Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU - Message from the Executive Director

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

JEWISH MUSEUM OF FLORIDA–FIU

MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SUSAN GLADSTONE It is an exciting time at the Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU. We are the Jewish museum for the entire state of Florida and one of only two Jewish museums in the country to be connected to a state university. As we look ahead to our 25th anniversary in 2020, we are developing a five-year strategic plan, one that furthers our mission of advancing the understanding and appreciation of Jewish culture; preserving and sharing the history and stories of Judaism in Florida; and contributing to FIU’s presence as a major international university. We strive to do all of this while also drawing on our values of heritage, creativity, culture, education, and inclusivity.

We are proud to be part of FIU, which expands our reach and scope. Our collection is activated through many of the University’s academic programs, such as the Jewish Studies Certificate Program and the Holocaust Studies Initiative of the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs. Spearheading these efforts—as well as the Museum’s world-class lecture series—is our Academic Director Dr. Tudor Parfitt, Director of the Global Jewish Studies Program at the Green School and Distinguished Professor of the University.

We also benefit from partnerships with our sister museums, the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum–FIU and The Wolfsonian–FIU. In addition, the Museum serves as an extended classroom for thousands of Miami-Dade County Public School students, inspiring them to explore their own cultural heritage and those of all ethnic groups in our multicultural society.

Over the past two years, the Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU has made some notable new inroads—developing programming around Art Basel, for example. Shows such as “Subject to Interpretation” and “Daniel Chimowitz: Walking Canvases” are drawing more people to the Museum and engaging diverse audiences in conversation. New plans call for updating our core exhibit, Mosaic, so that it is more interactive and lives in synergy with our beautiful historic buildings. We also seek to digitize our permanent collection so that it is available to researchers worldwide. In addition, each year we will endeavor to host exhibits from both national and international Jewish museums and develop our traveling exhibition program to share in return.

Moreover, we look forward to working in conjunction with FIU’s CasaCuba to offer programming highlighting the contributions of Cuban Jews.

We invite you to join us as we embark on the next vibrant chapter for the Museum. Together, we will strengthen the Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU to create a true gem in South Florida’s rich museum and archive community.

Sincerely,

SUSAN GLADSTONE Executive Director, Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SUSAN GLADSTONE Susan Gladstone has led the Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU since 2017. She previously served as Director of Development for the Museum and FIU’s Jewish Strategic Initiatives— including the University’s Global Jewish Studies Program, Holocaust Studies, and Hillel FIU. When Gladstone came to the Museum in 2015, she brought more than 30 years of executive leadership experience and many years of FIU service. She taught courses on special events management in the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management’s Marriott Tianjin China Program; produced two wine and food festivals for FIU in China; developed a student program for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival; and created a curriculum around special events production at FIU’s Miami campus, where she also taught.

Prior to FIU, Gladstone spearheaded fundraising efforts as Director of VeritageMiami; directed sponsorship activations for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, which raises more than $2 million per year for FIU; and produced events as Vice President at Logistics Management Group.

Gladstone has been a longtime member of the South Florida Jewish community. The daughter of a prominent Rabbi at Temple Israel of Greater Miami, Gladstone remains actively involved in synagogue fundraising activities. She holds a Master of Social Work from Yeshiva University and a Bachelor of Social Work from FIU.

Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU The Jewish Museum of Florida– FIU collects, preserves, and interprets cultural heritage materials that document the Florida Jewish experience from their early settlement in 1763 up to the present. Sprung from a grassroots effort by Founding Executive Director Marcia Jo Zerivitz, the Museum’s archive contains more than 100,000 items, including photographs, newspapers, oral histories, and historical artifacts. The Museum also features a research library, exhibitions, and educational and cultural programs held in two historic buildings—a restored 1936 Art Deco synagogue and a restored 1929 Synagogue, both on the National Register of Historic Places. Established in 1995, the Museum attained accreditation by the American Association of Museums. In 2012, it became part of the FIU family, creating a historic partnership that leverages the resources of the Museum and FIU to ignite a new era of interdisciplinary education and research.

FIU FOUNDATION, INC. MMC 11200 SW 8th Street - MARC 5th Floor Miami, FL 33199 305-348-6298 Publication Print Date: December 2018

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