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Jewish World Review / March 8, 1998 / 10 Adar, 5758
Jonathan S. Tobin
Museums are the latest Jewish battlegrounds
WHEN LARGE NUMBERS of Jews first arrived on these shores and formed
communities, the first thing they did was to build cemeteries. Synagogues
were
usually next, followed by community centers, libraries and even
universities.
In between were all the smaller institutions, such as businesses which
served
the observant community, like kosher butchers. Jewish newspapers - though
few
have stood the test of time - popped up relatively early in the process.
All of these institutions have had their ups and downs (and lately more
downs
than ups) but the last item to fill out the roster of American Jewish
achievements has only recently come into full bloom: the museum.
Museums sprouting like mushrooms
Museums are the latest cottage industry that has arisen to serve the
historical memory of a people whose sense of history has long been thought
What do we make of American Jewry's new twist on the "edifice complex?"
Some of the reasons behind all this Jewish history-mongering are entirely
praiseworthy. Others are less so. But as we make our way through the
dizzying
increase in Jewish historical institutions, we will be forced to answer some
difficult questions both about the past and the present.
What will survive us?
Why so many museums? As an aging, largely prosperous population,
contemporary
American Jews are naturally inclined to introspection and
self-congratulation.
We have weathered the storms of immigration, anti-Semitism and live now in a
time when our power and affluence are unprecedented in Jewish history.
Though I would not wish to shortchange legions of overworked and poorly paid
historians and archivists, shouldn't we be a trifle suspicious of all this
museum building? Isn't it a little spooky to think that just as American
Jewry
has begun to grasp the serious nature of its own continuity problems, we are
simultaneously embarked on a drive to build or restore places which will
house
our memories?
If our generation's legacy to posterity is an American Jewish community
which
is the most Jewishly illiterate in our history, are we consoled by the idea
that we will be survived by scores of stone buildings housing our
memorabilia?
As we pass the exhibits of past generations, should we silently ask them to
save some room for us as we subconsciously consign ourselves to the
proverbial
dustbin of history? Isn't the museum craze, in part, a bit of idol worship
with big-giver egomania thrown in for good measure?
What to do about Charter Oak?
A case in point is the debate currently under way about the future of the
first building specifically built as a synagogue in the state of
Connecticut:
Hartford's Charter Oak Synagogue, which housed Congregation Beth Israel from
1876-1935.
Currently, the building is undergoing a dazzling restoration after being
dormant for many years. It is now the site of a center which is home to some
Jewish events but is primarily a successful multi-cultural performing and
lecture space. That is fitting given the current population of the
neighborhood in which it is located in downtown Hartford. As such, Charter
Oak
may be better off as a place where Jews, Blacks and Hispanics can come
together to share each other's cultures rather than as an exclusively Jewish
site.
Some local Jews want the building to be completely restored and become a
dedicated Jewish heritage space. That notion appeals to the sentiments of
many
who look upon the site with nostalgia or who crave a Jewish museum of some
sort for the region.
But more to the point is the question of whether this particular community
can
afford the extravagance of a museum at a time when its Jewish schools are
starving for funds. While preserving historical memory is a fundamental
obligation of any Jew and any Jewish community, is it appropriate to expend
massive and scarce funds on these monuments - no matter how beautiful their
exteriors or educational their exhibits?
In Hartford's case, the lack of funds will surely mean that it will stay a
multi-cultural center. A local Jewish museum would be nice, but the money
that
would go into Charter Oak would be better spent on educating Jewish
children.
Holocaust Museum is now a political tool
Another problem associated with the museum craze is our inability to come to
terms with the meaning of our history. Case in point is the scandal sinking
the Holocaust Museum in Washington.
According to recent reports, the board of the museum is divided between
those
who see it as a place of Jewish memory and others who are determined that it
serve a "universal" purpose. That's why the latter group are forcing out the
museum director, Prof. Walter Reich, over his opposition to letting Yasser
Arafat use the institution as a prop in a proposed photo opportunity. They
see
the museum as not only a tool by which all intolerance can be combatted,
they
wish to use it to win their current political battles with the current
government of Israel and its American Jewish supporters.
Instead of reinforcing the lessons of Jewish history, this most splendid of
Jewish history museums is now doing just the opposite. And since the
museum's
founders long ago sold its soul by accepting federal funds and land, there
is
nothing one can do about it. As a creature of American politics, it will
always serve the interests of its masters, not the imperatives of Jewish
memory.
It is inevitable that these museums - and others - will continue to serve as
political battlegrounds. Like Yad Vashem in Israel, they will be the totems
of
our beliefs about the past. That cannot be avoided.
What can be changed are own attitudes.
Rather than looking to monuments or statues to commemorate the Holocaust or
to
celebrate our community history, let us instead invest in our children and
their education. If we must choose - as I fear we must - between schools and
museums, then let the choice be for Jewish education. If we can lay the
foundations for future generations of committed Jews, then there will be
time
enough in the future for puffing our
Getting lost in history
to
be the most keen of any group on earth.
Holocaust museums and archives now sprout up across the land like so many
Jewish mushrooms. Some are small one-room exhibitions located in other
permanent structures. Others are massive achievements of stone and intellect
such as the monumental U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.
Like 19th century western boomtowns - all of which boasted their own "opera
house" as a symbol of their newfound importance - it would appear that
American Jewish communities are following the same trend with museums. If
you
can afford one (and maybe even if you can't), you want one. Alongside the
Holocaust museums is a growing number of Jewish history museums. There are
museums of immigration as well as many restored synagogues, all vying for
attention and funds.
JWR contributor Jonathan S. Tobin is executive editor of the Connecticut Jewish Ledger.
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