The Jewish Museum London has announced a significant new chapter in its plans for a long-term revival, with the opening of an interim exhibition space at JW3.
The Two Rooms will open this month and will serve as both a small public-facing exhibition space and a testing ground for the museum’s future direction as it works towards opening a permanent building by 2030.
Recently appointed Museum CEO, Charles Ross, described the move as “a reset and a new beginning” for one of Britain’s oldest Jewish cultural institutions.
The announcement, made during the UK’s first Jewish Culture Month, comes following a period of significant financial and organisational challenges between 2019 and 2024, with the museum closing the doors of its Camden building in July 2023.
The museum’s leaders said it had now “stabilised operations” and had retained its National Portfolio Organisation status with Arts Council England.
Ross said: “While we have continued our programme of educational outreach, object loans and displays around the UK over the past few years, this new interim space is intended to further build public engagement, present thought-provoking exhibitions, display highlights from our collection and reconnect with communities as we develop a broader national strategy.
"Current plans for our new permanent home are now being crystallised and will be shared in the coming months.”
The first exhibition in one of the rooms will be Legacy: The Story of the Jewish Family who Founded J. Lyons and Fed Britain. It will explore the J. Lyons family empire from the famous Lyons Tea Houses to baking a wedding cake for Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, introducing fast food to Britain with the Wimpy hamburger chain and building the Trocadero.
It will also examine wider themes of immigration, entrepreneurship and the Jewish community’s contribution to British life.
In parallel, the second room will display Tree of Life: Stories from Jewish Museum London’s Collection and will show some of the highlights from its 35,000 strong collection spanning Judaica, artifacts and archival material from the 1650s to 2023.
Nick Viner, chair of the board of the Jewish Museum London, said: “The Jewish Museum has emerged from a challenging period and is now entering a new phase with renewed confidence, new leadership and a clear sense of purpose.
"Holding exhibitions in this interim space is an important step towards creating a new museum that reflects and celebrates the richness, complexity and continuing contribution of Jewish life in Britain.”
Leaders also stressed the increasing importance of the institution’s role amid rising antisemitism and wider debates around identity, heritage and belonging in Britain.
Nick Viner said: “The British Jewish community is an integral part of the story of immigration and cultural identity in Britain, not a world apart. Over the centuries, we have fostered peace, prosperity and progress across a wide range of fields, despite the various forms of prejudice we have faced and continue to face.
“The Jewish Museum London tells these stories. We aim to celebrate the Jewish contribution to this country and create greater understanding and connection both within the Jewish community and with wider audiences.”
The Jewish Museum London’s The Two Rooms exhibitions will run at JW3 from June 18 to October 18
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