last word
WEITZMAN CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Jacqueline Glodstein
STARTS NEW CHAPTER
A Courtesy of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Sasha Rogelberg | Staff Writer
mid Israel’s Six-Day War,
Jacqueline Glodstein, then a
child, took her piggy bank to her
Long Island, New York, synagogue with
her parents and donated the makeshift
tzedakah box’s modest contents to the
nation-state. The moment was the earli-
est memory in Glodstein’s life of her
parents instilling in her a deep love of
Judaism. “They really reinforced that we had
a responsibility to take care of our
fellow Jews, our community and all of
humanity,” Glodstein said. “Those values
instilled in me the desire — really, that’s
how I came into my career.”
Glodstein’s 40 years in development
roles for Jewish organizations took her
to Philadelphia and to the Weitzman
National Museum of American Jewish
History, where the Center City resident
took on the role of chief development
officer on Jan. 3.

“We have all been taken with Jackie’s
enthusiasm for the Museum’s mission
and future directions,” Weitzman presi-
dent and CEO Misha Galperin said in
a press release. “She has joined The
Weitzman at a propitious moment, as
our capital campaign gets under way.

The role of Chief Development Officer is
critical for our institution’s success, and
we are delighted that she is able to join
our team.”
Glodstein, 66, joins the museum’s
leadership after the Weitzman emerged
from 20 months of chapter 11 bankruptcy
in September 2021, and took on a new
name in December 2021, after shoe
designer Stuart Weitzman gifted enough
money for the museum to buy its loaned
building at Fifth and Market streets and
establish an endowment.

As CDO, Glodstein wants to build
on the Weitzman’s momentum, growing
the museum’s endowment to ensure its
lasting impact on its audience, Jewish
and non-Jewish, in Philadelphia and
beyond. “My job is really to build upon this
foundation, to increase the annual
fundraising campaign, to expand our
national reach,” Glodstein said.

The Weitzman is unique in its diverse
audience, which became largely national
due to the pivot to virtual programming
during the height of the pandemic. In
addition to the virtual programs, the
Weitzman offers exhibits — free to
visitors — that resonate with more than
just Jews.

According to Glodstein, since the
museum started offering free admission,
about 70% of the visitors are non-Jews.

With one of the museum’s primary
goals to challenge antisemitism and
other forms of discrimination, educating
non-Jewish audiences on the history
and experiences of Jews in America
is an important first step in combating
antisemitism. Having relocated to Philadelphia for
the position, Glodstein appreciates how
the historic city has “synergy” with the
museum’s goals.

“Because the museum explains the
development of the Jewish people here
in the country, we can also see many
of the Jewish values that have been
adopted and incorporated into this
country’s fabric,” she said.

Glodstein’s love for Jewish education
began with her parents: her mother,
a Hebrew school teacher; and her
father, a physical education teacher in
New York’s public school system. As a
result, Glodstein identifies as a “lifelong
learner,” particularly in Jewish education.

Her time in higher education reflects
this passion, as Glodstein has a bache-
lor’s and master’s degree in Jewish
communal service and Jewish history
from the Jewish Theological Seminary
and a master’s in social work from
Columbia University. Glodstein began
her career interested in social planning,
but she fell in love with development
after working for the women’s campaign
at the UJA-Federation of New York.

“I loved engaging with the donors,
developing those enduring relation-
ships that allow you to collaborate as
partners,” Glodstein said.

Glodstein worked in development for
various Jewish organizations, includ-
ing Israel Tennis & Education Centers
Foundation, American Friends of Hebrew
University and the Jewish Theological
Seminary of America.

But in her four decades of experi-
ence in Jewish organizations, one of
the most impactful moments of her
career happened early on, during
a UJA-Federation mission to Israel,
where she visited Shechunat Hatikva,
a working-class Tel Aviv neighborhood.

There, on a Friday morning, she met with
an older woman who lived in a tin hut.

The woman invited Glodstein into her
home, and Glodstein saw that despite
being impoverished, the older woman
still set her table for Shabbat, complete
with candle sticks and a tzedakah box.

But when Glodstein offered to drop some
shekels into the box, the woman declined.

“She said, ‘No, that tzedakah box I fill’
— she fills — ‘before Shabbat because I
want to give to others who are less fortu-
nate than myself,’” Glodstein recalled.

“When you hear a story like that, it
inspires you forever in life, throughout
your career.” ■
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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