The Judah L. Magnes Museum Announces Jews of the Fillmore Exhibition

The Judah L. Magnes Museum Announces Jews of the Fillmore Exhibition

On View July 7 - October 20, 2009 at San Francisco's Jazz Heritage Center

Specially Commissioned Composition by John Schott to Premiere at Reception on Sunday, July 19, from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Few are aware that a vibrant Jewish culture thrived in San Francisco's historic Fillmore District between 1906 and 1945, but thanks to a unique collaboration between the Judah L. Magnes Museum, the Jazz Heritage Center and the Koret Foundation, a new exhibition, Jews of the Fillmore, will showcase the heyday of the "Harlem of the West" from July 7 to October 20.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090618/SF35128)

On view in the Koret Heritage Lobby at the Jazz Heritage Center, Jews of the Fillmore celebrates an era when the Fillmore District was home to San Francisco's City Hall and the famous Dreamland Rink, when it was the best place to find a loaf of "Jewish" rye and where, on Sundays, a small neighborhood jazz-record shop owner showcased local music talent.

To commemorate the exhibit, Berkeley-based composer and guitarist John Schott will present his Typical Orchestra in a chamber ensemble edition, premiering a specially commissioned composition for the Jews of the Fillmore exhibit at the Koret Heritage Lobby at a special reception on July 19, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. This will be a free performance but registration is required to attend. Those wishing to attend should register at www.jewsofthefillmore.eventbrite.com.

"This exhibit highlights an important part of San Francisco history," said Jeffrey A. Farber, CEO of the Koret Foundation, which initiated the project. "We are extremely enthusiastic about this collaborative effort. Now more than ever, the nonprofit community is best served by sharing resources and creating partnerships. When we leverage our assets, the community wins."

The exhibition reveals 11 essential aspects of Jewish culture in the Fillmore, ranging from Temple and Education to Protest, Food and Fun. Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in self-guided walking tours provided by Guide by Cell, including Diller's Strictly Kosher Deli, birthplace of violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin; Waxman's Bakery; Temple Beth Israel; and the Yiddish Cultural Center. The exhibition is guest curated by Fred Rosenbaum, author of the forthcoming Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the San Francisco Bay Area, (UC Press, November 2009). Rosenbaum worked with Magnes Director Emeritus Seymour Fromer and Magnes Archivist Lara Michels to curate this first of its kind exhibit in the Bay Area.

"The Jewish contribution to the development of San Francisco is not well known," said Frances Dinkelspiel, president of Magnes. "Visitors to this exhibit will get a chance to peek back in time to the days when the Fillmore was the crossroads of many vibrant cultures and communities. The Magnes is pleased to partner with the Jazz Heritage Center and the Koret Foundation to present this fascinating walk back in time."

For the complete release please visit: http://www.jazzheritagecenter.com/newsdetail.php?id=16

Editor's Note: For hi-res files of the images in the link below, please
contact press@jazzheritagecenter.org:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/magnesmuseum/sets/72157619170395849/
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090618/SF35128
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Jazz Heritage Center

CONTACT: James G. Leventhal, +1-510-549-6950, ext. 338,
jleventhal@magnes.org, for Magnes; or Angela Nibbs, +1-415-225-7090,
press@jazzheritagecenter.org, for Jazz Heritage Center; or Adam Hirschfelder,
+1-415-882-7740, ahirschfelder@koret.org, for the Koret Foundation

Web Site: http://www.jazzheritagecenter.com/newsdetail.php?id=16

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