Phone: 305-672-5044 Fax: 305-672-5933
Internet: www.jewishmuseum.com
Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm
Closed on Mondays, Civil and Jewish Holidays
Website update supported by Targum Shlishi, a Raquel and Aryeh Rubin Foundation.
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WELCOME TO THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF FLORIDA
301
Washington Avenue Miami Beach Florida 33139 Phone: 305-672-5044 Fax: 305-672-5933 Internet: www.jewishmuseum.com Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm Closed on Mondays, Civil and Jewish Holidays Website update supported by Targum Shlishi, a Raquel and Aryeh Rubin Foundation. | |
The JEWISH MUSEUM OF FLORIDA opened in 1995 in a former historic synagogue that housed the first congregation on Miami Beach. Built in 1936, the Henry Hohauser designed building that underwent a two-year restoration for $1.5 million, boasts Art Deco features, a copper dome and 80 stained glass windows. In 2007 the Museum expanded into the original 1929 synagogue next door after a one-year restoration for $1 million. Both buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, the two buildings were connected via a skylighted Bistro. The Museum is much more than beautiful buildings. It is a place that presents its own and traveling exhibits; sponsors cultural and educational programs; houses a Collections & Research Center reflecting nearly 250 years of Florida Jewish history; and communicates Jewish history, art, culture and values to Jews and non-Jews alike in an informal mode. The Museum is also a place where Jews of all ages and stripes discover and reaffirm their rich heritage thus helping to strengthen Jewish identity and continuity.
SO how did this all get started? You may already know if you are among those who participated in and enjoyed the exhibit MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida that traveled to 13 cities (1990-94). Depicting Florida Jewish history from 1763 to the present, this was a statewide grassroots project to collect material evidence from the time Jews were first allowed to live in the Sunshine State. Thousands of photographs, artifacts and oral histories were gathered from families and this collection continues now in the Museum, which was created as a result of the interest and support garnered from the original MOSAIC project.
Where the traveling exhibit was the launch, the JEWISH MUSEUM OF FLORIDA further delves into the states rich Jewish history of yesterday and today for the future. Whether your family has lived in Florida for eight generations, as some have, or just arrived YOUR story is an important tile in the MOSAIC. Join us!