From the Jewish Times...

Check out the Jewish Times blog for a great review of our recent Druid Hill Park bus tour!
"I recently went on a bus tour of Druid Hill Park and its once-Jewish ‘hoods that was presented by the Jewish Museum of Maryland..."

Beginning in September, staff members of the Jewish Museum of Maryland were required to contribute to our online presence. As a way of easing them into this new frontier, the web mistresses created this miniseries. We hope you enjoy the second installment! The model, curator Karen Falk, had the honor of writing the first mandatory post. See it here.

It is 9am. Hilda has just arrived at work, sporting a fancy new skirt and shoes bought at Payless (BOGO!). She sits down at her less than impeccably organized desk and opens up her to-do list.

Hilda: Oh! It's my day to submit a blog post! I forgot all about this what with my super demanding job, crazy home life, and perpetually nagging boss! What will I write about?

Hilda spends a few minutes clearing her brain. She checks her facespace account, she emails her sister about her BOGO score, and then she settles in to write her blog post.

Hilda: I know! I had such a good time at that lecture last night, I couldn't tear myself away from what the author was talking about. I should write about him! Now... what were the steps?

First, now that Hilda has decided on a subject, she researches her post. The time to gather information is upon her. She rifles through her chic purse and pulls out the event postcard. Brushing off the crumbs from her powerbar she locates the name of the lecturer, the location of the event, and when it took place.

Hilda opens up her web browser and uses "THE GOOGLE" to search the author's name. As information rushes through the cardboard tubes, Hilda finds not only a website for the author, but a great Wikipedia article, a review of the book presented, and an announcement for his next book.

Hilda: Internet score FOR THE WIN! What's next? I wonder if anyone took photos last night?

Hilda: Now that I have my idea, my research, and my visuals, I can write my post. I think I'll write an opening paragraph about what the event was about, who the author is, and what is coming up for him. Then I'll write about my opinions and why I liked it.

Studiously as ever, Hilda writes her post. After pouring her heart onto the keyboard she double checks it for typos, grammatical errors, and spelling. She inserts notes about where the visuals should be placed, saves the file with the name of the lecture, and drops everything into the folder specified by the web wizards.

Great! Now I can move onto more important things- chocolate croissant!

On Museums, Integrity and Honey Cake

A blog by curator Karen Falk.

A month ago we sat in a staff meeting and learned that we would all become bloggers. Blogging will commence, we were told, the first of September. We passed a hat holding slips of paper with due dates; I drew 9/1.

Great. First post? What am I going to do?!?

So 9/1 has arrived and I’m typing madly (no, wait, that’s wrong; I’m madly deleting). What’s a curator to write? Since my life is consumed by our developing exhibition project, Chosen Food: Cuisine, Culture, and American Jewish Identity—due to open a short year from now—it is top of mind. Of course, we are also opening the traveling exhibit, A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People, tomorrow night (actually, as of posting, tonight!). That’s pretty much top of mind, too, but it’s installed and ready to go and someone else can write about the opening in a day or two. Chosen Food, it is.

What to write about....perhaps the exhibition opening?

Coincidentally, we are also launching a website landing page and blog for the Chosen Food exhibit right now. We have begun with a guest-post by Amina Harris, the proprietor of Z Specialty Foods in Woodland, California. Amina sent us her recipe for a light honey cake (light in flavor and color, not in calories!) in honor of Rosh Hashanah. You can read her post and find her recipe here (link).

We’ve been planning the Chosen Food blog and website for a long time, but readying a first post made me think in a new and different way about what it means to go public. What are the responsibilities of a museum’s blog? As a museum, we are bound to offer information and interpretation that has a deep integrity. On our blog, we hope to entertain, but our responsibility to accuracy, inclusiveness, balance persists.

Our first post includes a recipe. The recipe specifies a very particular brand of honey. So I started to wonder: do we need to test the recipe before posting it? Does the honey need to be certified kosher? What circumstances could render honey either kosher or not kosher? Suddenly, I had some work to do.

Jewbee or not Jewbee...

It turns out that the kashrus of honey is an interesting case. As a rule, non-kosher animals produce non-kosher products. That’s why chicken eggs are kosher but ostrich eggs are not. Honey is an exception, because it comes from nectar that is transported and modified by bees, but not produced by them. Thus, pure and natural honey is kosher, but some manufacturers add ingredients that are not, and the kosher consumer learns to look for the logo of a certifying body. A simple and straightforward explanation of this matter can be found here. A thorough exploration of the issues can be found on the Star-K website.

Honey...causing quite a buzz!

For the record, the honey offered by Z Specialty Food is natural and kosher, certified by the va’ad of Los Angeles. And also for the record, the cake was indeed yummy, but would have been even better if I had made it with the more flavorful honey Amina suggested. (And by the way, I also tried a pareve version using margarine and Whole Soy & Co. plain yogurt—certified kosher and pareve—in place of the sour cream that turned out surprisingly good.) Will we post recipes that tell an interesting story and are in all other ways appropriate to the Chosen Food exhibit—but are treyfe (not kosher)? Well, our team has something to discuss. Will we test all future recipes? Maybe only if it’s for cookies….

