Philadelphia's Weitzman Museum closer to joining Smithsonian
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The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is one step closer to joining the Smithsonian.
Why it matters: If it pans out, the Weitzman would be the first Smithsonian museum based in Philly as well as the first focused exclusively on Jewish American history.
Driving the news: A bill creating a commission to study the museum's transfer is heading to President Biden's desk.
- The Senate passed the legislation this week, after the House did so in September.
How it works: If signed, the commission's eight members would have two years to weigh in on the feasibility of the proposal, and Congress would then vote on the matter.
Flashback: Founded in 1976, the museum moved to its new building at 5th and Market streets in 2010.
- 10 years later, the museum declared bankruptcy just as the pandemic hit.
- In 2021, the museum reopened and got its new name after a gift from shoe designer Stuart Weitzman helped pay off its debt.
Zoom in: The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education and research complex, so joining it would bring some new cachet to the Weitzman.
- The designation would elevate the standing of the museum in the city and across the U.S., Phil Darivoff, a Weitzman trustee and chair emeritus, tells Axios.
- The Smithsonian's 21 museums are all in Washington, D.C., except for two in New York City and one in Virginia.
What they're saying: "It's not a museum that is about Jews only for Jews; it is a museum for all Americans," Darivoff added.