Weekly Report: 2.12.10

Dear Friends,

I hope you’ve kept warm and cozy during this long, snowy week. We’ve managed to get into the Museum today for the first time since Tuesday. Nonetheless, it’s been a fairly productive week—a testament to the dedication of the staff and the virtues of telecommuting. As they say, after all, the show must go on.

Speaking of which, Hutzlers: Where Baltimore Shops, our booksigning event with author Michael Lisicky, (rescheduled after last week’s blizzard) will go forward this Sunday 14 February at 2 p.m. Parking will be available in the public lot across from the Museum. If you have questions or would like to make reservations, please contact Ilene Dackman-Alon (idackmanalon@jewishmuseummd.org or 410-732-6400, ext. 214).

Karen Falk reports that she kept her interns busy with internet research this week: Richard Conlan is looking for images of food in the “old country” for the Chosen Food exhibition, and Aden Weisel is assigned to help get our Chosen Food microsite up and running. Aden spent time (in between internet outages) looking for websites that might help us drive traffic to our site once it is online. Karen continued to refine the designs of both the Chosen Food exhibition and Nancy Patz: Her Inward Eye (opening in March), and developed interpretive panels for Patz exhibition.

Deb Weiner, Jennifer Vess, and I reviewed final proofs for the Synagogue Speaks exhibition, and we worked with the program staff to plan for the opening. Mark your calendars for the gala event on Sunday 21 March from noon to 4 p.m.

Jobi Zink reviewed grants for the IMLS Museums for America program and prepared for a presentation titled “Once Upon a Time” (which was snowed out but will be rescheduled—maybe after the spring thaw). On Tuesday, when we were briefly at the office, she and Rachel Kassman housed a new Judaica collection we recently received.

Deborah Cardin participated in a conference call with staff from the Associated, the JCC, and the CJE to discuss plans for participation in a Global Day of Jewish Learning scheduled for Sunday, November 7, 2010.

Jennifer Vess has been doing research for an article in the next issue of Generations, and did some preparation for our upcoming Purim Pandemonium party (Saturday February 27, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.).

This morning, staff and lay leaders met to discuss our “Telling Time” program, a major oral history initiative in honor of the Museum’s fiftieth anniversary. We’re currently recruiting interviewers to help us collect fifty interviews in 2010. If you’re interested in training to become an interviewer, please contact Jobi Zink at jzink@jewishmuseummd.org or 410-732-6400, ext. 226.


Just before the first storm hit, Esther Weiner traveled to New York for the annual Gift Show at the Javits Center, checking in with vendors and looking at items that she felt would be great for visitors to the JMM and to the Museum Shop. There was an air of optimism about the retail climate from both shoppers and vendors, so we look forward to a great season, especially in light of our 50th Anniversary celebrations.