NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Earlier this year the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE) announced that it would open in New Orleans in the fall of 2020. Due to construction delays and a drastically slowed tourism economy from the effects of COVID-19, Museum officials have decided to push back plans to open until early 2021.
“We feel this will allow us to give the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience the robust welcome that we’ve been planning for,” said Jay Tanenbaum, Chairman, MSJE. Tanenbaum also cited the need to give business and tourism time to recover in New Orleans and ensure the safety of all staff and visitors.
Museum staff remains hard at work in conjunction with design and fabrication partners, Gallagher & Associates, and Solomon Group toward completion of its exhibit space at the Museum’s future home, 818 Howard Avenue in New Orleans.
The new museum will explore the many ways Jews in the American South influenced and were influenced by the distinct cultural heritage of their communities, covering 13 states and more than 300 years of history – including Colonial, Civil War, World War II and the Civil Rights Movement.
Curators are still also accepting artifact donations. With many people still at home, now is a good time to cull family archives and to speak with older relatives to collect personal family stories. Visit msje.org/our-collection for more information.
For those who are able to offer financial support, visit msje.org/support.
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