Groundbreaking Festival Round-Up

Earlier this month we “broke ground” at 3rd and F St NW, the home of the future museum. To celebrate this moment, we hosted a weeklong festival of virtual events and worked with local community partners to put together a suite of programs for our future visitors. With these unique collaborations we were able to explore identity, community and storytelling as we thought about how we are all making meaning during a tumultuous year.  

These programs are just a sampling of some of the themes and stories that will be told in the future exhibits and explored through programs and the exciting Community Action Lab. In case you weren’t able to attend we recorded most programs to share with you now.  

We began Saturday evening with a film screening in partnership with JxJ, a program of the Edlavitch DCJCC. The panelists shared their impressions of the film, expanded on the life of Sammy Davis, Jr. and the complexities of identity.  

Sunday evening, we took a closer look at some of the Jewish history of DC. We partnered with Bet Mishpachah and a few of their founders shared insight into the LGBTQ+ history of the Jewish community in DC and what it was like to create an inclusive space during the Gay rights movement. 

Three female local entrepreneurs in the food world joined us to share about how they pair their passion for food with social justice. Even in a time when restaurants and businesses are struggling their commitment to their community hasn’t stopped. 

We ended the week with our museum “neighbors” the Jewish Museum of Maryland to talk about the current path museums are on and how they can be agents of change in their communities. As we build the museum we are excited to be a new center of community in the nation’s capital and encourage visitors to take action on behalf of the values of their community. 

Watch the program here!

We are thrilled to be able to continue sharing behind the scenes moments and sneak peeks of the museum and we cannot wait to welcome you in 2022!