2008 Annual Report - Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington

J EW I S H H I STO R I C A L S O C I E T Y O F
G R E AT E R W A S H I N G T O N
LILLIAN & ALBERT SMALL JEWISH MUSEUM
2008 Annual Report
J E W I S H H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y O F G R E AT E R W A S H I N G T O N
LILLIAN & ALBERT SMALL JEWISH MUSEUM
2008
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Purchased, renovated, and moved into new
administrative office building at 701 Fourth Street, NW
38 adult programs, including special programs for
young professionals and seniors, book talks, lectures,
walking tours, exhibit tours
26 youth programs, serving 1,364 students
(field trips to 1876 historic synagogue, youth walking
tours, living history performances)
4 exhibits traveled to 6 venues
152 photographs, documents, and objects plus
25 additional boxes of documents from 39 donors
were added to the JHSGW archives. Noteworthy
was our new project to document the 1960s-80s
Soviet Jewry movement.
Efforts were supported by
7 full-time and 2
part-time staff members, volunteers, and the board
of directors
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MESSAGE FROM THE
P R E S I D E N T A N D E X EC U T I V E D I R EC TO R
We are proud to present our first annual report—
a summation of our activities and the financial position of
the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington and
its Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum for 2008.
We continue to expand our community-wide programming
working with a increasing array of partner organizations. In
2008, we taught more than 1,300 students about the history
of Jewish life in our area on field trips, walking tours, and
through our popular living history shows. Schools served are
from D.C., Maryland and Virginia as well as visitors from other
parts of the country.
In 2008, we undertook several initiatives to enhance the
organizational strength of the Society:
1. Board of Directors Leadership Training
Working with BoardSource, specialists in nonprofit
organizations, we enhanced the board of directors
experience by improving board meetings with less reporting
and more strategic discussion of issues; adopting a new
charter for the Executive Committee; and adopting a new
statement of board obligations clarifying the duties and
role of board members. Another positive outcome was the
adoption of bylaw amendments (the first in 14 years) to
reflect how our board operates and to update provisions
not in place before electronic communications.
2. Long Range Museum Planning
The board and committees began a process of developing
a long-range plan or Master Plan for a new museum
concept. Working with preeminent museum consulting
firm, Lord Cultural Resources, we began planning for the
type of museum galleries and educational spaces we would
envision in the next ten to twenty years for our community.
Comparing our community (now the 5th largest in the
country) to other communities with new or established
Jewish museums, we looked at our unique archival and
storytelling strengths. We also worked to talk to city
officials and other museums to plan how to best fill our
niche in the museum work of D.C. for the future.
To determine our space needs for the future, we engaged
Beyer Blinder Belle, a world-renowned architecture firm
known for their work with museums and historic structures.
Their resume includes the restoration of Grand Central
Station, Ellis Island, and the Center for Jewish History in
New York City.
3. Renovation of New Administrative Office Building
2008 was the year our office moved to its first permanent
home. The recently purchased building at 701 Fourth
Street, just steps from the historic synagogue, has created
a wonderful place for our staff to settle into their work
and have access to the archives and synagogue for
programming. If you haven’t had a chance to visit the
office, please give a call and feel free to stop by.
Homeland Security funding is enabling us to do some
enhancements to the building this year.
Currently we have tenants to help support our purchase
of the building, and in the future as our plans develop, we
hope to have the resources to use more of the building for
programming and exhibitions.
As the economy weakened last year, we too were affected.
Our board responded by revising our budget several times to
face economic realities. We saw our endowment and other
investment earnings drop along with all other nonprofit
organizations. We had to reduce our staffing, rethink our
programming, and limit some of our publications with a goal
of trying not to limit school programs or plan for a new, major
exhibition in 2009.
We hope to be able to add back a museum educator, a
development professional, and administrative office support
positions in the near future. Many thanks to those of you who
were able to provide us with an extra measure of support this
year. Your support made all the difference in maintaining our
programming, as you can see from this report.
We continue to assess our budget and look for ways to
partner and share resources with other community
organizations. We are also using electronic communication as
a primary means of reaching our audience. If you are not
receiving our emails and want to be added to our list, please
email us at [email protected]. We limit our emails and you can
always opt out at a future date. Email is the single best way to
stay abreast of our work.
We thank you for your support.
We encourage your participation.
And we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming program.
Sincerely,
This work is not yet completed, and we hope to continue
this planning to make sure that the Society and Museum
serve our community and visitors from across the nation
and from abroad well into the future with meaningful
exhibitions and educational programs.
Stuart Zuckerman
President
Laura Cohen Apelbaum
Executive Director
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Exhibitions
4 exhibitions traveled to 6 venues in
Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Florida
Jewish Washington: Scrapbook of an American Community
The Society’s award-winning comprehensive overview of Jewish life in
the Washington region from 1795 to today.
• October 2007 – January 2008: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue,
Washington, D.C
• October – December: Bodzin Gallery, Jewish Community Center of
Northern Virginia, Fairfax, Virginia
Don’t Whisper a Prayer, Sing Aloud a Song of Peace:
Yitzhak Rabin in Washington
The life of Yitzhak Rabin from his time as Ambassador to Prime Minister,
presented in historic photographs.
• February – May: Temple Beth Sholom, Sarasota, Florida
• May – June: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, D.C., under the
auspices of the Jewish Primary Day School’s annual Rabin lecture
Elie Wiesel with Mindy Sosland,
JPDS parent. JHSGW’s exhibition
is visible in the background.
Photo by Ron Sachs.
Through the Lens: Jeremy Goldberg’s Washington
Photographs trace Washington’s Jewish community from a tight cluster
downtown into new neighborhoods uptown and into the suburbs.
• October 2007 – March: Tifereth Israel Congregation, Washington, D.C.
• May – December: Ohev Sholom: The National Synagogue,
Washington, D.C.
Ties that Bind:
Washington-Area Jews and the Birth of the State of Israel
Historic photos and oral histories portray the roles of Washington-area
Jews in supporting the creation of the Jewish state.
• June 1: Israel@60: A Capital Celebration on the National Mall, hosted
by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
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Public Programs
PUBLIC PROGRAM ATTENDEES
Virginia
718 Attendees
43%
1,687 adults attended 38 programs
at 20 venues. Hundreds more experienced
JHSGW programs at the Israel@60 celebration
on the National Mall.
Maryland
696 Attendees
41%
DIstrict of Columbia
273 Attendees
16%
Book Talks & Presentations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
JHSGW staff lectured at local venues about our
book, Jewish Washington, and the history of the
community.
• January 6: Jewish War Veterans Post 58,
at Congregation Ohr Kodesh, Maryland
Margot Heckman,
• January 13: Jewish Community Center of Laura Apelbaum,
Susan Elwell of
Northern Virginia Jewish Book Festival,
the Chevy Chase
Historical Society,
Fairfax, Virginia
and Gwen Zuares
February 10: Chevy Chase Historical Society, Maryland
at the Chevy Chase
Historical Society’s
March 12: Georgetown Senior Center, Washington, D.C.
book talk.
April 4: Beth Chai Congregation, Bethesda, Maryland
May 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, Washington, D.C.
May 16: Association of Oldest Inhabitants of Washington, Washington, D.C.
May 18: Barnes & Noble, Rockville, Maryland
May 22 and 29: Ring and Revitz House, Charles E. Smith Life
Communities, Rockville, Maryland Family History Presentations,
presented with the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington
June 21: Ohev Sholom, The National Synagogue, Washington, D.C.
December 4: Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia:
Preserving Family History, Fairfax, Virginia
Books By the Case
Several organizations purchased our book Jewish Washington by the case
(10 books/case).
•
United Jewish Endowment Fund of The Jewish Federation of Greater
Washington purchased 20 cases, added a specially designed bookplate, and
gave the books as gifts to 200 of their major donors.
•
Trustees of the Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation purchased a case
of books to give as gifts during a trip to Israel.
•
The Bender Foundation purchased a case of books to distribute to family
and friends.
