A brief review of 2010 so far. In pictures.

January 15th, 2010 - Chitre, Panama, capital city of the Azuero Peninsula. Not quite Germany, you may be thinking. After days spent isolated in the rain forests of Panama, I return to civilization to learn that I am a finalist for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's German Chancellor Fellowship for Prospective Leaders. No one in Panama seems to know or care that I have just received very exciting news.

Life continues as usual.



February 6, 2010 - Washington D.C. The Snowmageddon. The view from my hotel window in Dupont Circle as I prepare for the daunting walk through 20 inches (that's 50.8 cm!) of snow... in a business suit... to be interviewed for my fellowship.
The U.S. government shuts down.
The airports shut down.
The post office shuts down.
The German Chancellor Fellowship for Prospective Leaders interviews... continue without a hitch. Sometimes it's tough to be a prospective leader.


February 10th, 2010 - Boston, Massachusetts. That's me. In the red shirt with my back to you (sorry, mom). That's right. The one under 60. As you can see, I'm at work in Boston's last immigrant era synagogue, the Vilna Shul, doing what I do best, telling people about historic synagogues.

Are you enthralled? If so, then this is the blog for you. Why, you ask? Well, I just found out that I am moving to Germany in July to work at and research historic synagogues throughout Germany as a German Chancellor Fellow (betcha didn't see that coming)!!!

It's been an interesting two years as the program coordinator at the Vilna Shul on Boston's Beacon Hill. I've learned so much about American and Jewish history, met fascinating people from all over the world (and throughout Greater Boston), and gained great experience working in and helping to manage a small historic site and museum.

One of my favorite parts of my job was spending time with tourists from other parts of the world, many of whom had never before set foot in a synagogue but were eager to learn about Jewish history, immigration, and traditions. Understandably but regrettably, in many parts of the world Jewish religious spaces are closed to the public. While the buildings can be more easily protected in this way, it is often more difficult for people to learn about and interact with Jewish history and culture. This got me thinking about the role of museums and historic sites as public spaces, places where people of all different ages, backgrounds and walks of life can come and learn about a specific topic at their own pace and level.

So, I sent in a proposal to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and I called my project "Open Doors - The role of historic synagogue museums in creating approachable spaces for people of diverse backgrounds, religions and countries of origin to access Jewish history, culture and religion."

My project will be to spend a year working and researching at the Stiftung Neue Synagoge - Centrum Judaicum in Berlin, and to visit Jewish historic sites around Germany to draw parallels and strengthen relationships between German and American synagogue museums, improve my own understanding of the field of museum studies, and better understand the interests and needs of diverse visitors to Jewish historic sites with the goal of making Jewish historic sites in Germany and America more approachable and accessible to all.

I hope you will check in with me from time to time to find out about my work and life experiences in Germany (the best and the wurst!)



Wait, what are two of my best friends Liz and Hil, and what appears to be a wallaby, doing in what is definitely not an historic synagogue in Germany?!?!

You certainly are as astute a reader as I had hoped.

Why, this isn't Germany at all!!

May 23 - June 8, 2010 - Various locations, Australia. Just for fun, a little jaunt down unda with the buddies before heading home to Baltimore, and then I'm off to Germany!