Healing and humanizing through artifact: Visiting the Museum of Jewish Civilization

How do museums act as places of discovery, dialogue, and healing?

These spaces engage with critical, often complex, issues important to the communities they serve. For two weeks, we're spotlighting two museums where we live doing just that, and speaking with Dr. Macushla Robinson about the power of art and curation.

Last week, we took a tour of Palestine Museum US in Woodbridge. It’s the first museum in the country centering Palestinian arts and culture, with a mission of humanizing Palestinian people.

This hour, we’ll spend time at the Museum of Jewish Civilization at the University of Hartford, a teaching museum where artifacts and photography help center Jewish history and culture.

Amy Weiss, the museum's director, explains that personal narratives help tell the complex history of American Jews, a group that is not monolithic. "The overarching message is the importance of democracy and the fight against fascism," she says.

What role do museums play in your community?

GUESTS:

Dr. Macushla Robinson: Assistant Professor in Residence, University of Connecticut; Director, Contemporary Art Galleries at the University of Connecticut

Amy Weiss: Director, Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies; Maurice Greenberg Chair for Judaica Studies; Director, Museum of Jewish Civilization; Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies and History

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