Why not consider purchasing a case for bar/bat mitzvah gifts or to give to visitors and
speakers at your organization? To inquire about discount prices for books purchased
by the case, contact Claire Uziel at (202) 789-0900 or [email protected].
JHSGW board members Barbara Rein (top photo) and
Margot Heckman (bottom photo) represented the Society
at Ring and Revitz Houses (two properties in the Charles
E. Smith Life Communities) to accept residents’ written
histories into the Society’s collection. Ben Terner of the
Jewish Genealogical Society had worked with groups to
compile their memories.
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Elderhostel Programs
JHSGW partnered with Elderhostel, the national senior educational
organization, to organize two programs for seniors from across the
United States. The programs included tours of the historic downtown
synagogues and lectures by outside experts Dr. Lauren B. Strauss, Assistant
Professor of History at George Washington University, and Michael
Goldman, Chaplain at Georgetown University Law Center.
• June 23: A National Jewish Dialogue: Civic, Political and Religious Life
• November 10: Understanding Differences Across Religious Boundaries:
Judaism, Islam and Christianity
Exhibition Highlights Tours
Board members Danny Mann, Peggy Pearlstein, and
Janice Goldblum at the opening of the Jewish Washington
exhibition at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.
Curator-led highlights tours of the Society’s flagship exhibition,
Jewish Washington: Scrapbook of an American Community
• January 9: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, D.C.
• November 17 and December 4: Jewish Community Center of
Northern Virginia, Fairfax, Virginia
Downtown Walking Tours
JHSGW Archivist/Curator Wendy Turman leads a
tour of the Jewish Washington exhibition at the Jewish
Community Center of Northern Virginia.
Visitors view four former synagogue buildings and the historic Seventh
Street neighborhood.
• March 23: General public tour
• April 13: Young professionals, co-sponsored by EntryPointDC
GesherCity, and Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
• May 18: co-sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
and the B’nai Brith Klutznick National Jewish Museum
• June 29: co-sponsored by the Jewish
Study Center
• August 28: Georgetown University
law students
• September 9: Birthright Israel
with The Jewish Federation of
Greater Washington
• September 21: Young professionals
• November 2: Co-sponsored by the
Jewish Study Center
Museum Tours
French clerics visit the museum.
Individual and group tours of the historic 1876 synagogue.
• March 4: Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia seniors
• March 5: French clerics (at left) including the Archbishop of Paris,
Cardinal Andrew Vingt-Trois, Father Patrick Desbois, advisor to
the Vatican’s Commission on Religious Relations with the Jews,
accompanied by Dr. Paul Shapiro and Dr. Suzanne Brown-Fleming,
Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum
• Individual visitors from Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Illinois,
South Carolina, California, Idaho, Scotland, Ontario
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Special Programs
Jewish Sites in Arlington National Cemetery
• May 4: Volunteers Les Bergen, Ernie Marcus, and Rabbi Marvin Bash
inaugurated a new walking tour of Jewish sites in Arlington National
Cemetery.
Shomrim Society
• May 14: Annual Kiddush for Jewish law
enforcement officers from across the
country during National Police Week,
Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum.
Arlington National Cemetery tour
Author’s Talk
• June 20: Former U.S. Middle East envoy
Aaron David Miller spoke about his
recent book, The Much Too Promised
Land: America’s Elusive Search for
Arab-Israeli Peace, Sixth & I Historic
Synagogue.
Patio Party
• July 31: Reception for young
professionals, Lillian & Albert Small
Jewish Museum.
Annual Meeting
• November 16: Preview screening of Maryland Public Television’s
new documentary, Maryland Generations: The Jewish Americans, Jewish
Community Center of Greater Washington, Rockville, Maryland.
Living History Productions
Anna Shulman: Queen of H Street
One-woman show highlighting a true
immigrant life story and the Jewish community
in the H Street, Northeast, neighborhood
during the 1930s.
• March 9: Ring House, Charles E. Smith Life
Communities, Rockville, Maryland
• March 13: Landow House, Charles E. Smith
Life Communities, Rockville, Maryland
• March 18: Smith-Kogod Building, Charles E.
Smith Life Communities, Rockville, Maryland
• December 14: Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, Fairfax,
Virginia
Israel...My Dream, My State, My Homeland
Performance and discussion explores the role of Washington-area teens
in the creation of Israel.
• May 14: Revitz House, Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Rockville,
Maryland
• May 21: Ring House, Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Rockville,
Maryland
Young professionals reception
Susan Holliday
performs as
Anna Shulman.
Senator Benjamin Cardin of Maryland (left) speaks
with Edward (center) and Irene (right) Kaplan and their
daughter, Maryland Public Television producer Stella
Margolis, at JHSGW’s 48th Annual Meeting.
Now in her tenth year of performances, actress
Devora Zack assumes multiple roles in the story of
Washington’s contributions to the creation of Israel.
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Jewish American Heritage
Month Activities
Congressional Reception
• JHSGW co-hosted a reception on May 21 in
the United States Capitol with United Jewish
Communities and the American Jewish Archives. More than 200
individuals, including members of Congress, attended.
JHSGW Executive Director Laura Cohen Apelbaum
presents Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
with the Society’s book Jewish Washington at the Capitol
Hill reception.
Educational Posters
• JHSGW distributed 650
free educational posters
with accompanying teacher
resources designed for
grades 5-12. Posters were
distributed to:
- Jewish day and religious
schools
- Home-school groups located across the country
- Speed Art Museum (Louisville, KY)
- Maryland Department of Department of Labor Diversity Program
- Bay Area Jewish Educators listserv, comprised of Jewish educators and
religious school directors near San Francisco
The Sulica Fund, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Mara
Kamerow helped underwrite this project.
FDIC’s Diversity Education Lecture
• Executive Director Laura Cohen Apelbaum gave a presentation to
more than 100 employees at the headquarters of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation, Arlington, Virginia, May 7. The lecture was
podcast to bank examiners working in the field.
Laura Apelbaum lectures at the FDIC.
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JHSGW Participation in
Israel@60: A Capital Celebration
Community Concert at Strathmore Music Center
• March 3: JHSGW provided research and images for the
commentary and event program for this community
concert attended by thousands, Bethesda, Maryland.
Society Pavillion on the National Mall
• June 1: The Society was the only non-Federation organization
with major programmatic responsibility for a pavilion at this major
community-wide event hosted and organized by The Jewish Federation
of Greater Washington. More than 50,000 people attended.
With the help of amazing volunteers from the Society
and Federation, we were able to:
• Distribute fans (at right) to more than 1,200 visitors.
The fans were created in partnership with the Greater
Washington Chapter of Hadassah.
• Compile 161 entries into our community scrapbooks,
including children’s drawings, adult artwork, memories
of Israel, and celebrations of Israel’s birthday.
• Expose more than 100 individuals to vignettes from our living history
production Israel. . . My Dream, My State, My Homeland, highlighting the
role of Washington-area teens in lobbying for the creation of Israel.
• Record oral histories from scores of Washingtonians and visitors about
their memories and connections to Israel.
Society Archivist/
Curator Wendy
Turman and
board member
Richard Neugass
record
oral histories.
• Bring Washington’s Jewish history
to life for thousands of individuals
who visited our exhibition Ties That
Bind: Washington-Area Jews and the
Birth of Israel.
• Display historical scrapbooks of
documents and photographs about
the community’s involvement in the
struggle to establish Israel.
• Develop a slideshow of historic images, which can now be seen online
at http://www.jhsgw.org/israel60/slideshow/. The Jewish Primary
Day School of Greater Washington supported the digitization of
images of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin included in the slide show.
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Youth Programs
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Museum Programs
208 Students
15%
Walking Tours
215 Students
16%
1,364 students from 20 congregations
and schools attended 26 youth education
programs.
Living History
941 Students
69%
Youth Walking Tours
AREAS SERVED
Other States
154 Students
(4 schools)
Virginia
82 Students
(3 schools)
(left) Curatorial Associate Nathalie Lavine begins a walking tour with a discussion of the historic
1876 synagogue. (right) Executive Director Laura Cohen Apelbaum leads a group of 6th graders
from Washington Hebrew Congregation through Washington’s historic Jewish neighborhood.
