Maine Jewish Museum

06/01/2026

BOOK TALK ALERT 📚

What happens when a family story is too painful to tell?

Join us this Sunday, June 7, for The House at Schumannstrasse 7: A Memoir, a powerful conversation about memory, family, silence, and what we inherit from previous generations.

If your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon includes fascinating people, thought-provoking stories, and leaving with more questions than answers, this one's for you.

🎟️ Registration is free but required. Register now before the seats disappear.

👉https://mainejewishmuseum.org/programs-and-events/the-house-at-schumannstrasse-7-a-memoir/

Sunday, June 7, 2026 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm What happens when a family’s story is too painful to tell — and one generation decides it must be remembered? Join Maine author Edith Netter for a powerful conversation about The House at Schumannstrasse 7: A Memoir, a Holocaust survivor’s story told in t...

05/27/2026

Tomorrow at MJM: some truly remarkable young people take the mic.

Bruce M Whittier Middle School students will be presenting the Holocaust projects they created through our Delet education program under the guidance of their teacher, 2025 Maine History Teacher of the Year Jamie Karaffa — including original research, reflection, and a collaboratively produced documentary.

These students have spent months engaging thoughtfully with history, memory, and the human stories behind both. We could not be prouder of them.

Come cheer them on, learn something, and restore your faith in the next generation a little bit.
📍 Maine Jewish Museum
📅 Thursday, May 28
⏰ 10:00 AM–12:30 PM
🎟 Free, registration required

More info + registration:

Bruce M. Whittier Students Present Their Holocaust Projects at MJM

05/25/2026

Wishing everyone a meaningful Memorial Day from the Maine Jewish Museum. We will be CLOSED today in observance of the holiday.

As we gather with friends and family, may we also take a moment to remember and honor those who gave their lives in military service — and reflect on the responsibilities we share to build a more compassionate and peaceful world in their memory.

05/22/2026

The Maine Jewish Museum will be closed Friday, May 22, 2026 in observance of Shavuot.

Shavuot is Judaism’s annual reminder that:
📖 learning is sacred
🤝 community matters
🧀 and cheese is a religious experience

Wishing everyone a joyful, meaningful, cheesecake-filled Shavuot from all of us at the Maine Jewish Museum!

Chag sameach!

05/21/2026

Executive Director Dawn LaRochelle reflects on passing the torch in this month's "Third Thursday Thoughts."

So, earlier this month, I did a thing: I delivered the keynote address at the Cum Laude Ceremony at Hebron Academy. And while I would love to report that I handled this honor with perfect humility and grace, the truth is that being asked to give a keynote can make a girl’s head swell just...

05/20/2026

Gary Green, untitled. Digital pigment print, 22 x 60 in. Having studied the deep history of the vertical in Asian art as well as in contemporary work by noteworthy photographers such as Lois Connor and Jungjin Lee, photographer and Colby College Professor of Art Gary Green offers his own take on the tall vertical. In his current MJM exhibition, “Drawn by Nature: New Photographs,” Green presents somewhat abstracted landscapes of dark and tangled materials manmade and natural. This show is on view in the Jody Sataloff History and Art Pavilion until June 25.

05/19/2026

What happens when maps become personal? 🗺️

This Thursday, May 21, artist Paula Gerstenblatt joins Louis Miller of USM’s Osher Map Library in the Spiegel Gallery for a fascinating conversation inspired by Paula’s current exhibition, "Transversals: Reverberations Across Contested Lines."

Using historic and contemporary maps, photographs, text, and archival materials, Gerstenblatt’s work explores memory, identity, boundaries, and the emotional landscapes we carry with us.

If you love:
🗺️ maps
🎨 contemporary art
📚 layered storytelling
💭 thoughtful conversation
👀 seeing familiar things in entirely new ways

…this program is for you.

🕠 Thursday, May 21
📍 Maine Jewish Museum
🎟️ Free and open to the public

Thursday, May 21, 2025 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Through a synthesis of historic and contemporary maps, personal photographs and text, and other archival sources, the works in Paula Gerstenblatt's current exhibition function as transversals – lines of inquiry across contested spaces. For this program, s...

05/18/2026

Myth: “Jewish museums are only for Jewish visitors.”

Reality: Jewish history IS Maine history — and the Maine Jewish Museum welcomes people of all backgrounds, faiths, identities, and levels of familiarity with Jewish culture.

Some visitors come for art.
Some come for music or food.
Some come to learn about immigration, resilience, civil rights, or local history.
Some just wander in because the building is beautiful (fair 😄).

You do not need to “know enough” to walk through our doors. Curiosity is enough.

05/17/2026

💍 One week to go! 💍

On Sunday, May 24, the MJM + Hadassah + Rimon Book Group gathers at Coffee By Design’s cozy Roastery Room for an afternoon of stories, conversation, laughter, and Jewish wedding traditions from around the world.

This month’s featured book is "100 Jewish Brides: Stories from Around the World" — a fascinating collection of photographs and personal stories celebrating Jewish weddings across cultures and continents, from Morocco to Mexico, Ethiopia to Eastern Europe.

✨ EVEN MORE EXCITING: Co-author Shulamit Reinharz will be joining us for the discussion! ✨

And the best part? You do NOT have to read the book to join us.

Seriously.

Come for the conversation, the coffee, the community, and the storytelling.

💒 BONUS FUN:
We invite guests to bring:
📸 a wedding photo (your own, a parent’s/grandparent’s, or one from a memorable wedding)
OR
💬 a funny, touching, or unforgettable wedding story

(No pressure, of course. Schmoozing and listening are also excellent life choices.)

Newcomers are always welcome!

☕ Sunday, May 24
🕑 2:00–3:30 PM
📍 Coffee By Design — Roastery Room

👉https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mjm-hadassah-rimon-book-group-may-tickets-1986801867870

05/14/2026

IMPORTANT CULTURAL QUESTION:

You may only choose ONE Jewish comfort food for the rest of your life. Which are you keeping?

Defend your choice in the comments. Bonus points for dramatic family stories. 😂