Biden Signs Law to Explore Adding Jewish History Museum to Smithsonian

The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History may join the Smithsonian pending a commission's two-year feasibility study.

President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill establishing a commission to study the potential transfer of Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution.
The commission will include eight voting members appointed by Congress and one non-voting member from the museum’s board, with findings due within two years.
The Weitzman Museum, which recovered from a 2020 bankruptcy with the help of a major donation, aims to expand its reach and national relevance under the Smithsonian umbrella.
Lawmakers referenced a rise in antisemitism as a backdrop for the bill, though the initiative predates recent events and was driven by the museum's financial challenges.
If approved, the museum would join other Smithsonian institutions highlighting minority contributions, such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the forthcoming National Museum of the American Latino.