Maryland
479 Students
(5 schools)
District of Columbia
941 Students
(8 schools)
• January 21: Talmud Torah Day School, 8th grade, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
• February 18: Temple B’nai Amoona, 10th grade, St. Louis, Missouri
• April 6: Kol Ami: The Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community,
6th-11th grade, Annandale, Virginia
• April 6: Machar, The Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic
Judaism, 7th grade, Kensington, Maryland.
• September 21: Temple Sinai, 8th grade, Washington, D.C.
• October 12: Washington Hebrew Congregation, 6th grade,
Washington, D.C.
Living History Productions
Anna Shulman: Queen of H Street
One-woman show highlighting a true immigrant life story and the Jewish
community in the H Street, Northeast, neighborhood during the 1930s.
• January 6: Temple Beth Ami, 6th grade, Rockville, Maryland
• January 13: Temple Micah, 3rd-7th grades, Washington, D.C.
• January 21: Talmud Torah Day School, 8th grade, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
• January 27: Adas Israel Congregation, 5th-6th grades, Washington, D.C.
• March 30: Congregation Olam Tikvah, 5th grade, Fairfax, Virginia
• November 17: Jewish Primary Day School, 3rd-6th grade, Washington, D.C.
• November 23: Temple Beth Ami, 6th grade, Rockville, Maryland
Actress Susan Holliday as Anna Shulman.
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Israel...My Dream, My State, My Homeland
One-woman show explores the role of American teens in the creation
of Israel.
• April 2: Daniel Rothman Religious School of Congregation Kol Ami,
3rd-7th grade, Annapolis, Maryland
• May 4: Magen David Sephardic Congregation, 3rd-8th grade, Rockville,
Maryland
• October 19: Temple Micah, 3rd-7th grade, Washington, D.C.
• November 16: Temple Beth Ami, 5th grade, Rockville, Maryland
Museum Field Trips
Students unlock the mysteries of our historic 1876 synagogue to learn
about the building’s diverse history and Washington’s Jewish immigrants.
• January 13: Congregation Or Chadash, 3rd grade, Damascus, Maryland
• January 20: Temple Israel, 10th grade, Staten Island, New York
• March 2: Washington Hebrew Congregation, 2nd grade, Washington, D.C.
• March 9: Congregation Or Chadash, 6th grade, Damascus, Maryland
• March 30: Temple Beth Torah, 3rd grade, Centreville, Virginia
• April 1: Yavneh Day School/Rockwern Academy, 6th grade, Cincinnati,
Ohio
• May 4: St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5th-6th grade,
Washington, D.C.
• July 17: National Building Museum Summer Camp 4th & 5th grade,
Washington, D.C.
• October 16: National Cathedral School, 6th grade, Washington, D.C.
Now in her tenth year of performances, actress
Devora Zack assumes multiple roles in the story of
Washington’s contributions to the creation of Israel.
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Member/Donor
Benefit Events
396 members and donors attended a wide
array of special membership programs.
Reception and Screening of WETA film,
The Jewish Americans
• January 10: Preview of the historic documentary and interview with
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Reception for members/
donors at the $500 level and above.
Filmmaker David Grubin interviews Supreme Court
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
132nd Anniversary Event and Dedication of
New Offices
• June 13: The Society celebrated the anniversary of the 1876
synagogue’s original dedication and the move to new offices with a
luncheon for members/donors at the $500 level and above.
(center photo)
Rabbi Matthew
Simon of
B’nai Israel
Congregation
gives the
benediction.
Joe Herson leads
the prayer for the
country.
(right photo)
After the event,
visitors gathered in
the new building
for a luncheon.
Jewish American Heritage Month
• May 21: Congressional reception on Capitol Hill, co-hosted by JHSGW,
United Jewish Communities, and American Jewish Archives. For
members/donors at the $500 level and above.
Israeli
Ambassador
Sallai Meridor
(left) at the
reception.
(center photo)
The crowd,
including
Representatives
Nita Lowey and
Henry Waxman.
(right photo)
Congressman
Charles Rangel and
Senator Benjamin
Cardin.
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Arena Stage Theater Performance
• October 11: Members/donors attended Arena Stage’s performance of
Citizen Josh. Special thanks to Board member Andrew Ammerman for
supporting this program.
Guardian Member Dinner
• September 7: Major donor appreciation
event held in the studio of sculptor
John Dreyfuss at the historic Halcyon
House in Georgetown. For members/
donors at the $1,000 level and above.
Dr. Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator
of the American University Museum
at the Katzen Arts Center, spoke about
local Jewish artists involved in the
contemporary arts scene.
Gala Chair Amy Kaslow presents featured
speaker Jack Rasmussen with the Society’s book,
Jewish Washington.
Jack Kay, Barbara Kay, Janet Baldinger, and
Lillian Abensohn.
Legacy Member Luncheon
• October 16: Held aboard the former presidential yacht
U.S.S. Sequoia for members/donors at the $5,000 level and
above. Owner Gary Silversmith regaled guests with tales
of presidents who used the yacht from Franklin Delano
Roosevelt to Gerald Ford.
Board member Steve Blacher, Immediate Past
President Peggy Pearlstein, and board member
Todd Sherbacow.
Yacht owner Gary Silversmith imparts historical
insights.
Membership Cultivation Programs
Outreach and welcome events for new and current members/
donors held in private homes.
• October 5: Home of Sue Shapiro, Chevy Chase, Maryland
• December 7: Home of Catherine Joyce, Alexandria, Virginia
Capitol Visitor Center Tour
• November 11: Preview tour of the new visitor center before its
public opening. For members/donors at the $100 level and above.
Special thanks to Sharon Gang, JHSGW member and Marketing
and Communications Manager at the Capitol Visitor Center, for
arranging the tour.
Sonia and Joseph Herson enjoy the deck.
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GET CONNECTED!
To add your name to our email list,
send your name & email address to
[email protected], call (202) 789-0900, or
visit our homepage at www.jhsgw.org.
Virtual Society
Website
The Society’s website, www.jhsgw.org, received:
13,573 visits. 75% from new visitors.
Most visitors from these five countries:
• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• India
• Israel
States most represented:
• District of Columbia
• Maryland
• Virginia
• New York
• California
Most popular pages:
• Home page (www.jhsgw.org)
• About Us (www.jhsgw.org/about)
• Programs (www.jhsgw.org/programs)
• Half a Day on Sunday
(www.jhsgw.org/exhibitions/online/momandpop)
This online version of the popular exhibit includes a database of more
than 750 Jewish-owned mom & pop grocery stores in the greater
Washington area.
Facebook
The Society maintains a group called Young
Jewish Professionals in Washington, DC,
on the popular social networking site Facebook. The group has 447
members, whom the Society invites to special, low-cost or free events.
E-mails
54 emails sent to more than 2,000 people on our distribution list
announced programs, featured historic materials from our archives, or
commemorated events in local and national Jewish history.
JHSGW in the News
JHSGW worked with WETA and
Maryland Public Television on
documentaries about local Jewish history, aired in conjunction with PBS’s
series The Jewish Americans.
• Executive Director Laura Cohen Apelbaum spoke about the history
of Washington’s Jewish community in Maryland Public Television’s
Maryland Generations: The Jewish Americans.
• The November 20, 2008 edition of Washington Jewish Week highlighted
the Society’s involvement in the project.
WETA filmed inside the Lillian & Albert Small Jewish
Museum for its WETA Extra story on President Ulysses S.
Grant and General Orders No. 11.
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JHSGW board member Diane Abelman
Wattenberg located Oren Zinder, who
was featured on the Society’s 2008 Jewish
American Heritage Month poster for raising the Israeli flag in Washington
immediately after the country’s declaration of independence. The April
30, 2008 edition of Washington Jewish Week featured her discovery.
