearly $80,000 for the museum, and featured video tributes from Elliot Stone, Ira Giller, Norma & Michael Orovitz, Russell Galbut, and Alan Levitt. A special musical tribute from Ben, Jonah & Henry Platt, of the singing Platt Brothers, and Piper & Gabriel Rutman (the granddaughter and son-in-law of Kenneth and Barbara Bloom) entertained viewers. We also looked back at the history of JMOF-FIU with Founding Executive Director Marcia Jo Zerivitz, L.H.D. We recognized our Super Heroes of the past and present, and Young Heroes of today, with a special family day program. The week ended with our annual Klezmer Music concert, generously sponsored by Sylvia and Norman Levine and family. Thank you to the following individuals who made donations during Heritage Heroes:
Erin Doyle Arnold Elaine Bachenheimer Betsy Berg Peter Berg Thomas M. Berger Patricia Bergman Jill Bloom Mark Borman Harvey Burstein Rory Byrne Riva Cahane Debra Campbell Francie Camper Anita Cava Milagros Garcia Chica Bill Clark Joan Cochran Nancy & Larry Cohen Sydney & Steven Cohen Erica Corsano Antonietta Corsano Andrew Doyle Sam & Lori Dubbin Martin Engels Sherri Esformes
Susan Feldman Jordan Fickess Isaac Fisher Paulette Fried Bruce Germinsky Susan Gladstone Julie Gordon Andrew Gottlieb Sally Heyman Darius Homayounpour Julie Isaacson Adrianne Jaffee Joan Kasner Minda & Norman Katz Toby Kumin Stewart Liebling Elaine Litvak Alexandra Levitt Elizabeth Liebovitz Allen Levitt Eli Levitt Erica Levitt Robert Meltzer Vanessa Menkes Adrienne Pardo
Bruce Pasternack Barbara Peckett Alexandria Portelli Dr Jane Rosen-Grandon Roberta Rosenberg Sandra Ross Noah Rubin Laurie Siegel Jean & Bill Soman Elizabeth Salston Stephanie Schwartz Randy Silbiger Amy Somek Rebecca Solomon Andrea Steinacker Fortuna Smukler Jessica Szmuler Jacqueline Traurig Michele Tuvel Daniel & Merle Weiss Doris Yaffe Gayle Yashar Marcia Jo & Elliott Zerivitz Jane Zucker
Volunteers & Docents We were happy to welcome back volunteers and docents when we re-opened in April. These dedicated docents are an integral part of JMOF-FIU and we are grateful for the continued service they provide.
South Beach Jewish Walking Tour is back. The two-hour (live) tour, conducted by Howard Brayer, includes an overview of the more than 100 years of Jewish history of Miami Beach; discussion of significant Jewish people and organizations, (both present and past), in Miami Beach; and a review of various architectural styles found in the city, including Jewish contributions. Call Howard at 202-812-0044 for information and available dates and times. Tours are $15.00 per person.
Howard Brayer Reggie Goldstein Mark Gordon Melissa Kishel Elaine Litvak
Eva Shvedova Claire Warren Janet Wolk Judy Wurtman
Our volunteers give guided tours to an internationally diverse audience, and create memorable experiences for visitors of all ages through our permanent and rotating exhibitions. Call TODAY at 786-972-3164 to learn more about becoming a JMOF-FIU Docent , Teen Docent or Volunteer
Education & Virtual Public Programs Update from Luna Goldberg
The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU is pleased to be partnering with the Council of American Jewish Museums on Collecting These Times: American Jewish Experiences of the Pandemic. Collecting These Times is an oral history initiative working to collect stories from around the nation on what it means to be Jewish in the era of COVID-19. The Museum is also proud to be a partner in Community Data Curation: Preserving, Creating, and Narrating Everyday Stories, a project developed by FIU's Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The project’s goal is to ensure voices that have been historically silenced or marginalized are heard and recorded on their own terms and made available for and by the community for generations to come.
