The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History announced that it raised more than $2 million at its June 1 gala, which honored Ed Snider, the late owner of the Philadelphia Flyers.
“We were quite honestly blown away by the response. It surpassed any single prior fundraising event for the museum,” Misha Galperin, president and CEO of the Weitzman, which is located mere feet from the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, told JNS.
“It helped us reach our third and fourth quarter revenue goals,” Galperin added. “The most significant impact will be the longer term stewardship opportunity—thanks to a highly engaged gala committee, we were able to engage many new donors who have the potential to support our critical work in the long term.”
The museum, per a release, is “the country’s only museum dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience.”
Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, who is Jewish, spoke via video feed at the event. There were also musical performances.
More than $500,000 of the money raised at the gala came from supporters in New York, Florida, Washington and the Midwest, outside of Philadelphia, the museum stated.