JHSGW’s new book, Jewish Washington: Scrapbook of an American
Community, was the subject of book reviews in national magazines,
including:
• Hadassah Magazine’s February 2008 issue: the book “comprises an
extraordinary collection of 200 archival photographs, stories of Jewish
families, businesses, congregations, and organizations. From the New
Deal to securing the fate of the new Jewish state, the Jewish mark on
America’s capital was indelible.”
• American Jewish Libraries Newsletter’s May/June 2008 issue: “Jewish
Washington is an elegant treasure trove about an important city. It
should be acquired by large synagogues and academic institutions.”
The Section 3 newsletter in Chevy Chase,
Maryland, announced Executive Director Laura
Cohen Apelbaum’s book talk about Jewish
Washington: Scrapbook of an American Community.
The listings in this and other newsletters helped
expand the Society’s reach into the wider
community.
JHSGW Makes a Match
As a result of speaking at JHSGW’s
2007 Annual Meeting, Dr. Shuly Rubin
Schwartz, Dean of List College at the Jewish
Theological Seminary, reconnected with an
old friend from camp, Eric Fishman.
Fishman had seen her name in an article
about the upcoming meeting and contacted
her. They soon began dating and married
on August 18, 2008. The New York Times
produced an online video about the wedding.
The video can be found by going to
www.nytimes.com and searching for the
couple’s names.
Professional
Development
Staff members participated in 3 conferences for museum professionals
in 2008:
• Council of American Jewish Museums, Chicago, Illinois
As part of the conference, staff members visited the new and
architecturally-acclaimed Spertus Museum on Michigan Avenue to
learn about trends in the construction of Jewish museums.
• Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Washington, DC
Society Staff participated in the 2008 MAAM (Mid-Atlantic Association
of Museums) Annual Conference at the Newseum. The theme, The
Museum as Storyteller, featured topics ranging from storytelling
through performance to digitizing personal memories.
• Association of European Jewish Museums, Amsterdam,
Netherlands. Executive Director Laura Cohen Apelbaum was
a member of the team representing American museums at this
conference, which focused on sustaining Jewish museums.
JHSGW staff attended the Mid-Atlantic Association
of Museums Conference at the Newseum.
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Archives
New Acquisitions
35 donors contributed:
• Over 120 photographs
• 25 objects
• 7 scrapbooks
• Over 25 boxes of documents and
memorabilia.
Dr. Clement Alpert
Scrapbook, photographs, correspondence, family
histories, and memorabilia documenting Dr. Seymour
and Cecile Alpert.
Nancy Colodny
Set of five audio CD recordings of oral history
interview with Dr. Joseph Dessoff, 1982.
Chinese Community Church
Original Hebrew sign from Ohev Sholom synagogue
at 500 I Street, NW; portion of original stained glass
window.
Joan Dodek
Prisoner of conscience bracelets from Soviet Jewry
movement, 1970s.
Sheldon and Shulamith Elster
Programs and photographs documenting Agudas
Achim Congregation, Gesher Jewish Day School, and
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School.
Frances Feldman
Photographs of Bran family on 7th Street, 1930s;
Hebrew Academy materials, 1960s-1970s.
Paul Foer
Minutes, correspondence, financial records,
scrapbooks, publications, and photographs
documenting the Brandeis Club, 1930s-1970s.
Eleanor Roosevelt with Dr. Seymour Alpert at an Israel
Bonds Ambassador’s Ball.
Flora and Maury Atkin
Correspondence, programs, invitations, personal
papers, and memorabilia, 1960s-1990s.
Sandra Barmak
Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia
publications, programs, and invitations, 1980s-1990s.
Ann Belkov
Photograph of Lou’s Market, 619 16th Street, NE,
1951; Solomon’s Caterers bill from Elliot Belkov’s bar
mitzvah, 1964.
Toby Berman
Brochures, correspondence, programs, and
newsletters documenting Kaufmann Camp,
1970s-1980s.
Fae Brodie
Souvenir cake box
used in the 1966
White House
wedding of Luci
Baines Johnson.
From left: Jeremy Bash, Allan Bash, and Benjamin Jacobs at
Solidarity Day for Soviet Jewry, on grounds of Washington
Monument, May 1979.
Ida Jervis
Photographs of Jewish communal events,
1960s-1970s; Arlington Fairfax Jewish Center
scrapbook; Hadassah and Young Judaea materials,
1940s-1950.
Sheilah Kaufman
Confirmation scrapbook of Sheilah Rae Weinraub at
B’nai Israel, 1955.
Jack Kay
Correspondence, reports, minutes, and speeches
documenting Abraham Kay in United Jewish Appeal,
Israel Bonds, Adas Israel, Indian Spring Country Club,
1950s.
Blanche and Jonah Gewirtz
The Communicator, newsletter of Young Israel of
White Oak, 2003-2008.
Leonard Goldberg
Merchant tokens from several Jewish-owned local
businesses including Hecht Company and Kann’s Busy
Corner, 1890s.
Lori Gordon
Papers documenting career of Rabbi Morris Gordon
at synagogues including Adas Israel, Beth El, Mishkan
Torah, Olam Tikvah, B’nai Shalom, Har Shalom,
1950s-1980s.
Adele Greenspon
JCCNV t-shirts, newsclippings, photographs,
brochure.
Barbara Holleb
Scrapbook including
JCCNV newsletters,
brochures, guides,
1980-1986.
Advertising to raise funds
for Jewish Community Center
of Northern Virginia.
Abraham Kay, Jack Bender, and Nehemiah Cohen.
Dorothy Kornhauser
Photograph, Louis D. Brandeis Zionist District
Installation Dinner, 1949.
Ginette Krantz
Tunisian tefillin bag and tefillin which belonged to her
father Michael Krantz, 1960.
Ruth Levin
Photographs of Sol Cohen and Columbia Hardware
on Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia.
Paula Pascal Levine
Audio CDs set of Passover seder recordings made
by the Charles and Edith Pascal family, 1968-2005;
selected photographs taken at family seders,
1957-1999.
15
Betty Miller
Soviet Jewry oral history recording, protest button,
police property receipt for $10, March 21, 1971.
Nevey Shalom Congregation
Synagogue newsletters, Sisterhood bulletins
and minutes, scrapbooks of photographs and
newsclippings.
Peggy Pearlstein
Files of Rabbi Aaron Pearlstein from Nevey Shalom
Congregation, Bowie, Maryland.
Frank Rich, Sr.
Scrapbook
documenting
families of Civil War
veteran Abraham
Hart, William Bass,
Herbert Rich and
Frank Rich of Rich’s
shoe store, and related
Washingtonians,
1860s-1950s.
Millicent Rosenberg
Jewish Association of Performing Arts playbills,
JCCNV programs, announcements, and invitations,
1970s-1990s.
Joan Schaffer
Immigration papers, photographs, personal papers,
and memorabilia documenting Benjamin and Rose
Rich, 1920s-1950s; Hebrew Home and Kaufmann
Camp photographs, 1930s-1950s.
• Sign restricting Jews from Beverley Beach
• Benjamin Rich (far left) and Rose Rich (fifth from
left in back row) with Jewish Community Center
campers at Rich’s Roost, 1947. JCC Director Eddie
Rosenblum stands next to the flag.
Albert H. Small
Civil War letters written on Philp &
Solomons stationery, 1865; carte de
viste of President Andrew Johnson,
published by Philp & Solomons
(pictured), 1866.
Museum Purchase
Hahn’s Shoes sign purchased from former warehouse
owner in northeast Washington. From its first store
at 1922 Pennsylvania Avenue, opened in 1876, Hahn’s
Shoes grew to a chain of 23 stores before closing in
1995. Thanks to Soha Mody, Vice President of the
Spanish Education Development Center, for alerting
us that this sign was on SEDC’s recently purchased
building and arranging the purchase.
14 persons with general interest in local Jewish
history
Research Requests
Special Projects
Society staff answered 44 research requests from:
Soviet Jewry Project
The Society began documenting the vital experience
of activists in the Soviet Jewry movement in
Washington in the 1960s and 1970s. This project
continues as a major collecting effort in 2009.