Contact Luna Goldberg for additional information lugoldbe@fiu.edu
Since March 2020, the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU has hosted over 100 virtual public programs, drawing nearly 9,000 participants from across the city, state, and country. These free public programs have included our signature “Monday at the Museum” series, as well as new programming which responded to a complex time in the world. “Black Lives in a Jewish Context” series (in partnership with the Global Jewish Studies Program and SIPA), and “#BeWell: A Wellness Series” (presented in partnership with the Program in the Study of Spirituality and sponsored by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and SIPA), both welcomed hundreds of guests to engage and explore via informed dialogue and special activities. In partnership with FIU's Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program and Hillel at FIU, JMOF-FIU co-produced the first –ever virtual Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week, collaborating with over 20 community and FIU partners and reaching over 2,500 participants, over 5 days of programming, featuring film screenings, poetry readings, special guest presentations, and more!
For the first time in FIU history, our education department joined forces our FIU sister museums — Frost Art Museum and the Wolfsonian - to produce 3 x 3 x 3, a series of virtual family day programs that provided free art materials to families across the country, and led youth in craft activities inspired by common themes and objects found in our museum collections. Along with our friends at the Wolfsonian and the Miami Beach Urban Studios, and The Betsy Hotel, on Ocean Drive we launched “On the Avenue,” a bi-monthly, virtual “walk” up Washington Avenue, featuring local talent, exhibitions, and artists in theme-based talks, performances, and presentations. You can see the recordings of these programs on our Youtube channel. For the third year in a row, JMOF was pleased to participate in the City of Miami Beach STEAM+ program, bringing STEAM-based Museum curricula to nearly 1,000 Miami Dade County Public School students in grades 3-12.
Education Manager, Luna Goldberg prepares tote bags filled with art supplies to give to students as part of the STEAM+ Program
This year's program focused on the Museum's historic stained glass windows and the art of storytelling. STEAM+ is funded by a grant from the City of Miami Beach which enabled JMOF-FIU to hire a teaching artist and help fund the production of a new video about the history and design of our stained glass windows.
Membership
List of JMOF-FIU Members Donor Level and Above as of 7/21/2021
Benefactor Members Irene Baros Kerrin & Peter Bermont Barbara & Kenneth Bloom Adrianne & Jerry Cohen Penny & Toby Cohn Paul Drucker Martin Elias Eloah & Mark Fisher Suzanne & Lawrence* Fishman Mikki & Morris Futernick Pam Gadinsky Ellie Ganz Honey & Ira Giller Susan Gladstone Patricia Kenner Henni & John Kessler Sylvia & Norman Levine Rhoda & Morris* Levitt Ellen & H. Irwin Levy Rebecca & Jeffrey Mandler Toba Meiselman Richard Morgenstern Norma & Michael Orovitz Sheldon Palley Joe & Susan Pallot Elaine & Leonard Roberts Shirlee Schiller Sara Solomon Elliot & Bonnie Stone Jacqueline Traurig Merle & Dan Weiss Judith & Dick Wurtman Marcia Jo & Elliott Zerivitz Burton Young
