local
Stuart Weitzman Talks Jewish History
as Namesake Museum Reopens
JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
I n December, shoe designer Stuart
Weitzman announced an eight-fi g-
ure gift to the Philadelphia-based
National Museum of American Jewish
History, saving it from bankruptcy. Less
than six months later, the museum is
reopening as the Weitzman National
Museum of American Jewish History.

On May 13, the benefactor sat down
with the Jewish Exponent to discuss his
motivation for keeping American Jewish
history alive.

Tell me why Jewish historical memory
is important to you.

I’m proud of our people’s accomplishments.

Th e fi rst thing I showed my kids when we
take a vacation to Europe was right away to
Anne Frank’s house or the Nobel Museum,
where 30% of the winners were Jewish.

Tell me about your Jewish history.

Th e town I grew up in was all Jewish.

Long Island. Hewlett. Have you ever heard
of Great Neck? People haven’t heard of
Hewlett, but it’s even more Jewish.

So I never thought much about where
I was or who I came from, because that
was it.

What was Judaism like in your house
growing up?
Th e holidays we went to the synagogue
like traditional Jews do.

But not in any way religious. We didn’t
have a kosher home, although I do now
because it’s my wife’s goal.

To me, bagels and lox was our kosher
home. But it was important to you on a cul-
tural level, it sounds like.

Big time. Hey, don’t Italians love their
6 MAY 19, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
A new exhibit at the Weitzman National
Museum of American Jewish History
culture? Irish? So why shouldn’t Jewish
people love their culture?
And all of us here in America love
American culture, but nobody wants to
give up where they originally came from.

Tell me why that connection is so
important to you.

We’re Americans. We grow up with that
patriotism and learn our history and are
proud of how we evolved.

Especially my generation. Th ere’s
nobody woke in my generation. We’re
not tearing statues down. And the things
we are now understanding we shouldn’t
be proud of — we didn’t even think about
them. I feel doubly lucky to have two great
cultures that I can hang on to.

I think they are a great marriage, and I
think that’s why Jews have done so well
here. Th is museum really shows that.

Well, have you ever seen that letter
from (George) Washington? Oh man. I
mean, that was a time before the fi nal
Constitution, when every state had the
right to make their own religious rules.

Some of them didn’t want Jews
around, and they did it because no one
was blocking them. And Washington
in that letter and then the Congress to
put it together made sure that that was
a right (religious freedom) regardless of
state that everybody had.

It warms the heart, right? Given how Jews
have been treated in other countries.

And still.

I’m involved with the Spanish Jewish
community to build a Hispano-Judeo
Museum. In Madrid. You know there
were 700 years of great Jewish culture
in Spain.

It ended with the Inquisition. But it
started in the eighth century. When
Columbus left in the summer of 1492,
the Jews left Spain that same month.

Many of them went on his ships to fi nd
a new home.

But Spain has ignored that heritage.

You’re a history guy, aren’t you?
You learn so much from it. People don’t
think about it anymore.

Gettysburg Address. Preamble to the
Constitution. We the people. We memo-
rized them by the time we were 10.

Are you concerned by the eff ort you
mentioned before? To kind of tear his-
tory down?
I don’t know how people can justify judg-
ing 200 years ago by today’s standards.

You have to look at it, be glad it’s not
happening any more.

Say 100 years from today they say
you’re a deviant because you’re wearing
jeans. So now everybody who is photo-
graphed in jeans ... I don’t know. I just
don’t buy into it.

Th is museum is proud of American
Jewish history. How do you maintain
that pride even in a culture where a
lot of people are not as proud of it or
afraid to be as proud of it?
When I took my daughter to the Nobel
Prize Museum (in Sweden), she was a
teenager, and I had this goal in mind
to feel proud of our accomplishments.

And we got to the United States and
couldn’t fi nd (Albert) Einstein.

So we asked. “Oh, he’s in the Jewish
section.” In Europe, it didn’t matter who you
were. Even a Rothschild. You were not
French. You were Jewish.

Fortunately, in this country it was
all immigrants, so we all became
American. And I wanted my kids to
appreciate that.