Spearheaded by Bert Silver and JHSGW board
member Danny Mann.
10 students, professors, and scholars from
academic institutions including George
Washington University, Roanoke College,
University of North Texas
• The Society provided researchers with information
about:
- Washington Jews’ response to the Holocaust and
involvement in the Zionist movement
- Adolphus Solomons’ offer to become governor of D.C.
3 media outlets: Washington Post Magazine,
Washington Jewish Week, Maryland Public
Television
• The Society provided Washington Jewish Week with
information about:
- Israel rallies in Washington since 1948
- History of local Orthodox cantors
- Information for obituaries
• Maryland Public Television used a plethora of
Society materials in its documentary Maryland
Generations: The Jewish Americans
Barry Scher
Bound volumes of Giant Food newsletter, WE News,
1964-2002.
Betty Shapiro
Framed photograph of the Kolker Family Club, 1930s.
• Yeshiva University Museum, New York, NY
- The Society provided materials to a researcher about the
Jewish suburban experience.
• Adas Israel Congregation, Washington, D.C.
- The Society loaned a photo of Dr. Seymour Alpert with
the Shem Tov Award.
• Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, D.C.
- The Society assisted with research about local
congregations’ response to Kristallnacht.
• Cultural Tourism DC, Washington, D.C.
- Society materials were incorporated into the new
Columbia Heights Heritage Trail.
• Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest,
Whippany, NJ
- The Society helped a fellow Jewish historical society by
sharing collections policies.
• Ward 6 Economic Development & Zoning
Committee, Washington, D.C.
- This group used Society research files to work for historic
preservation of 1305-1311 H Street, NE.
• Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington,
Rockville, MD
10 historical societies, museums, and
congregations, including:
• Silver Spring Historical Society, Silver Spring, MD
- The Society loaned 3 photos for its Silver Spring
exhibition.
• Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference, Local
Arrangements Committee, Silver Spring, MD
- The Society loaned an image of Ben Stein’s bar mitzvah
invitation.
• Congregation Olam Tikvah, Fairfax, VA
- The Society loaned information about local Jewish
cookbook authors.
Synagogue Archives
JHSGW staff members are available to consult with
local congregations on preserving and organizing
their archives. In 2008, the Society assisted Ohr
Kodesh Congregation in Chevy Chase, Maryland,
in organizing its historic records, and consulted with
Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah in
Potomac, Maryland, regarding a future project to
preserve the congregation’s archives.
President Myer Freyman speaking at groundbreaking
of Congregation Ohr Kodesh synagogue, 1949.
16
Grants and Contributions
Competitive Grants
COMPLETED
• $25,000 matching grant to receive
$100,000 Homeland Security Grant to
provide enhanced security at the historic
1876 synagogue and administrative
offices.
• $10,000 D.C. Historic Preservation
Fund Grant to research the history of
neighborhood buildings and create a
rack card highlighting downtown Jewish
historic sites.
• $5,000 Humanities Council of
Washington grant for research as basis
for larger project to create a new exhibit
in the historic 1876 synagogue.
AWARDED
• $5,000 grant from Marpat Foundation
for JHSGW’s new exhibition, Jewish Life
in Mr. Lincoln’s City.
In Appreciation
We are grateful to the following major
donors for contributing gifts of $1,000 or
more during fiscal year 2008:
MAJOR BENEFACTORS
Albert & Lillian Small Foundation
Small-Alper Family Foundation
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE
Barbara & Jack Kay
BENEFACTORS
Marshall B. Coyne Foundation
Grace & Donald Dody
The Estate of Tillie Laskin Fenichel
Leslie Goldberg
Kaslow Family Foundation
Barbara & Bert Rein & Wiley Rein LLP Trust
Clarice & Robert Smith
LEGACY
Abramson Family Foundation, Inc.
Carolyn Small Alper
The Family of H. Max and Josephene F. Ammerman
Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation
Ryna & Melvin Cohen
Meg & Sam Flax
Marilyn & Louis Glickfield
Sylvia & Harold Greenberg
Sonia & Joseph Herson
Irene & Edward H. Kaplan
Mildred & William Kaplan
Shelley Kay (z’l) & Al Policicchio
Marky & Martin Kirsch
Robert P. & Arlene R. Kogod Family Foundation
Blum-Kovler Foundation - Marjorie Kovler Fund
Brenda & Paul Pascal
Irene & Abe Pollin
Anita & Burton J. Reiner
Deborah & Michael Salzberg
Tina & Albert H. Small, Jr.
Sulica Fund
John Tolleris
Wasserman Family Foundation
HERITAGE
Andrew Ammerman
Joy Ammerman
Flora & Maury Atkin
Tracy & Adam Bernstein
Diane & Norman Bernstein
Wilma & The Hon. Stuart Bernstein
Martha & Stuart L. Bindeman
Steve Blacher
Florence Brody
Frances & Leonard Burka
Sharon L. Burka
Margery & Stuart Elsberg
Jonathan S and Patricia G. England Foundation
Lois & Richard England
Andrea & Martin Kalin
Deena & Jerome Kaplan
Susan Kline Massey
Alfred Munzer & Joel Wind
Alexandra Witchel & Frank Rich
Charlotte & Hubert Schlosberg
Bernice & David Stearman
Lauren Stempler & Malcolm Catt
Norma Kline Tiefel
Ellen & Bernard Young
HISTORIAN
Jane Abraham
Kate Herrod & Richard Alper
Patricia Alper Cohn & David Cohn
Sandra & Clement Alpert
Jane & David Fairweather
Rosalie Fonoroff (z’l)
Sarah & Bernard Gewirz
Lori Gordon
Marian Gordon
Judith & Michael S. Herman
Marilyn & Milton Kalin
Sally A. Kline
Sandy Kronsberg & Gerald Skalka
Annette & Theodore Lerner
Paula Pascal Levine
Lylian & Bernard Margolius
Gail Kalin & Christopher McGihon
Lovell & Jack H. Olender
Theda & Sholom Shefferman
Ana & James Small
Jane & Daniel Solomon
Diane Abelman Wattenberg
Mendelle T. Woodley
Gwen Zuares
GUARDIANS
Lillian Abensohn
Anne & Ronald Abramson
Adas Israel Congregation
Jane & Melvin Alper
Laura & Perry Apelbaum
Lucy & Rudolph Arkin
Jamie & Joseph A. Baldinger
Donna Bassin
Phyllis & Jerome Baylin
Meredith Ann Belkov
Jane & Les Bergen
Sally Berk & Sanders H. Berk, M.D.
Heidi & Max Berry
Linda & Richard Blumenreich
Marti Bornstein & Shelby Shapiro
Fleur & Charles Bresler
Peggy & Alvin Brown
Molly & Henry Brylawski
Nancy Tayler Bubes & Alan Bubes
The Honorable Alfred Burka
Linda & James E. Cafritz
David Carliner (z’l)