Lorraine & Jeffrey Kurland Roberta & Miles Kuttler Lester Langer Suzanne & Bill Lasky-Gerard Ira & Cynthia Leesfield Nancy & David Linsky Hannah Lipton Judy & Joe Loft Barbara & Kenneth Lombart Joy & Fred Malakoff Susan Miller Nancy Orovitz Robert Peckar Dorothy & Aaron Podhurst William Racolin Nan & David Rich Joyce & Steven Robinson Irma Rochlin Jeffrey Rosenberg Linda & Harold Rosenson Sydney & David Schaecter Beth & James Schwade Ruthie & Rudy Schwartz Lois Schweiger Rukeyser Jacqueline Simkin Sandra Simon Artthur Sotloff Melinda & Avraham Tansman Deborah & Michael Troner Linda & Denis Trupkin Harvey Weidenfeld Catherine Weiser-Tob Florence & Bob Werner Pauline Winick Linda & Max Zalkin
Sponsor Members Jo-Ann Bass Suzanne Berkowitz Elaine Bloom Rosemary & Michael Blumberg Helene & Murray Dubbin Lori Komisar Steven Kreinik Linda & Murray Laulicht Raline Paper Marshall Pasternack & Shelly Rubin Aida Politano Sally Robbins Marian & David Rocker Neil Rollnick Jaime Angel Rubinson Mardena & Ronald Shader Julie & Gary Simon Flippy & Harold Tanenbaum Michael Thomas Judith & Sydney Traum Ann & Ira Zweifler
Donor Members Isabel Bernfeld Anderson Bonnie Askowitz Jane & Alan Axelrod Evelyn Axler Marshall & Rochelle Baltuch Jo Anne Bander Lori Barrist Howard Barron Joyce & Isaac Ben-Ezra Patricia Bergman Joan Berk Howard Berman Judith & Steven Z. Berson-Levinson Doris & Micky Biss Jill & Leonard Bloom Allison Bloom Marlene & Stuart Blumberg Joan & Ben Bornstein Louise & Leonard Boyarsky Elaine & Seymour Brief Nicole & Richard Brilliant Mary Lou Brotherson Margie & Mark Buchbinder Tema Burk Harvey Burstein Ann Bussel Mitzi & Sol Center Helen & Larry Ciment Rita & Jerome Cohen Nancy & Lawrence Cohen Julius Cohen Barbara & Louis Cohen Carolyn Cohen & Alan Dershowitz Jolie Cummings Marjory & Michael Drewes Terry & Melvyn Drucker Debra & Reid Dulberger Kim & Al Eiber Barbara Eisenberg Carol & Robin Faber Joseph Farina Gail Fels Lorraine Feuer Sandra & Edward Folb Michael & Roselyne Freeman Gill Freeman
Patron Members Kevin & Judy Abrams Karen & Robert Asher-Cohen Lynn Berkowitz Samuel Blum Lloyd Brown Stephen Burgay Suzi & Philip Cohen Lori & Michael Dribin Hector Duer Diane & Edward Eisenberg Ronald Gerstl Barton Goldberg Lorraine Greenberg Ruth Greenfield Rita Grinberg Anita & Elliot Grossman Elliott Harris Jill & Robert Hertzberg Barbara Kanzer Ana & Neisen Kasdin Joan Kastner Elaine & Daniel Katz Jeffrey Katzell
Hollis & Jeffrey Freimark James Fried Sandra Friedland Margot Friedman Frederic & Linda Friedman Gloria Friedman Michael Fryd Neil Furman Gayle & Steven Gayer Lenore Gaynor Leslie Genauer Donna Genet Reva & Harvey Gertel Judy Gilbert-Gould Shyla & Stephen Giller Reich Leonard Glick Emily & Martin Glickstein Laura Goldberg Reggie Goldstein Michael & Irma Goldstein Gerald Goldstein Susan Golinsky Glenn & Adriana Gopman Fran Gordon Sandi Jo & Mark Gordon Diana & Murray Gordon Stuart Gottlieb Andrew & Isis Gottlieb Molle Grad Dale & Charles Gratz Carole & Arthur Green Nancy Greenberg Judith & Albert Greenspoon Judyth Groner Leslie & Frances Gross Jane & Saul Gross Raymond Gross Rochelle Haber Carol & John Haggiag Dolores Harris Gerald & Leslie Harris Wilda Harvitt Rhoda & Irving Heller Richard Hersch Lois & Eliot Hess Melanie Jacobson Shirley Kahn Minda & Norman Katz Henrietta Katzen Brenda & Ralph Kingsley Diane & Robert Koch Byron Kolitz & Starr Silver Tracy Kramer Seth Kurn Jodi Kurzweil Rheta Lastinger Leslie Lefkowitz Richard Levine Jack & Susanna Levine Martin & Barbara Liebling Richard & Barbara Litt Baris & Elaine Litvak Bernard Loring Diane & Michael Lyon Wead Judith & Martin Madorsky Marilyn & David Magidson Steve Mandy Danny Marmorstein Jane & Paul Mass Ina & Bruce Melceras Lynn & Martin Mendelssohn Stewart & Corinne Merkin Faith & David Mesnekoff Alice Miller & Fran Levey Roberta & Robert Miller Lisa & Howard Millhauser Joel Minsker Robert Miron Sima & Douglas Miska Malka & Jorge Mordujovich Barbara Morgenstern Flo Moss