What is Judaism to you guys in your
household? Like how you raised your
kids. A family tradition. We’re not religious
people. We believe that if Jewish people did
something good it’s because Jewish
people did something good. Not
because God picked them out that day.

I can’t justify that. Otherwise,
why’d he pick Hitler? To me, it’s all
man-made. JE
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
Photo by Jarrad Saff ren
What was your motivation?
It was based on need. When I heard that
the bank had the right to the building
and they may put up a tower unless their
debt is paid off , and man, look at our
location, right? When are you ever going
to get a corner at the Constitution Mall?
We couldn’t lose that and the stories
we hope to tell through this museum.




local
Main Line Rabbi David Straus
Retires After 24 Years
JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
also a rabbi at Main Line Reform, will
replace her elder.

Straus is 65. Before coming to
ric Settle, a Main Line Reform Wynnewood, he led Har Sinai Temple
Temple member since 1973 and in Trenton, New Jersey, for 10 years.

the synagogue’s president from On a personal level, it’s just time, he
2014 to 2016, described Rabbi David said. Th ere are other things he wants
Straus’ mindset as “pessimism wrapped to do, he added. Straus already does
around optimism.”
work for Jewish organizations like the
In other words, the rabbi was idealistic National Council of Synagogues and
at his core but realistic on the surface. the Religious Action Center of Reform
Th is approach made Straus perfect for Judaism.

some of the big challenges he faced at
“Retiring, I hope, is not dying,” the
Main Line Reform, according to Settle. A rabbi said.

$10 million capital campaign to renovate
Straus can be sure that his legacy at
the building, an emergency fundraising Main Line Reform will not die, accord-
eff ort aft er the pandemic broke out and ing to congregants and lay leaders. He
a declining membership that ultimately left Har Sinai in 1998 because it was
rose again, among others.

about to embark on a move from Trenton
“He always found a way to look at to Pennington, also in New Jersey. Th e
problems and fi nd a way forward,” rabbi did not think he wanted to lead a
Settle said.

multiyear fundraising campaign.

Straus announced his retirement from
Th en he got hired by Main Line
Main Line Reform on May 2, according Reform and had to do just that.

“Of course, the joke was on me,”
to Davida Chornock, the synagogue’s
Straus said.

director of marketing and communica-
But MLRT’s $10 million eff ort
tions. He served the Wynnewood temple
allowed for the renovation of its
for 24 years.

Wynnewood building, according to
Th e Newark, New Jersey, native who
Settle. Th
e process
made the synagogue
grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, was
wheelchair-accessible and added new
only the fourth senior rabbi in MLRT’s
worship spaces.

As Settle
put it, the
70-year existence. His retirement takes
renovation brought
Main Line
Reform place on July 1. Rabbi Geri Newburge,
into the modern era.

Gordon Gelfond, who was
on the search committee that
hired Straus, credited the rabbi
with revitalizing the temple.

His wife Ann Gelfond, who
was also on that committee,
said Straus’ legacy could be
summed up in a single word:
“community.” Once Straus led the eff ort
to renovate the building, he
made it his own. Th e intel-
lectual rabbi became known
to congregants as a soaring
pulpit speaker and an inspir-
ing teacher. He pushed mem-
bers to expand their Jewish
practice into the community
through social justice initia-
tives, interfaith partnerships
Rabbi David Straus on the bimah at Main Line
Reform Temple. Courtesy of Main Line Reform Temple
and eff orts to alleviate food
insecurity. E
“Congregants have followed suit and
gotten very involved,” Ann Gelfond said.

During Straus’ tenure, MLRT’s con-
gregation fell from 1,000 members to
around 600, according to Settle. But it
grew back to about 850. And when the
pandemic threatened that growth, the
rabbi once again had to raise money.

Congregants contributed more than
$800,000 to keep the lights on.

“Th at got us through the darkest year
of the pandemic,” Settle said.

Since then, members have slowly
started to come back for smaller services.

Th is fall though, they will return in full
for the High Holidays. Th e rabbi will not
be there — but his legacy will be.

“I have left a congregation that is
strong, vibrant and dynamic and will
continue to be,” he said. JE
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
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