Joan & Anthony Churchill
Joanne & Gerald Cohen
Joy & S. Robert Cohen
Melinda Cohen & Alberto Goetzl
Judith & Richard Cohen
Faye & Sheldon S. Cohen
Nancy & Edwin I. Colodny
Kathleen & Joseph Dreyfuss
Carla Freeman
Maryann & Al Friedman
Norma Lee & Morton Funger
Nancy & Carl S. Gewirz
Ann & Frank Gilbert
Jeffrey Gildenhorn
Alma & The Honorable Joseph Gildenhorn
Margery Goldberg & Richard L. Neugass
Paula Goldman
Louis C. & Celia K. Grossberg Foundation
Grossberg, Yochelson, Fox & Beyda
Daniel Grossman
Marilyn & Murray Hammerman
Tamara & Harry Handelsman
Margot R. Heckman
Milton Heller
Linda & Jerry Herman
Bette & Arnold Hoffman
Shirley Jacobs
Melvin Jacobson
Catherine Joyce
S. Kann Sons Company Foundation, Inc.
Gail Kaufmann
Karen & Robert Keats
Mary Lynn & Nathan Kotz
Nancy E. Kronheim
Stuart Kurlander & David Martin
Edward J. Lenkin
Alice & Daniel Levin
Marilyn & David J. Levine
Ellen Levy
Lichtenberg Family Foundation Inc
Amy and Rabbi Bruce Lustig, Washington Hebrew
Congregation
Phyllis & Philip Margolius
Sandra Pearlmam & Eugene Meyer
Carole & John Nannes
Joan Nathan & Allan Gerson
Harold November
Melanie & Lawrence C. Nussdorf
Ralph Ochsman
Jackie & Franklin Paulson
Peggy K. Pearlstein
Marilyn & Albert Pollans
Anita (z’l) & Rabbi Stanley Rabinowitz
Lauren & Samuel Racoosin
Muriel F. Rakusin
Jeanne & Lloyd E. Raport
Henry & Anne Reich Family Foundation
Stacy Reines
Sandra & David Reznick
Myrna Sislen & Bill Rice
Susan & John H. Rosenthal
Clara G. Schiffer (z’l)
Amy Schwartz & Eric Koenig
Shannon & Luchs Insurance Agency
Ellen Sue Shapiro
Florence & Albert Shayne
Jacqueline & Neal Shear
Douglas Sherman
Julie Bender Silver
Peggy & Sidney Silver
David Bruce Smith
Judy & Russell Smith
Elaine & Jerome (z’l) Snider
Diane Solomon & Stuart Brown
Samson Stern
Saul Stern
Kitty Strauss
Hadassah Thursz
Annie & Samuel Totah
Michael Towbes
Isador & Bessie Turover Philanthropic Fund
Sheila & Chuck Wagner
Natalie Wexler & James Feldman
Ellen & James Wilner
Christopher Wolf & Mr. James Beller
Carole & Joseph Wolinsky
Carol Yates
Pat & Stuart Zuckerman
17
We are grateful to the following donors
and/or their families for designating the
Society as recipient for honorific and
memorial gifts:
Henry Brylawski to honor his 95th
birthday.
In memoriam of:
Mollye Chamowitz
Lillian Small
Donors for the
Homeland Security
Matching Grant
The U.S. Department of Homeland
Security awarded the Society a grant to
implement security measures to protect
our visitors, staff, and historic synagogue
site. The following donors (as of
November 2009) enabled us to meet the
challenge of matching those funds:
Jane Abraham
Hilde & Colin Alter
Joy Ammerman
Anonymous (3)
Beverly Baker
Susan & Brian Bayly
Ann Belkov
Jane & Les Bergen
Sally & Sanders H. Berk, M.D.
Allen Berman
Bernard & Sarah Gewirz Foundation, Inc
Martha & Stuart Bindeman
Joseph Bishow
Anita Bobys
Tanya & Stephen Bodzin
Carolyn & Joseph Bonnett
Carol & Morton Brody
Peggy & Alvin Brown
Alfred Burka
Frances & Leonard Burka
Maria & Robert Burka
Judith Burkitt
Linda & James Cafritz
Central Wholesalers, Inc.
Aleen & Herbert Chabot
Joan & Anthony Churchill
Vivien Clair
Congregation Etz Hayim
Cuneo Gilbert & Laduca, LLP
Grace & Donald Dody
Jeffrey Doranz
E & B Family Trust
Margery & Mel Elfin
Margery & Stuart Elsberg
Lois & Richard England
Harriet & Henry Epstein
Sandra & Andrew Eskin
Natalie Wexler & James Feldman
Meg & Sam Flax
Suzan Friedman
Tracey & Patrick Gallagher
Sarah & Bernard Gewirz
Nancy & Dalbert Ginsberg
Ruth & Martin Ginsburg
Bobbi & Walter Gold
Janice Goldblum
Paula Goldman
Marcia & Charles Goldsmith
Sylvia & Harold Greenberg
Jim Hamerski
Marilyn & Murray Hammerman
Nancy & John Harris
Margot Heckman
Linda & Jerry Herman
Sonia & Joseph Herson
Jonathan S. & Patricia G. England Family Foundation
Madeline & Marvin Kalb
Ruth & Herschel Kanter
Kate Herrod & Richard Alper
Ruthe & Nathan Katz
Mildred & Bernard Katzen
Marky & Martin Kirsch
Eva Korentayer
Betty Mae & Sidney Kramer
Bill Levenson
Bob Levey
Alice & Daniel Levin
Marilyn & David Levine
Jeffrey Louis
Lilyan & Bernard Margolius
Susan McGee
Lovell & Jack Olender
Brenda & Paul Pascal
Geraldine Polinger
Marilyn & Al Pollans
Constance & David Povich
Anita (z’l) & Rabbi Stanley Rabinowitz
Matthew Raymer
Barbara & Bert Rein
Robert Ross
Ruth & Sam Salzberg Family Foundation
Clara Schiffer (z’l)
Lois Schiffer
Estelle Schwalb
Margaret Schwarz
Michael Seltz
Ellen Sue Shapiro
Stan Shulman
Peggy & Sidney Silver
Albert Small
Ana & James Small
Rebekah Sobel
Carolyn “Kitty” Strauss
Hadassah Thursz
John Tolleris
Francine & Stephen Trachtenberg
Marilyn & Stefan Tucker
Pauline & Milton Weinstein
Leslie Weisman
Beth Wilson
Mendelle Tourover Woodley
Northern Virginia Host
Committee
Many thanks to the donors and volunteers
who promoted the Jewish Washington
exhibition and supported the Society’s
outreach and educational efforts in
Northern Virginia.
Co-Chairs: Tanya Bodzin, Bunny Chapman,
Dene Garbow
Sandra & Lenny Barmak
Kathryn & Ira Bartfield
Ann Belkov
Dottie Bennett
Jane & Les Bergen
Judy & David Bernanke
Shirley & William Binder
Tanya & Stephen Bodzin
Leslie Borak
Eva Chaiken
Bunny & Jerome Chapman
Harriet & Henry Epstein
Dene & Mel Garbow
Lotte Goldman
Adele & Irving Greenspon
Marilyn & Michael Hausfeld
Iris & Biff Henley
Melissa & Mark Isakowitz
Catherine Joyce
Edwin L. Kahn
Patricia Kent
Debbie & Chet Kessler
Susan & William Kristol
Nancy E. Kronheim
Wilma Probst Levy & Louis Levy
Dr. Elizabeth Margosches & Don Melman
Rabbi Jack Moline
Rhonda L. Pruss and Donald Messer
Joan & Donald A. Sacarob
Fred Scheigert
Howard Schreier
Patricia & Dr. Robert Silverman
Marion & Doit Shotts
John Tolleris
JHSGW welcomed 66 new
members in 2008, giving us a
total of 738 members.
Membership
Honorific and
Memorial Gifts
From the District of Columbia:
Bronwen & Jerry Adams
Michele April
B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum
Ramona Cohen
Hermine Dreyfuss
Joshua Ederheimer
Melvyn & Suellen Estrin
Eugene Fogel (z’l)
Sharon Gang
Martha Gethers
Rabbi Joui Hessel
Andrea & Leonard Jewler
Robert Niemic
Renay & Bill Regardie
Barry Scher
Marc Spiegel
From Maryland:
Anne & Ronald Abramson
Vickie Abrutyn
Rachel Algaze
Joshua & Alyssa Ammerman
Bernice & Howard Bernstein
Sharon Cohany
Amy & Joseph Federman
Yaakov Feit
Sheryl & David Friedlander
Marilyn & Louis Glickfield
Karen & Lester Goldberg
Murray Horwitz
Susan & Dudley Ives
Bonnie & Robert Kaufman
Susan Keren
Judith & Thomas Klein
Deena & Benjamin Klopman
Marlene Langert
Claus Madsen
Joanie Miller
Dean & Allison Nordlinger
Fran Odinec
Cynthia Peterman
Harriet & Ira Platt
Louis & Libby Pohoryles
Vivian Pollock
Anne Ratner
Michael Richman
Ileana Rios
Joan Schaffer
Leslie Shampaine & Ori Soltes
Bert Silver
Bert Simson
Pamela & John Spears
From Virginia:
Steven Berke
Leslie Borak
Stuart Davis
Ronald Goldberg
Sanford Horn
Barry Newman
Fred Scheigert
Roger Schwartz
Mark Shoob
Joel Skirble
Beth & Donald Weinstein
From other states:
Robert Herzog (Connecticut)
Lori Gordon (Florida)
Terry Harmon (Illinois)
Jacqueline & Neal Shear (New York)
18
Planned Giving
1876 SOCIETY
Bequests, in which a donation to the
Society is included in your will, are one of
the most important ways of securing the
Society’s financial future. To recognize
those members who have designated the
Society as the beneficiary of a bequest, the
Society has established The 1876 Society.
