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This week, the bill was passed in the House, paving the way for a vote on the floor of the Senate, which we hope will happen in the coming weeks. Learn more here:
A bipartisan, bicameral coalition in the U.S. Congress is championing an effort to establish a Smithsonian museum dedicated to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience.
Introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and co-led by U.S. Representatives Mike Turner (OH-10), Brendan Boyle (PA-02) and Max Miller (OH-07), and led in the Senate by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), S.4001/H.R.7764 “Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act,” will create a Commission of Inquiry led by nine individuals with relevant expertise to study the feasibility of transferring the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia to the Smithsonian Institution.
Original co-sponsors in the Senate include Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
The growing list of bipartisan co-sponsors as of September 12, 2024 includes:
H.R.7764
Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY-25)
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5)
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5)
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1)
Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX-14)
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15)
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-9)
Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA-52)
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11)
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5)
Rep. Daniel S. Goldman (D-NY-10)
Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1)
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE-2)
Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY-17)
Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17)
Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-2)
Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA-7)
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12)
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26)
Rep. Thomas Kean (R-NJ-7)
Rep. Don Davis (D-NC-1)
Rep. Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11)
Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-8)
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24)
Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN-2)
Rep. Brad R. Wenstrup (R-OH-2)
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6)
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-5)
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL-22)
Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA-5)
Rep. Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10)
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28)
Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL-1)
Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11)
Rep. Kathy E. Manning (D-NC-6)
Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29)
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1)
Rep. Marc A.Veasey (D-TX-33)
Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL-12)
Rep. Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2)
Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE-1)
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6)
Rep. A. Drew Ferguson (R-GA-3)
Rep. John H. Rutherford (R-FL-5)
Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA-26)
Rep. Al Green (D-TX-9)
Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS-1)
Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-7)
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-4)
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA-6)
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA-47)
Rep. David J. Trone (D-MD-6)
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-28)
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA-32)
Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL-9)
Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7)
Rep. Charles J. “Chuck” Fleischmann (R-TN-3)
Rep. Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21)
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37)
Rep. Patrick Ryan (D-NY-18)
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY-1)
Rep. John R. Curtis (R-UT-3)
Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6)
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30)
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6)
Rep. Young Kim (R-CA-40)
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH-1)
Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17)
Rep. Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24)
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1)
Rep. C. Scott Franklin (R-FL-18)
Rep. Marcus J. Molinaro (R-NY-19)
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1)
Rep. David G. Valadao (R-CA-22)
Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8)
Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49)
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2)
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10)
Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ-2)
Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC-14)
Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA-35)
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL-16)
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-3)
Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-1)
Rep. Christopher R. Deluzio (D-PA-17)
Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ-3)
Rep. Jennifer L. McClellan (D-VA-4)
Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38)
S.4001
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Read the press release to learn more about this exciting development.
We appreciate your support in encouraging your legislators to endorse the formation of a commission to explore the transfer of The Weitzman to the Smithsonian. Please share this link with friends, family, and colleagues so they can write to their legislators, too.
The through-line of our work lies at the intersection of Jewish values and American ideals, unleashing the power of education as a potent antidote to antisemitism. Click here to learn more about our educational offerings.
Watch these short videos to hear from our education and programs staff about how our work builds empathy and counters antisemitism.
Do you pay individual or business taxes in Pennsylvania? The Weitzman is an accredited Educational Improvement Organization—your tax credits can support our educational work. Click here to learn more.
If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Glodstein, Chief Development Officer, at jglodstein@theweitzman.org or 215-391-4645.
Schwartz’s narrative not only captures the brutality of the violence but also highlights the complex human relationships that once existed in Hebron, offering a sobering reflection on the collapse of peaceful coexistence and the ongoing struggles for peace and equality.
