Philadelphia is lucky to have this Museum! My son invited me to celebrate Spring and the start of baseball season by visiting the National Museum of American Jewish History to see its special exhibition “Chasing Dreams – Baseball and Becoming American”.
The exhibit takes you from the familiar (like Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg) to the obscure. Baseball is treated, not just as a game, but as a cultural phenomenon that meant (and still means) a great deal to immigrants and minorities. Many types of artifacts are displayed – uniforms, balls, press clippings, baseball cards and old photographs. A friendly docent shared additional information about baseball and World War II.
We took our time enjoying “Chasing Dreams” and didn’t see the rest of the Museum. The core permanent exhibition begins with the first settlement of Jews in America, more than 100 years before the founding of the USA. I think I’ll need a few more visits to appreciate this Museum and the stories it tells.
AMG Reading Journal 