C ommunity / mazel tovs
COMMUNITYBRIEFS NMAJH Announces Intention to Emerge from
Bankruptcy This Month
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM of American Jewish
History announced that it will emerge from its
Chapter 11 reorganization on or around Sept. 15,
citing a $10 million commitment by former trustee
Mitchell Morgan and his family.

NMAJH said the commitment allows it to elimi-
nate its debt and provides a pathway to stability.

NMAJH initially filed for reorganization under
Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on March 1,
2020; the reorganization plan was confirmed on Sept.

1 by Chief Judge Magdeline D. Coleman of the United
States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania. for our bright future.”
Under the terms of the commitment, the Morgan
family will buy the museum building on favorable
terms to the museum, providing the money needed
for NMAJH to eliminate its debt. The facilities will
be leased back at a nominal rate. The museum will
have the option to buy back the facilities in full at a
later time.

NMAJH will continue operating virtually while
strategizing for reopening.

Since its galleries closed to the public, NMAJH
said it has focused on strategic planning, including
being promoted for inclusion into the Smithsonian
Institution. NMAJH said in its release that 37
members of the U.S. House of Representatives and
23 senators have championed legislation encouraging
the Smithsonian to explore a plan for acquiring
NMAJH. Exponent Honored in Journalism Contest
The Jewish Exponent won a second-place award
in the Best Overall Newspaper-Non-Daily category
in the 2021 Spotlight Contest conducted by the
Keystone State Professional Chapter of the Society of
Professional Journalists.

The Exponent submitted its Sept. 3, 2020 edition
for judging, which was conducted by the SPJ
Washington, D.C., chapter.

The Philadelphia Gay News placed first in the
category. The SPJ Keystone Pro Chapter covers most of
Pennsylvania. It “promotes open government,
freedom of speech and the practice of accurate,
ethical, entertaining and informative journalism.”
National Museum of American Jewish History
Photo by user Beyond My Ken
“We’re living in a time that requires us to reflect
on our values, and a time when our country needs
institutions like the National Museum of American
Jewish History that represent freedom and inclusivity,”
Morgan said. “We wish this to be a contribution
that will encourage more people to play a role in the
museum’s future by providing different perspectives
on how immigrants and religious minorities have
positively impacted our great nation for centuries.”
“Mitch is a mensch and a hero in the Jewish
community,” NMAJH CEO Misha Galperin said.

“We are champing at the bit to carry the NMAJH
story into its next decade. We stand today energized
Photo by Andy Gotlieb
Former Exponent reporter Sophie Panzer won a
first-place award for “History’s Lessons: Jewish Couple
Wed in Graveyard to Stop 1918 Flu Pandemic,” which
was published on Oct. 8, 2020. It was selected in the
feature story, non-daily category.

Former Jewish Federation CEO Naomi Adler
Chosen to Head Hadassah
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of
America named former Jewish Federation of Greater
Philadelphia President and CEO Naomi Adler as its
new CEO.

Adler will lead the country’s largest Jewish
women’s organization, with nearly 300,000
members, donors and supporters and a professional
staff of 200.

Adler assumed her role on Sept. 1, 2021, succeeding
Janice Weinman, who retired June 30.

“A proven nonprofit leader with deep expertise
in Jewish communal work and an impressive track
record of community engagement, fundraising
and advocacy, she is the ideal person to build on
Hadassah’s past achievements, increase its global
impact and take Hadassah into the next phase of its
growth, Hadassah President Rhoda Smolow said.

A former prosecutor and a community advocate,
Adler’s resume includes 13 years leading two United
Way Organizations in New York, as well as six years
at Jewish Federation.

A native of Rochester, New York, Adler graduated
from Mount Holyoke College and SUNY Buffalo
School of Law before returning to her hometown to
work first in private practice and then as an assistant
district attorney for Monroe County.

Tackling Torah Sponsors Yom Kippur,
Axe Throwing Event
Tackling Torah is sponsoring “Missing the Mark:
Yom Kippur + Axe Throwing” from 5-7 p.m. on Sept.

12 at Urban Axes Philadelphia, 2019 E. Boston St.

“The High Holidays ask us to engage in a practice
of seeing how we may have ‘missed the mark’ this past
year,” the organization wrote. “Where are the places
where our intentions and our actions did not align?
We will combine Jewish thought/values with very real
action of using the metaphor of ‘missing the mark’ by
throwing our sins away with an axe towards a bullseye.”
Admission is $40 per person. For details, contact
Rabbi Elyssa Cherney at tacklingtorah@gmail.com or
visit tacklingtorah.com. l
Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
www.jewishexponent.com 34
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
JEWISH EXPONENT
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM