Museums Respond

From the Desk of Lori Shepherd - Executive Director

Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center  was recently invited to attend the “Museums Respond: Strategies for Countering Antisemitism and Hate” summit in Washington, DC as part of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. The Council of American Jewish Museums and the Institute of Museum & Library Services hosted the invitation-only summit, convening federal officials and museum leaders from across the country.  Participants gently and generously contributed their experiences to this important conversation, with the goal of informing museum programming across the U.S.

I was honored to represent TJMHC and participate in the complex discussions around how institutions of history and memory can support deeper community dialog and exploration in these challenging times. The conference helped leaders of diverse organizations explore past and present narratives of antisemitism in America and discuss evolving educational strategies that respond to a rapidly shifting and polarized environment. Together, we brainstormed how our organizations can celebrate Jewish culture and values as we build empathy between communities and counter all forms of identity-based hate. 

The professionals gathered there all agreed that none of us was fully ready for the challenges that we faced in the days, weeks, and now, months since October 7th. We were naïve to the personal and professional toll that our teams and communities would encounter and, despite the fact that many of us are entrenched in the academic and historical pursuit of understanding and eradicating hate and antisemitism, we were unprepared for the sudden vitriol that our organizations and communities would experience.

All that being said, I return to my desk today with a renewed sense of energy and focus! I am professionally inspired by the many pages of notes that I took down in each session and from every casual and moderated conversation. And I am invigorated by the many wonderful ideas that were shared for forging cross-cultural alliances and moving forward together to strengthen our democracy and to effectively counter antisemitism and hate.

As TJMHC works to bring some of these innovative ideas to Southern Arizona, I hope that each of you will continue to be a part of this important and ongoing journey to a more just tomorrow. I look forward to all that we will accomplish together!