A peek into the shop...

A blog post by shop manager Esther Weiner.

Oh, oh, September 7, 2010 has arrived…this is the day my blog is due! I’m just a tad nervous …hmmmm….it’s ONLY a blog, I say to myself, but it’s a chance to talk to whomever will listen (translate that to read) and perhaps even comment! There’s the rub…

The past week was an unbelievably hectic one for me, and I think for most of us at the Museum. After shopping at the New York Gift Show the previous week for the Museum Shop, trying to decide what I should buy, what would sell, what would people like to own for themselves…what would enhance the shop, the decisions were exhausting! How did I ever think that shopping would be easy? But quite frankly, I love what I do, it’s such an opportunity to bring in beautiful merchandise to the shop, to create an additional exhibition in the museum shop that people will want to see and visit, and yes, even to buy! To add to the ambiance of visiting the JMM, to make a visitor’s trip even more special.

Take a look at some of the boxes that have arrived the past week…it’s a tremendous challenge to open them, check them out, make sure they are perfect when they arrive, add them to the inventory and then find just the right spot for them in the museum shop..

Our boardroom serves as a temporary unpacking space!

I want you to see some of beautiful pieces that will grace the shelves of the shop…you will want to own them yourself, or give them as gifts for that special occasion.

Check out this great menorah!

Add to this the preparation of the opening of the exhibition, A Blessing to One Another…the opening nights were so extraordinary, look at the exhibition cart of merchandise for Blessings that I set out. People bought!....I’m very excited when that happens!

Merchandise for "A Blessing..." Photo by Will Kirk.

The visit to the shop of two nuns that evening was very special….their eyes lit up when they saw the case filled with mezuzot of all kinds, they wanted to know so many things about the articles in the shop. With the help of Ilene Dackman-Alon, my resident Hebrew translator, she explained exactly what is on the scroll that goes inside the mezuzah. (See Ilene's post for more on this!)

When I am in the shop, and visitors arrive, it’s amazing to talk to them, hear where they came from, listen to their stories, they come from all over the world….I think that’s the part I like best about managing the shop. It’s the people we meet, knowing they will leave with a wonderful memory of a visit to a special place, the Jewish Museum of Maryland. I feel that I have had some small part of that visit…AND if both we and they are really lucky, they will leave with a great item from our Museum Shop!

Come see for yourself!

Photo by Will Kirk.