Bequests are received with immense
gratitude and provide crucial support
for the Society to preserve, chronicle,
and present the story of our local Jewish
community to future generations.
1876 Society Members
Richard Alper
Flora & Maury Atkin
Hannah Aurbach
Ann Belkov
Henry Brylawski
Tillie Laskin Fenichel (z’l)
Isabelle Gichner (z’l)
Aaron Goldman (z’l)
Paula Goldman
Rocxey Kurlen Hais (z’l)
Sidney Hais (z’l)
Margot Heckman
Elaine & Daniel Mann
Wilma Probst Levy
Stacy Reines
Albert H. Small
Hadassah Thursz
Irvin Wolloch (z’l)
New 1876 Society Members in 2008
Wilma Probst Levy
Elaine & Daniel Mann
Tillie Laskin Fenichel (z’l)
GIFT SPOTLIGHT
Wilma Probst Levy, an active volunteer,
has informed us that she has included
the Society in her testamentary plans.
Originally from New Jersey, Wilma has
been in the greater Washington area since
1966. She is a Senior Management Analyst
at the FDIC.
Tillie Laskin Fenichel
In October 2008, we learned that JHSGW
was a beneficiary of a gift left by Tillie
Laskin Fenichel in her will. Mrs. Fenichel, a
native Washingtonian, passed away in 2007.
We are grateful for her generosity, which
will establish a new endowment fund in
her name, to be used without restriction
to help fund museum operations. Many
thanks to Hershel Muchnick for facilitating
this wonderful gift.
Elaine and Daniel Mann informed the
Society in 2008 that they have included a
gift to JHSGW in their wills.
Always involved in civic affairs, especially
in Alexandria, Wilma is now focusing her
energies on Jewish organizations. She
currently serves as co-chair of the Program
Committee. Wilma also served on the
Northern Virginia Host Committee of
the Jewish Historical Society, and assisted
us when we took our exhibition Jewish
Washington to venues in Virginia. She also
serves on the Community Issues and Social
Action Committee of the Washington
Hebrew Congregation and is a member of
the Brandeis National Committee.
Wilma attributes her involvement in the
Society to her long-time interest in history
and in preserving Jewish culture, artifacts,
and buildings. She feels it is important
to educate the public about the vibrant
history of the Jewish community in the
national capital area. Wilma strongly
believes in the work of the Society, and
specifically praises the excellence and
enthusiasm of its staff and volunteers.
Mr. and Mrs. Mann, who moved to the
Washington area 35 years ago, spent their
professional careers as Jewish communal
workers and educators. Mr. Mann was
international director of the B’nai B’rith
Israel Commission, and Mrs. Mann was the
associate executive director of the JCC of
Greater Washington.
Mr. Mann has served on the Society’s
Board for 30 years, currently as an
honorary director. We are grateful for
the Manns’ desire to leave a legacy to
the Society, which mirrors their lifelong
commitment to the Jewish community
and its history.
19
Frank Spigel for assisting with membership
mailings
Margot Heckman, Susan Elwell of the Chevy
Chase Historical Society, Bill Rice, and Gwen
Zuares for working at the book talk at the Chevy
Chase Historical Society.
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
The fundraising campaign that the
board of directors authorized in 2008 is
enabling us to purchase and repair our
new administrative office building. We
continue to seek support so that we can
buy down our debt and have sufficient
funds for future remodeling, exhibition,
and programming needs. For information
regarding Capital Campaign opportunities,
please contact Executive Director Laura
Cohen Apelbaum at 202-789-0900 or
[email protected].
We gratefully acknowledge gifts to the
Capital Campaign from:
Inaugural major donors to the Capital
Campaign:
The Albert & Lillian Small Foundation
The Small-Alper Family Foundation
Lois & Richard England
Margery & Stuart Elsberg
Sidney and Rocxey Kurlen Hais
Testamentary Gifts
The Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen
Foundation
Ryna & Melvin Cohen
Marshall B. Coyne Foundation
The Aaron & Cecile Goldman Family
Foundation
The Herman-Silverman Family
Foundation
The Kaplan Family Fund
Theda & Sholom Shefferman
Andrew Ammerman and Josephine
Ammerman
Barbara & Bert Rein
Faye & Sheldon S. Cohen
Florence Brody
Sonia & Joseph Herson
Sprenger Lang Foundation
Frances & Leonard Burka
Norma Kline Tiefel
Richard S. Alper
Volunteers
Special Thanks to:
Carolyn Small Alper
Steve Blacher and Sid Hais (z’l)
Joanne & Gerald Cohen
Jonathan S. England and Patricia England
Foundation
Meg & Sam Flax
Paula S. Goldman
Margot Heckman
Mildred & William Kaplan (z’l)
Sally Kline
Mendelle Tourover Woodley
Hadassah Thursz
Brenda & Paul Pascal
Diana & Todd Sherbacow
Flora & Maury Atkin
Nancy & Edwin Colodny
Rosalie Fonoroff (z’l)
Maryann & Al Friedman
Leah Resnick
Charlotte & Hubert Schlosberg
Laura & Perry Apelbaum
Diane Abelman Wattenberg
Gail Sonneman & Sam Brylawski
And other supporters to the campaign:
Sharon Burka, Elaine & Daniel Mann,
Susan & John Rosenthal Donna Bassin,
Ann Belkov, Myrna Sislen & Bill Rice,
Rabbi Stanley Rabinowitz, Jane & Les
Bergen, S. Robert Cohen, Arlene Epstein,
Tracey & Patrick Gallagher, Ann & Frank
Gilbert, Christine & James Goldberg,
Janice Goldblum, Peggy Pearlstein,
Franklin Foer, Molly & Henry Brylawski,
Susan & Kenneth Luchs, Clara Schiffer,
Pat & Stuart Zuckerman, Joanne &
Norman Goldstein, Sara & Rabbi Matthew
Simon, Annette & Julian Feldman,
Marla Bobowick, Margery Goldberg &
Richard Neugass, Melissa Cohen, Marcia
Goldberg, Catherine Joyce, Pamela Nadell,
Sherry Sundick, Francine & Stephen
Trachtenberg, Anonymous.
Wilma Probst-Levy for helping sell books at the
Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia’s
Jewish Book Festival.
Diane Wattenberg, Margot Heckman, Tanya
Bodzin, Wilma Probst-Levy, Bill Rice, Donna
Bassin, and Brenda Pascal for calling lapsed
members during our February phone-a-thon
Jackie Eyl, Pam Nadell, Peggy Pearlstein, and
Cynthia Peterman for reviewing materials for the
Local Stories poster and educational resources.
Gwen Zuares and Diane Wattenberg for
arranging the Society’s partnership with Martin
Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library’s “Share the
Dream, Live the Reality” series for Jewish American
Heritage Month in conjunction with the Embassy of
Israel and the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish
Museum.
Richard Neugass for recording oral histories at the
Israel@60 Celebration.
Donna Bassin for assisting at the Jewish War
Veterans’ book talk and the spring walking tour.
