By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Sandra Scheller deserves thanks, mazal tovs, and yasher koachs from the entire Jewish community for her steadfast campaign to bring understanding of the Holocaust to new generations of San Diegans. A front-page article in Monday’s San Diego Union-Tribune is a testament to her persistence.
Scheller is the curator of RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust now on exhibit at the Rancho San Diego branch of the San Diego County Library. It has a couple of months more to run before it must make way for other library uses. So, in the short run, finding a place to continue showing the exhibit is a priority.
In the long run, Scheller would like to find the funds and venue for a permanent Holocaust museum. Such museums have been established in many cities across North America with smaller populations than San Diego and far fewer Jews than the estimated 100,000 of us living in the county. If other metropolitan areas can do it, why can’t we?
I believe Scheller could broaden support for a museum if its subject matter were not confined to the Holocaust, but rather encompassed a broad range of Jewish subjects. I can envision a museum shaped like a Magen David, with six exhibit areas emanating from a central reception area. One important exhibit area, of course, should be devoted to the Shoah. RUTH: Remember Us the Holocaust plus Scheller’s additional collected artifacts would be the core of that exhibit.
Another area might be devoted to the establishment and continuation of the State of Israel, including exhibits on San Diego County interactions with the Jewish homeland.
A third area might deal with the history of Jews in San Diego County, incorporating items that were on display at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park in the exhibit that was wonderfully curated by JoAnn Zollman.
A fourth area might be one devoted to Jewish holidays, life cycle events, synagogue and home observances, showing and explaining the various ceremonial objects associated with each.
A fifth area might deal with Jewish history and observance across the border in our sister region of Tijuana and more broadly Baja California.
A sixth area might be reserved for traveling exhibits that come from other Jewish museums.
The central reception area should be multipurpose enabling the museum to host communal and private events. A gift shop and kosher kitchen should be built into this area.
Below the main floor a large area should house offices, a Jewish research library, and temperature-controlled archives with room for all these components to grow.
Besides tax deductible donations and grants, ongoing revenue sources might be the sale of items from the Judaica gift shop, catered private events such at b’nai mitzvah and wedding receptions, admission charges, and ticket sales to special events.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor and publisher of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via sdheritage@cox.net
It is way overdue. Smaller cities with smaller Jewish communities have Jewish/Holocaust museums. For example:
Anchorage https://www.alaskajewishmuseum.com/
Portland https://www.ojmche.org/
Tucson https://www.tjmhc.org/
Tulsa https://www.jewishmuseumtulsa.org/
The thought of this lights up my day. Absolutely wonderful! Following.
This is a good idea. We need to get started by appointing a steering committee.
Another great idea from Don Harrison!