Happy Birthday, Once Upon A Time!

Our Once Upon a Time feature turns three this week! Thank you to all of our wonderful members and Jewish Times subscribers for calling in week after week with the identifications of the people in the photographs.

And to answer the question that I am most frequently asked, YES! People do call in every week to identify the photos. In fact two-thirds of all of the photos have been at least partially identified through this JMM/Jewish Times collaboration.

The "answers" to the identifications are posted right here on the JMM blog and website. (Sometimes it does take a week or two to update.) The information is also added to our database to assist researchers in the future.


Interested in seeing more? Enter your search term (name, shul, club) into our on-line database and see what comes up. Or, make an appointment to come to the museum and view the photographs in person. Want to help identify photos on a regular basis? We need volunteers to help describe the photos in our collection. Contact Ilene Cohen, JMM Volunteer Coordinator, icohen@jewishmuseummd.org or 410-732-6400 ext. 217

JMM Blog FAQ

BLOG FAQs

What is a blog?

A blog is an online diary. Most blogs are kept for personal reasons, but more and more businesses and organizations are using them to keep their employees, patrons, customers, and colleagues informed about a wide variety of topics.

What is a feed, and how do I sign up for it?

This blog uses FeedBurner, and you can click here to see an explanation of feeds, how you sign up for them, and how the content will be delivered to you.

Can I contribute to the blog?

Yes, we would love to hear from you! Do you have a story to share? Do you have a question that you would like us to answer? Please send all of your questions and comments to Rachel Kassman (rkassman@jewishmuseummd.org) or Elena Rosemond-Hoerr (erosemondhoerr@jewishmuseummd.org), and we’ll make sure it gets to the right person (or answer it ourselves)

JMM FAQs

What is the JMM?

The Jewish Museum of Maryland is America's leading museum of regional Jewish history, culture and community. The Museum interprets the Jewish experience in America, with special attention to Jewish life in the state of Maryland. The Museum was founded in 1960 to rescue and restore the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue, and has become a cultural center for the Jewish community and for those interested in Jewish history and traditions.

Today, the Museum campus includes the historic Lloyd Street and B'nai Israel Synagogues and a modern museum building with exhibition galleries, program areas, a research library, museum shop, and meeting rooms. Through our collections, exhibitions, sites and programs, we encourage discourse about Jewish life in Maryland and beyond.

Can I volunteer at the JMM?

Absolutely! Please contact Ilene Cohen (icohen@jewishmuseummd.org or 410.732.6400 x 217) for more information.

Do you have a calendar of events?

Yes, we do. Please click this link for more information about upcoming events: http://www.jewishmuseummd.org/events-programs

LSS FAQs

What is the LSS project?

The JMM is currently renovating and restoring the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue (LSS). The synagogue was built in 1845 and has undergone over a century and a half of changes. We are working to bring those changes to light in an exhibit that utilizes both the historic fabric of the building itself as well as items from the JMM’s extensive collection.

Who is funding the project?

For the restoration of the LSS, the JMM has received funding from the city of Baltimore, the state of Maryland, and the Save America’s Treasures program of the National Park Service. We are also coordinating all activities with Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) and the Commission for Historical & Architectural Preservation (CHAP) to ensure that we adhere to all of the guidelines for historic propertiesFor the exhibition, the JMM has received grants from MHT, the Museums for America program and the Institute for Museum Library Services (IMLS), and from Charlotte Cohen Weinberg and Carroll Weinberg, M.D.

What is the timeline for the renovation?

The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009 and will open in 2010 as part of the JMM’s 50^th anniversary celebrations.

Why renovate at all?

The congregations who have called the building on Lloyd Street “home” made many changes to the structure during its long history. As the custodians of the LSS, we want to make that rich cultural history available to our patrons. We are also taking this opportunity to improve the preservation and safety of the building.

What will happen after the renovation is complete?

The LSS will house a permanent exhibit regarding its own history and the history of the congregations that called it home. The sanctuary will remain open for viewing and tours during public hours.

What is the (brief) history of the building?

The LSS was built in 1845 by a group of German Orthodox Jews who named their congregation Nidchei Yisrael The Scattered of Israel.” It was also known as Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. By 1860, Baltimore Hebrew had grown to such an extent that the building was expanded to its current size. In 1889, the LSS was sold to St. John the Baptist, a Lithuanian Catholic congregation. In 1905, the building was sold to Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesha group of Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, who remained active until the late 1950s. In 1960 the building was scheduled for demolition, but a group of concerned citizens formed the Jewish Historical Society of Maryland to save the building from destruction.

Do you have a personal story about the LSS that you would like to share with us?

If so, we would love to hear from you! Please email Rachel Kassman (rkassman@jewishmuseummd.org), and she will work with you to get your story published to this blog!