PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (May 28, 2026) – Tonight, at a gala at The Plaza in New York City, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History will announce the launch of The Weitzman Reimagined, a $100 million fundraising campaign to transform and sustain the 50-year-old Museum, which has been in its current location on Independence Mall in Philadelphia since 2010.

Half of the goal – $50 million – has already been raised.

The campaign will support a complete reimagining of The Weitzman’s core exhibition – the heart of the institution – with a focus on bringing the American Jewish story to life through advanced technology, design, storytelling, content, and engaging visitor experiences to appeal to today’s audiences. It will also strengthen the Museum’s long-term sustainability, with a portion of the campaign directed toward endowment.

“Right now, museums matter more than ever,” said Dan Tadmor, The Weitzman’s President & CEO. “In a time of misinformation, division, and rising antisemitism, museums have a responsibility to do more than preserve objects – we must help people understand history and themselves within it. The Weitzman’s core exhibition has walked visitors through the arc of American Jewish history. Now we are rethinking how we engage today’s audiences, using technology, media, and interactive storytelling to create a museum experience that is more immersive, more family-friendly, and more deeply connected to the questions Americans are asking today.”

In his previous role, Tadmor led a $100 million campaign at ANU – Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, Israel, which underwent a complete overhaul.

The Weitzman’s Chair Emeritus, Phil Darivoff, is Chair of The Weitzman Reimagined campaign.

The campaign builds on the first phase of work already underway, including three new 2026 exhibitions that will transform more than a third of the Museum’s galleries during America’s 250th anniversary. The next phase will focus on the remaining two-thirds of exhibition space.

As the only national museum devoted to exploring, preserving and interpreting the American Jewish experience, The Weitzman occupies a singular place on Independence Mall in the birthplace of American democracy. From that setting, its work extends far beyond Philadelphia, with public programs and educational initiatives that reach audiences across the country and deepen the study of American history through the lens of Jewish experience.

Congress is currently forming a commission to study integrating The Weitzman into the Smithsonian Institution, a process that would result in it becoming an official Smithsonian museum dedicated to the American Jewish experience (and one of only a few Smithsonians outside of Washington, D.C.). This campaign will help position The Weitzman for that future – ensuring the Museum is financially sustainable, operationally prepared, and ready to meet the opportunities of national Smithsonian status.

Tonight’s gala honors Jane and Stuart Weitzman – philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and stalwart supporters of the Museum that shares their name – with the Only in America® Award, given to Jewish Americans who have made enormous contributions to our world. Their family’s transformative gift set this campaign in motion.

Press Photos credit lines enclosed

ABOUT THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY

Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Weitzman presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. It proudly stewards one of the largest collections of Jewish Americana in the nation. Standing as a joyful bulwark against antisemitism, bigotry, and hate, The Weitzman serves to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire. www.theweitzman.org

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