Gail Newman Harriet & Murray Oback Edith & Paul Osman Paul Pataky Sonya Rapée Maurice & Jack Reder Marcia & Terry Reisman Lidia & James Resnick Sarita Resnick Paul & Elaine Richman David & Frances Richman Marc & Karen Rivo Gladys & Larry Rockind Judith & Mark Roller Marlene Rose Joyce & Harold Rosenbaum Eugene Rosenbaum Rosalind & Robert Rosenblum David Rothstein Joan Rozansky Debbie Rubin Shelley Rubin Marshall & Sally Ruff Denis Russ Adele & Joel Sandberg Mario Sapoznik Fred Sciammas Carmen & Sheldon Seltzer Arthur Shapiro Shelley & Allen Shaw Barbara Shostak Holly & David Siegel Sharon & Stephen Silver Ellen Silvers Bernard Silverstein Sharon & Howard Socol William & Jean Soman Ann & William Spector Lieff Suzanne & Henry Stolar Robert Stone Elizabeth Suchman Wendy Taurig & Brian Perlin Claire Warren Michelle & Gerald Warshofsky Martin & David Watkins Audrey Weiner Marvin Weinstein Shirley & Solomon Weiss Olga & George Weiss Judith Weissel Larry Wiggins & Jose Garcia Sharyn Wittner Jacobson Rosalind & Jack Zacks Matthew & Arline Zucker Jane & Bernie Zucker Marlene Zuckerman * Deceased
Memorials and Tributes Marking a donation to the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU is a thoughtful and generous way to honor special people for an occasion such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and other celebrations or to pay tribute to love ones, friends and family who have passed way. To make a donation, log onto jmof.fiu.edu and select donate. JMOF-FIU gratefully acknowledges these individuals who have recently made contributions to the museum.
In Honor of
Harvey & Stuart Burstein 70th Birthday Maria & Tom Bradshaw Ray Breslin Laura & Stuart Burstein Adam Chefitz Nancy & Larry Cohen Pat Cummings Ed Fisher Wesley Fisher Pauline Goldsmith Diane & Robert Goodman Fran Gordon Harish Hoon Lynette Long Robert & Josephine Manning Louise Mazius Christine Connors Meland Flo Moss Robert Rosenberg Gerrit Verburg Ellen Wedner Merle & Dan Weiss Jeffrey Wilkinson Kenneth Bloom Ira Leesfield Susan Gladstone & Bruce Pasternack Marriage Corwin Family Foundation Susan Gladstone Marcia Jo & Elliott Zerivitz Kenneth & Barbara Bloom
In Memory of
Morris Levitt Sandra Baer Nadine & Lou Barocas Rosetta & Don Bierman Kenneth & Barbara Bloom Shelly & Steven Brodie Susan & Steven Caller James Cassel Mona Cohen David Deutch Dennis Edwards Sanford Evans & Toby Ansin Sheppard Faber Sylvia Feltman Paula & Mark Froman Ronnie & Arnie Ginsberg Harold & Edna May Hirshman Dolly Harris Marlene & Bob Josefsberg Barbara Katzen Susan Kaufman Neil & Dorothy Koreman David Landy Alix & Mark Langer Morton Levey Carol Levy Nancy & Norman Lipoff Susan & Joseph Pallot Dorothy & Aaron Podhurst Carolie Reiber Terry & Marcia Reisman Eric Hankin & Richard Milstein Paul Richman Ellen & Joel Rosenblatt Allan & Vicki Roth
Morris Levitt Donations(cont.) Renee Shain Howard & Sharon Socol Katie & Fred Sherman Susan & Sam Spatzer Linda & Robert Spiegelman Elliot & Bonnie Stone Jason Thalheimer Jacqueline Traurig Wendy Traurig & Chuck Perlin Arlyne & Steve Wayner Marcia Jo & Elliott Zerivitz Daniel Nixon Judy & Richard Wurtman Neil Dern Suzette Schultz Sara Waas Evelyn Singer Cawn Selma Stein Dolly Harris Doris Rosenblatt Gerald Kogan Jeffrey Ettinger Marcia Jo & Elliott Zerivitz Fritzie Alter Kenneth & Barbara Bloom Irene Wattenberg Shiekmam Hallie the Museum Cat Roberta Gordon
Grants and Donations Consider a Gift to JMOF-FIU The Jewish Museum of FloridaFIU prospers from the generosity of many donors. Donations help to preserve and share our Florida Jewish history collections through exhibits and programs. We would like to acknowledge recent donations of $5,000 or more. Visit our website at jmof.fiu.edu to make a tax-deductible contribution today!