Mark Livingston for giving walking tours
Sue Shapiro and Catherine Joyce for opening
their homes to cultivate new members and host an
evening “Behind the Scenes of Jewish Washington”
Andrew Costanzo, Aaron Weintraub, Wilma
Probst-Levy, Mark Livingston, and Tracey
Gallagher for working at the Patio Party
Richard Neugass and Diane Wattenberg
for assisting with mailing to members and potential
members in Northern Virginia
Stuart Elsberg, Sid Silver, Merrill Lavine, Tanya
Bodzin, Lee Burstyn, Ernie Marcus, Wilma
Probst Levy, Bill Rice, Lafe Solomon, Jordan
Tannenbaum, Alan Dessoff, Gershon Fishbein,
Moshe Ben-Lev, Elizabeth K. Eder, Jacqueline
Eyl, Rena Fructer, Rabbi Toby Manewith, Cynthia
Peterman, Amy Schwartz, Barry Smith, Lauren
Strauss, Nathan Weiner, Michelle Weiss, and
Fran Zavin for serving on committees.
Richard Neugass, Donna Bassin, Rachel
Bernhardt, Sharon Burka , Dede Feinberg, Nico
Quintana, Lucille Shiffrin, and Diane Wattenberg
for their efforts at the Israel@60 Celebration
20
Financial Statements
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES for the year ended December 31, 2008
Revenue and Support:
Grants and matching funds
Membership dues
Program revenue
Contributions
Investment income
Rental income
Loss on disposal of property and equipment
Realized and unrealized investment gains/(losses)
$ 252,269
347,186
37,484
221,163
68,982
83,668
(1,835)
(298,569)
TOTAL REVENUE AND SUPPORT
$ 710,348
Expenses:
Programs:
Exhibits, Curatorial, Educational and Archival
Museum
Total Programs
Supporting Services:
Administrative and fundraising
TOTAL EXPENSES
Change in Net Assets:
Unrestricted operating
Temporarily restricted
Permanently restricted
$ (371,365)
(166,898)
11,250
REVENUE- Fiscal Year 2008
Program Revenue
Membership Dues
Contributions
$ 895,637
63,668
$ 959,305
Grants &
Matching Funds
278,056
$1,237,361
Rental Income
$ (527,013)
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION, December 31, 2008
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and equivalents
Investments
Accounts and pledges receivable
Property and equipment
Prepaid expenses
$
258,234
1,331,784
606,032
2,465,161
58,256
TOTAL ASSETS
$ 4,719,467
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Tenant deposits
Loan payable
TOTAL LIABILITIES
$
Unrestricted
Temporarily restricted
Permanently restricted
$
TOTAL NET ASSETS
$ 2,900,006
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Liabilities:
100,467
7,000
1,711,994
$ 1,819,461
Net Assets:
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
105,786
2,156,032
638,188
$ 4,719,467
21
OFFICERS
Stuart Zuckerman, President
Richard Neugass, First Vice President
Ann Belkov, Second Vice President
Les Bergen, Treasurer
Margery Elsberg, Secretary
Melissa Cohen, Assistant Secretary
Aaron Goldman, Honorary President,
Of Blessed Memory
EXPENDITURES- Fiscal Year 2008
Administrative
Fundraising
Other
Public Programs
Building/Museum
Exhibits/Archival
Capital Campaign
ENDOWMENTS
The Doris and Robert I. Silverman Endowment Fund
The Lois and Richard England Perpetual Endowment Fund
The Lillian and Albert Small Museum Endowment Fund
The Edith and Charles Pascal Endowment Fund
The Aaron and Paula Goldman Endowment Fund
The Morris and Helen Cladny Endowment Fund
The Behrend-Nordlinger-Goldstein Endowment Fund
The Alper Education Endowment
The Fonoroff Endowment
The Herman-Silverman Family Endowment Fund
Sidney (Vidgerhouse) & Rocxey Kurlen Hais
Endowment Fund
TOTAL IN ENDOWMENT FUNDS
$ 638,188
The complete financial statements, including the review report of our independent
accountants, Squire, Lemkin, & O’Brien, LLP, are available by contacting the Society’s
office at (202) 789-0900. Copies of our complete financial audit are also available.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jane Abraham
Andrew Ammerman
Donna Bassin
Steve Blacher
Sam Brylawski
Sharon Burka
Dr. Shulamith Elster
Lenore England
Arlene Epstein
Maryann Friedman
Tracey Gallagher
Janice Goldblum
Margot Heckman
Linda Herman
Joseph Herson
Catherine Joyce
Marty Kalin
Amy Kaslow
Sally Kline
Kenneth Luchs
Brenda Pascal
Barbara Rein
Clara Schiffer (z’l)
Ellen Sue Shapiro
Todd Sherbacow
Rabbi Matthew Simon
James H. Small, Ph.D.
Tina B. Small
Diane Abelman Wattenberg
Mendelle Tourover Woodley
Gwen Zuares
ACADEMIC ADVISORY
COUNCIL
Dr. Pamela Nadell
CHAIR OF HONORARY
DIRECTORS
Albert H. Small
HONORARY DIRECTORS
Carolyn S. Alper
Flora Atkin
Stuart Bindeman
Florence Brody
Ryna Cohen
Sheldon S. Cohen
S. Robert Cohen
Nancy Colodny
Lois England
Julian Feldman
Jack Kay
Daniel Mann
Rabbi Stanley Rabinowitz
Hubert Schlosberg
Sholom Shefferman
Hadassah Thursz
Stephen Joel Trachtenberg
BOARD/STAFF LISTING
2008 Board of Directors
PAST PRESIDENTS
Leonard Abel
Richard Alper
Henry Brylawski
David Burka
Hyman J. Cohen (z’l)
Samuel Flax
Frank B. Gilbert
Bernard S. Glassman
James Goldberg
Paula S. Goldman
Dr. Michael Goldstein
Dr. Jonathan Grossman
Hon. Milton S. Kronheim, Jr. (z’l)
Bernard I. Nordlinger (z’l)
Dr. Peggy K. Pearlstein
Robert Shosteck (z’l)
Dr. Jonathan Siegel (z’l)
Nathan I. Silberberg (z’l)
Robert I. Silverman (z’l)
C. Haskell Small (z’l)
William B. Wolf, Jr. (z’l)
Donald Wolpe
SOCIETY OF FELLOWS
Lillian Small (z’l)
Staff Members
Laura Cohen Apelbaum,
Executive Director
Wendy Turman, Archivist/Curator
Joel Wind, Director of Administration
Claire Uziel, Assistant Archivist
David McKenzie, Curatorial Associate
Special thanks to the following staff who
worked with us in 2008:
Nathalie Lavine, Curatorial Associate
Erin McCormally, Education Specialist
Amy Federman, Education Consultant
Lilly Goldberg, Administrative
Coordinator
Leslie Borak, Development Consultant
701 Fourth Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
MISSION
The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington and its Lillian & Albert
Small Jewish Museum preserve, chronicle, and present the story of the
local Jewish community through archival collections, exhibits, educational
programs, publications, and the restoration and preservation of the oldest
synagogue building in the nation’s capital.
The Society recently purchased its first permanent home, only blocks away
from the historic synagogue, to house administrative offices. The Society is
an independent, non-profit organization supported by membership dues,
contributions, endowments and private and public grants.
Business Office
701 Fourth Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Phone 202-789-0900
Fax 202-789-0485
Email: [email protected]
www.jhsgw.org
1876 Historic Synagogue Site
701 Third Street, NW
(corner of 3rd & G Streets)
Judiciary Square Metro (F Street exit)
Museum Hours: Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday 1 p.m.-4 p.m.,
or by appointment.
For more information,
please call 202-789-0900
or email [email protected].
The publication of this Annual Report was made possible by gifts to the Jewish Historical
Society of Greater Washington made in memory of Lillian Small (1903-2008).
Lillian Small served the Society as a generous supporter for over thirty years. In 1975,
Mrs. Small with her husband, Albert, made a key contribution to help save, restore,
and maintain the historic Adas Israel synagogue — now the Lillian & Albert Small
Jewish Museum.
Support for this publication also provided by the Rosalie Fonoroff Endowment Fund
Cover image: Sketch of the historic Adas Israel synagogue—the area’s oldest—now the Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum.
© 2009 Jewish Historical Society