THE JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM, THE JAZZ HERITAGE CENTER, AND THE KORET FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE JEWS OF THE FILLMORE EXHIBITION
San Francisco, CA – Few are aware that a vibrant Jewish culture thrived in San Francisco’s historic Fillmore District between 1906 and 1945, but thanks to a unique collaboration between the Judah L. Magnes Museum, the Jazz Heritage Center and the Koret Foundation, a new exhibition, Jews of the Fillmore, will showcase the heyday of the “Harlem of the West” from July 7 to October 20.
On view in the Koret Heritage Lobby at the Jazz Heritage Center, Jews of the Fillmore celebrates an era when the Fillmore District was home to San Francisco’s City Hall and the famous Dreamland Rink, when it was the best place to find a loaf of “Jewish” rye and where, on Sundays, a small neighborhood jazz-record shop owner showcased local music talent.
To commemorate the exhibit, Berkeley-based composer and guitarist John Schott will present his Typical Orchestra in a chamber ensemble edition, premiering a specially commissioned composition for the Jews of the Fillmore exhibit at the Koret Heritage Lobby at a special reception on July 19, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. This will be a free performance but registration is required to attend. Those wishing to attend should register at www.jewsofthefillmore.eventbrite.com.
“This exhibit highlights an important part of San Francisco history,” said Jeffrey A. Farber, CEO of the Koret Foundation, which initiated the project. “We are extremely enthusiastic about this collaborative effort. Now more than ever, the nonprofit community is best served by sharing resources and creating partnerships. When we leverage our assets, the community wins.”
The exhibition reveals 11 essential aspects of Jewish culture in the Fillmore, ranging from Temple and Education to Protest, Food and Fun. Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in self-guided walking tours provided by Guide by Cell, including Diller’s Strictly Kosher Deli, birthplace of violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin; Waxman’s Bakery; Temple Beth Israel; and the Yiddish Cultural Center. The exhibition is guest curated by Fred Rosenbaum, author of the forthcoming Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the San Francisco Bay Area, (UC Press, November 2009). Rosenbaum worked with Magnes Director Emeritus Seymour Fromer and Magnes Archivist Lara Michels to curate this first of its kind exhibit in the Bay Area.
“The Jewish contribution to the development of San Francisco is not well known,” said Frances Dinkelspiel, president of Magnes. “Visitors to this exhibit will get a chance to peek back in time to the days when the Fillmore was the crossroads of many vibrant cultures and communities. The Magnes is pleased to partner with the Jazz Heritage Center and the Koret Foundation to present this fascinating walk back in time.”
The Fillmore’s Jews mingled with their Greek, Mexican, Irish, Italian, Japanese and African-American neighbors, enjoying the cuisine and entertainment offered by them all and actively contributing to the “scene” of one of the most diverse neighborhoods of a diverse city.
“This exhibit shows the Jewish community interacting with all other cultures not in a melting pot but more in the form of a salad bowl, with each group proudly retaining its identity and yet taking part in something bigger than itself,” commented Rosenbaum. “The Fillmore was artistically creative, politically assertive, and keenly Jewish.”
“The Jazz Heritage Center is committed to being the destination for celebrating all things cultural and the Fillmore,” said Peter Fitzsimmons, executive director for the Jazz Heritage Center. “Jews of the Fillmore is the third major exhibit since our inception and a perfect fit for our venue given the historic relevance of the neighborhood and the role of the Jewish community here.”
Jews of the Fillmore is supported by a lead grant from the Koret Foundation; the Lehrhaus Museum Partnership Fund available through the Laszlo N. Tauber Family Foundation; the Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropic Foundation of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund; Fred Levin and Nancy Livingston and The Shenson Foundation, in memory of Ben & A. Jess Shenson. Additional support has been provided by generous members of the Judah L. Magnes Museum. The Judah L. Magnes Museum is a beneficiary of the Jacques and Esther Reutlinger Foundation and of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.
RELATED PROGRAMS
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 – 10 a.m.
Press Preview
For more information about the exhibition, hi-resolution images and to RSVP for the press preview please contact press@jazzheritagecenter.org
Sunday, July 19, 2009, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Magnes and Jazz Heritage Center Reception
- Specially commissioned composition performed by John Schott in the Koret Heritage Lobby, 1330 Fillmore Street
- Screenings of the award winning PBS documentary “The Fillmore” in the JHC’s new Media and Education Center
- Guide by Cell Audio Walking Tours allows visitors to tour sites in the neighborhood and hear stories about Jews of the Fillmore exhibit. Guide by Cell will be ongoing throughout the length of the exhibit.
- Wine reception in the JHC’s Lush Life Gallery, 1320 Fillmore Street
Monday, October 12, 2009, 7 p.m.
Fred Rosenbaum Lecture at the JHC’s Media and Education Center
Fred Rosenbaum is the author of the forthcoming Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the San Francisco Bay Area, UC Press, November 2009. He is also the founder and director of Lehrhaus Judaica.
About the Judah L. Magnes Museum
Founded in 1962, the Magnes is a center for Jewish art and humanities, focused on academic research and public programs. The combined archive, library and museum collection is one of the largest in the United States. The Magnes holds the largest Western Jewish Americana collection in the world, documenting the Jewish contribution to the history and culture of the American West from the Gold Rush to the present. By synergizing Jewish collections and academic resources, the Magnes benefits the academic community, optimizes the use of Magnes collections, and provides a public forum for humanities research and contribution to the public good. The Magnes is located at 2911 Russell Street in Berkeley. The museum and its research facilities are open to the public three times a week. For more information, please email research@magnes.org or call 510.549.6950 x 358. Please visit www.magnes.org to learn more about our museum and collections.
About the Jazz Heritage Center
The Jazz Heritage Center is a nonprofit 501c3, located at 1320 Fillmore Street. The JHC is the only permanent cultural and educational complex dedicated to the long history of jazz in San Francisco and the Fillmore District. By showcasing art and historical exhibitions, concerts, films and youth programming, the JHC’s mission is to preserve and promote jazz, an American national treasure, while celebrating its presence as an active, living art form in San Francisco and beyond. Koret Heritage Lobby hours are from noon – 10 p.m. daily, and admission is free. For more information about JHC events, educational programs, membership, and sponsorship opportunities for the film screening room, visit www.jazzheritagecenter.org, send an email to info@jazzheritagecenter.org, or call (415) 255-7745. For the very latest updates follow us on Twitter @jazzheritagectr.
CONTACT:
Adam Hirschfelder
Program Officer
Koret Foundation
(415) 882-7740
ahirschfelder@koretfoundation.org