$100.000 - $500.000 Belle Lehrman Inter Vivos Trust Rabbi Irving Lehrman Inter Vivos Trust Elliot Stone & Bonnie Sockel Stone Miami Dade County Major Cultural Institution Grant $50,000 - $99,000 City of Miami Beach Citywide Grant Miami Beach COVID-10 Relief Grant Miami Dade County COVID-19 Relief Grant $10,000 - $49,999 Greater Miami Jewish Federation Sandra Seligman - Seligman Family Foundation Paul Drucker- Drucker Family Foundation Congregation Beth Sholom Gulf Port, FL (donated to Marcia Jo Zerivitz Collections & Acquisitions Fund)
($10,000- $49,999 cont.)
City of Miami Beach Cultural Anchors City of Miami Beach STEAM+ Grant The Miami Foundation/Miami Dade County COVID-19 Relief Grant $5,000 - $9,999 Kenneth & Barbara Bloom Richard & Judy Wurtman Daniel & Merle Weiss Ira & Honey Giller Norman & Sylvia Levine Sara Solomon Family Foundation Mollie Zweig Foundation Elliot & Marcia Jo Zerivitz
Financial Updates from Howard Horowitz, Finance Manager Covid-19 greatly disrupted museum operations eliminating our admission fees, program fees, museum store sales and facility rental fees since March 12, 2020. However, this revenue crisis was lessened by our application to and receipt of emergency Covi19 funding from all levels of government. We were fortunate to receive monies and support from the City of Miami Beach City Commission and Cultural Arts Council, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and The Miami Foundation Miami-Dade County Mayor, County Commission and Department of Public Housing and Community Development. For FY2022, we are submitting additional grant requests for Covid-19 relief which have been made available due to the American Rescue Plan. Applications are pending with the federal government’s Institute of Museums and Library Science, National Endowment of Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. We hope to hear positive results in the coming months. Grants have also enabled us to upgrade security in and around the museum. Outdoor security cameras have been modernized and now provide a complete view of the entire exterior. All doors are now monitored and new security dead-bolt locks are being installed. An additional security grant has been submitted seeking to increase security in the adjacent museum parking lot. We will let you know the results when we receive them.
Maintenance Update
Maintenance Report from Pierre Delerme It has been a real joy to see our beloved, Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU re-open its doors following an unprecedented extended period of closing due to the pandemic. Like almost every (if not all) cultural institutions in SoFlo, the JMOF-FIU on March 2020, had to close its doors to the public which, I am sure, missed it so much. JMOF-FIU suspended its operations just a few days after the opening of what was anticipated to be a very successful exhibition of handbags made by Judith Leiber. The museum reopened its doors in April, with magical allure of an extreme makeover that accentuated the historic building that houses its very rich and precious collection of Jewishrelated artifacts. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the dynamic team that worked hard to make this dream a reality. Indeed, as the museum’s Building Manager, I had to work tirelessly to bring a fresh look to this already lovely place. My responsibilities consisted of working actively and supervising the complete removal of the carpeted partition walls that had, for years, held our core exhibit.
With our main gallery empty, there couldn’t be better timing to give the walls fresh coats of paint; refurbish the slanted theatre-style wooden floors; and deep-clean our amazing stained glass windows. We did all that using the expertise of some of the best professionals in their respective areas. With all this completed, we were ready to install three new exhibitions that have met the expectations of culture lovers that have visited us thus far. Looking at the smiles on their faces, one can tell they couldn’t wait for the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU to reopen. Pierre W. Delerme, Building Manager/Exhibit Installer Note: Pierre Delerme has overseen maintenance of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU for more than15 years making him our longest full-time employee.
Pandemic Silver Linings by Erica Corsano, Head of Content & Communications
Here are a few cities whose organizations have enjoyed the virtual tour of Judith Leiber: Master Craftsman this year. Buffalo, NY Las Vegas, NV South Palm Beach, FL Kansas City, MO Ft. Lauderdale, FL Sarasota, FL Staten Island, NY Phoenix, AZ Ft. Myers, FL
Delray Beach, FL Queens, NY San Diego, CA Chattanooga, TN Philadelphia, PA New Haven, CT Southern New Jersey Jacksonville, FL New Rochelle, NY Manhattan, NY Milwaukee, WI Baltimore, MD Atlanta, GA
West Bloomfield, MI Madison, CT Winnipeg, Ontario Southern California Miami, FL Chicago, IL Contact Nancy Cohen nancohen@fiu.edu for information or to book a virtual tour.
