Our bold plans to initiate the Weitzman’s reimagining not only have taken shape, but are underway!
We are launching three new projects in 2026. These new galleries all speak both to the heart of our mission to share the varied and vibrant stories of the Jewish People in America with Jewish and broader audiences and as an educational institution, with companion educational offerings planned for school groups.
Momentum is strong, and we have already “broken ground” on these exhibitions! Over $10M has been raised toward the $11.4M goal in support of this work. We are continuing to raise necessary funds to bring these projects to conclusion and to sustain them moving forward.
We hope you will consider joining the stakeholders who are making this vision possible.
An original, groundbreaking special exhibition opening in April 2026, will mark America’s 250th with an almost entirely unknown story about how a small Jewish community in the Caribbean turned the tide of the American Revolution.
Made possible with Financial Assistance provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Honorable Josh Shapiro, Governor; support from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative which propelled this exhibition’s development; and The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. For a full funder listing, please visit the exhibition website.
A new family gallery unlike anything we’ve had before will feature a highly immersive, interactive, colorful, and joyful space for all ages.
Made possible with support from the Elaine L. Lindy Donor Advised Fund
About
Playful. Surprising. Illuminated. Smart. The Colors of Creation family gallery is inspired by the seven days of creation where each step in the gallery brings burst of color and a dynamic, immersive experience, culminating in a dazzling, bold, and bright, all-encompassing can’t-be missed moment with all of the colors of the rainbow. It will be a fun and immersive experience with educational, accessible content that appeals to broad audiences—the creation story is shared by the three major monotheistic world religions—but is not didactic. The immersive moments will offer compelling opportunities for intergenerational engagement around themes such as caring for each other and the world around us.
Accompanying the immersive experience will be a bright and inviting analog tactile play space.
This new gallery will address something which—for a long time—we didn’t think we would need to. That has changed. We will offer powerful testimonies from Jewish Americans on the “everyday” antisemitism they have personally encountered.
About
Approximately eight full-size video projections will be displayed telling the real-life stories of victims and their personal experiences with contemporary antisemitism. Each person’s testimony will be projected on a large screen serving as an immersive experience for the viewer to confront the realities of antisemitism and its different manifestations, fostering awareness and empathy in a visually striking andemotionally resonant way.
In partnership with the ADL, their interactive H.E.A.T. Map™ which details specific incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism and terrorism by state and nationwide,will be arranged in a dynamic way throughout the exhibition, which will furtherallow visitors to understand the broader implications of each story.
Examples of personal stories will range from an Orthodox man physically assaulted for wearing a kippah, to the young secular Jewish woman on college campus accosted for wearing a Star of David, to the restaurant owner whose windows were shattered by a brick because they serve Jewish food, to the rabbi whose synagogue was vandalized with swastikas.
