New Museum, TV show all about the American Jewish experience

PBS running a show noiw on the American Jewish Experience. Prof. Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis wrote a great book on it. nOW

FROM THE NYT
Alongside the History of the Nation, the Story of Jewish Immigrants
By JON HURDLE
Published: January 12, 2008
PHILADELPHIA — Alongside some of the most historic landmarks in the United States, a building is rising that will tell the story of the national immigration experience through the life of the Jewish people.

The new National Museum of American Jewish History, scheduled to open on July 4, 2010, is an effort to add to the historical narrative traced by the cultural icons of Independence Mall: Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed; the Liberty Bell, which was rung on July 8, 1776, to summon the people of Philadelphia for the reading of the Declaration; and nearby , the National Constitution Center, housing a permanent exhibition on the Constitution.

The $170 million building under construction will trace the lives of American Jews since their first arrival in New Amsterdam from Brazil in 1654, focusing on how they influenced, and were influenced by, their new home.

The goal, said the museum’s executive director, Gwen Goodman, is to distill the experience of all ethnic groups making a new life in America by tracing the history of Jews in this country."