During the past year, the JMOF-FIU website was redesigned. The website includes links to virtual reality tours of several of our former exhibitions including MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida, Judith Leiber: Master Craftsman and Zachary Balber: Tamim. The VR recording technology was provided by Zachary Balber and offers viewers a way to view our exhibitions from anywhere in the world. The links can be found at jmof.fiu.edu.
When the museum closed in April 2020, we started using VR technology to offer live curator-led tours of Judith Leiber: Master Craftsman. Our museum curator, Jacqueline Goldstein, narrates the tour, while guiding viewers through the colorful exhibitions. Since the tours began, more than 75 organizations from across the country (and one in Canada), have taken the tour, opening up a whole new audience to the museum. We have always been a cultural hub for the community, where people could find refuge, education and inspiration. During a very difficult time in the world, keeping that sense of community is more important than ever. “We’d like to continue to offer inspiring content to our community and are focusing our efforts on bringing our content right into your home via digital exhibitions and social media content,” said Susan Gladstone Pasternack,
JMOF-FIU Executive Director. These tours allow JMOF-FIU to stay connected to its constituents. From Winnipeg, Canada, and Las Vegas, Nevada, to Baltimore, Maryland, back down to Sarasota, Florida, the time of closure has actually allowed for this small (but mighty) cultural institution to expand its audience. “Our staff to worked diligently on creating virtual and digital experiences and this has led to virtual tours being booked by groups across the country, which we are very excited about,” Gladstone Pasternack. added. As Jewish philanthropic groups across the United States (and beyond) seek to engage their patrons and members during this pandemic, many are partnering with JMOF-FIU to provide virtual programming. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven is one such group that recently enjoyed a virtual tour of Judith Leiber: Master Craftsman. “The women of the New Haven Jewish Federation had a delightful hour of beauty and cocktails while watching the virtual tour of Judith Leiber’s handbags and life story from the Jewish Museum of Florida,” said a member of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven.
Scene Around JMOF-FIU A 70th Birthday Celebration for longtime JMOF-FIU member Harvey Burstein, and his twin brother Stuart, was held at JMOF-FIU in June. Harvey was presented with a proclamation from City of Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Gongora in recognition of his service to arts & culture in our community. Charlotte Libov, Ray Breslin, Nancy Cohen with Harvey & Stuart Burstein
Merle & Danny Weiss with Harvey Burstein
Harvey Burstein, Sara Solomon, Nicole Henry. Bibi Andrade
Ed Fisher & Paul Petrella
Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Gongora & Harvey Burstein
Sharon Kersten, Harvey Burstein, Mary Damiano
JMOF-FIU Staff Retreat at Nikki Beach, May, 2021 L-R Susan Gladstone Pasternack, Nancy Cohen, Luna Goldberg, Pierre Delerme, Jacqueline Goldstein, Erica Corsano, (lower left) Todd Bothel, Howard Horowitz
Sandra Seligman & Isabel Bernfeld Anderson at the opening of Judith Leiber Exhibition
Schranz family from Virginia were our first visitors when we re-opened on April 6, 2021
Rabbi Robyn Fisher officiates the bnai mitzvah of Michael Wilson’s children
Docent , Reggie Feldman Goldstein gives a tour.
Dance Now Miami performed Ballet before trip to Portugal
About JMOF-FIU
Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU 301 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-672-5044 Jmof.fiu.edu
The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU serves as a major cultural attraction and source of information for a wide audience of residents, tourists, students, and scholars of all ages and backgrounds from throughout the state, nation, and the world. Located in a former synagogue that housed Miami Beach’s first Jewish congregation, the Museum’s restored 1936 Art Deco building and 1929 original synagogue are both on the National Register of Historic Places. The 301 building features nearly 80 stained glass windows, a copper dome, marble bimah, and many Art Deco features including chandeliers and sconces. The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
The Orovitz Museum Store is temporarily closed. Plans are underway to re-open soon