Changing Times- President’s Post
Posted by Julie | Filed under President's Post
Our first 27 years have been spent creating one of the finest archives of local Jewish History in the country. We consistently receive accolades from across the country commending our exhibits, programs, research material and web site. You can read about our many activities of just the past 12 months in this newsletter.
The current economic environment has created challenges for many small nonprofit organizations and JHSUM has not been spared. This organization has thrived on the generosity of our members and a small group of very dedicated supporters. It may surprise some to know that we benefit very little from our community Federated giving efforts. What dollars we do receive from the community organizations overall has been declining year after year. At our current level of community support we cannot sustain all our activities. JHSUM’s Board is working hard to create a new vision for our next 25 years focusing on what activities we do best and can’t be done by any other organization.
SO WHAT’S NEXT? – We are working with the University of Minnesota Andersen Library to have our collections permanently housed at the University. JHSUM would be relieved of the costs related to housing our nearly 3000 item collection and making our materials available to users. Securing a permanent home for our archival materials allows JHSUM to focus on interpretation, education and programming along with more public displays of our unique materials.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A JEWISH HISTORY GALLERY? – We are working to turn our location at the Kaplan Family Jewish History Center into an interpretive gallery that will be open to the public. Our new space will showcase many of JHSUM’s artifacts and photos that tell the story of Upper Midwest Jewish life.
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO KEEP US MOVING FORWARD – Our upcoming campaign to raise the funds necessary to achieve our goals and making this museum a reality is a crucial step in keeping our stories alive. Please watch for more information to come regarding the details of this exciting new chapter in the life of your historical society! And take a moment to renew your membership so you continue to receive all our latest news!
Jamie Heilicher
President
