Inspiring Future Generations

The Magnes has been humming with energy as we reopen for the new year with a remarkable photography exhibition, Nancy Lee Katz: A Private Pantheon. Katz’s portrait of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stands in the center of the gallery, blown up to life size, inviting us to reflect on her legacy. 

While Ginsburg enjoys pop icon status for many reasons, two facets of her life resonate deeply with the work that you—our community members and supporters— make possible at the Magnes.

Ginsburg was tirelessly dedicated to her mission: the pursuit of justice. She kept in her chambers a sign reading, “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof” (“Justice, justice you shall pursue,” Deuteronomy 16:20), a demonstration of the power of objects to convey values, transmit culture, and inspire action. 

At the Magnes, we take seriously our responsibility to care for and share the objects of Jewish history and culture through exhibitions and collections-related programming so you and our whole community can be inspired to share stories, culture, and values across generations.

Ginsburg famously enjoyed a close friendship with fellow New Yorker and opera-lover Justice Antonin Scalia, with whom she fiercely disagreed on many questions that came before the court. They discovered that they made each other’s work stronger, not in spite of—but because of—their differences. 

So, too, do we at the Magnes embrace difference, inviting diverse perspectives in exhibitions and programs and telling stories that reflect the rich complexity of Jewish experiences around the world. Our embrace of plurality helps visitors, including UC Berkeley students, find strength in contrasting ideas, just as Ginsburg and Scalia did. 

As we enter this new year, our commitment to fostering dialogue, memory, and community is more vital than ever. But we cannot do it without you.

Please make a gift this High Holiday season. Your support directly funds the collections care, exhibitions, and programs that bring our community together.

Together, we can ensure that our shared history and the lessons of Ginsburg’s enduring legacy continue to inspire future generations.

Become a Friend of the Magnes

With an annual donation of $100 or more, you become part of the Friends of the Magnes. As a friend, you’ll enjoy Donor Perks that include discounted tickets to our signature programs such as Ari’el Stachel’s Other and special invitations to preview new exhibitions before they are open to the public.

Your gift received by the end of October ensures you and our whole community have access to a year of robust programs and exhibitions that spark dialogue, provoke curiosity, and inspire creativity.