73. EXHIBITION: The Geography of Summer
September – December 2021
Israel, the Poconos, Catskills, the beach, camping, road trips, flying to distant lands, a Jewish pilgrimage trip, overnight or day camp, or in your own backyard. All of this and more were part of the Temple Judea Museum’s fall 2021 exhibition, THE GEOGRAPHY OF SUMMER. Drawing from its permanent collection this exhibition showcased the museum’s Anne and Dick Brown Collection of Jewish Camping and other objects of summer fun and original art work by members of the TJM Artists’ Collaborative.
The idea for it grew out of my visit to the home of Anne and Dick Brown, Keneseth Israel (KI) synagogue members, who invited me to see their Jewish camping collection. From 1953 through 1972, Anne and Dick were part of Camp Akiba leadership. Dick eventually became head recruiter for the very popular Jewish summer camp and he, along with Anne, accumulated wonderful documentation, primarily in the form of black and white photographs, music recordings, camp clothing with logos and much more.
I am proud to say that TJM is now the home of this unique treasure of Jewish camping.
Once the Brown Collection was in house, I reached out to see what we could find to expand the collection. It soon became clear that summer means more than traditional sleep-away camps for the Jewish community. Many responded to a community query and their gifts and loans enrich this display. In addition to historic memorabilia, photographs and objects, also on view are unique art works by guest artists and members of the TJM Artists’ Collaborative.
What is the history of the summer vacation? How does it apply to the Jewish community? Why and where and how do we travel? What is a Jewish “staycation”? Hopefully, “The Geography of Summer” answers some of those questions. Visit the gallery in person or follow the exhibition on the Temple Judea Museum Facebook page and on YouTube. We will be posting new images and stories through December.
Rita Rosen Poley
Director/Curator
For more information: TJMuseum@kenesethisrael.org,
(215) 901-2656, (215) 887-8700, ext. 416
The Temple Judea Museum
Director/Curator: Rita Rosen Poley;
Chair: Karen Shain Schloss
Friends’ Chair: Norma Meshkov
Chair, TJM Artists’ Collaborative: Marlene D’Orazio Adler
215-887-8700, ext. 416; TJMuseum@kenesethisrael.org; www.kenesethisrael.org/museum
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See portions of our collection at Temple Judea Museum online collections
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