Illuminate Jewish Arts and Lives

I am grateful that the Magnes is a place for gathering, connection, and dialogue as members of our communities come to the museum with curiosity, open minds, and open hearts—especially now when it feels like people are increasingly divided.

Please donate today to help the Magnes thrive as a vital community gathering space.

At the center of our newest exhibition, In Plain Sight: Jewish Arts and Lives in the Muslim World, light pours through a lampshade inscribed in Hebrew with Biblical texts after Genesis 9 and in Arabic after the 99 Beautiful Names of Muhammad, illuminating the exhibition’s themes of coexistence and mutual creative engagement. One Tuesday afternoon in October, a group of Jewish and Muslim youth stood in that pool of light learning together about each other’s religious practices. 

Thank you profoundly for inviting us…It was truly heartwarming to see our children engage with the exhibition…We felt at home, surrounded by such thoughtful and engaging activities. — Magnes Visitor

During this season when we seek out and celebrate light in darkness, the Magnes is glowing. I see radiance in our dedicated teen volunteers who, motivated by a desire to connect more deeply with their Jewish community and heritage, are planning programming for their peers. University classes in architecture, history, Jewish studies, and more, light up the museum as students gain new perspectives through object-based learning. And families with small children who gather for PJ Library Story Hour each month radiate with bright energy.

I hope you will make a gift today to help us create new opportunities to bring our communities together. 

There’s a sparkle in visitors who simultaneously find comfort in familiar objects and excitement at encountering something new, like a teacher who recently visited. Awed by the diversity of the communities the art and objects on display represent, she delighted in seeing a silver fish-shaped spice container in Time Capsules: Exploring the Permanent Collection. She described how her own family had a similar one and would put a sprig of myrtle in it at the end of Sukkot. Each bend of the fish would release the aroma of myrtle throughout the year until the next Sukkot. 

With your support, the Magnes will continue to shine as a place for connection, dialogue, and shared experiences.

With gratitude,

Hannah E. Weisman
Executive Director