“Even as the Jews were searching for America, America was searching for the Jews.” -
The Exhibit
Jews, Rock and Roll Traveling Pop-Up Museum,is an interactive exhibit that illustrates the history and influence of American Jews in popular music from the 1930’s to today’s pop stars.From Carole King to Regina Spektor, Gene Simmons to Mike Gordon of Phish, and DJ’s like Alan Freed, the impact of Jewish musicians, songwriters, performers and music management on Rock & Roll music is astounding.
Using hundreds of unique artifacts, text panels, video screens, interactive computer kiosks, listening stations, rare concert posters and handbills, album covers, concert performances, photographs and video interviews, the exhibit will educate and excite new audiences. In an era where affiliation and identification with the Jewish people is not a given but a choice, Jews, Rock and Roll helps make Judaism relevant, accessible, interesting, a source of pride and yes, cool.
Jews and Rock and Roll is about an immigrant generation seeking to reinvent themselves who wind up transforming America. It is your story, our story, and a story that needs to be told.
Vision
Jews, Rock and Roll will introduce you to a part of our history that most never knew - Elvis’ maternal grandmother was Jewish; Willie “The Lion” Smith, the great Harlem stride pianist, served as a cantor; “Strange Fruit”, Billie Holiday’s “song of the century,” was written by a Jewish schoolteacher. Pink, Drake and Mike Gordon of Phish share their Jewish stories. Jews, Rock and Roll explores how a handful of men and women promoted social justice through their art, rebelled against expectations and reinvented themselves in the process. It is a quintessentially American story that opens a richconversation about ethnicity and religion and how, through popular music, Jews help define the American mainstream.
Jews, Rock, and Roll will tour as a traveling exhibit for traditional museums, exhibition spaces, and “Pop-up Museums” in short-term storefront rentals in 20 to 25 cities across North America. Over 500,000 people will see the 3,500 sq. ft. exhibit over two-three years. The exhibit is organized, around five specific eras: The Rise of the American, The Rise of the Teenager, The Rise of Counter Culture, The Rise of Record Industry, The Rise of the Post Modern/Ethnic American.
Exhibit future locations
First tour locations: New York, Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta Los Angeles, Miami & S. Florida, Chicago, San Francisco, Baltimore, Toronto, Philadelphia, Cleveland, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Dallas, Detroit, St. Louis, Houston, Portland, Denver, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Pittsburgh, Hartford, Montreal, Milwaukee, Tel Aviv and London.
Our Vision
Jews and Rock and Roll is about an immigrant generation seeking to reinvent themselves who wind up transforming America. It is your story, our story, and a story that needs to be told.
Jews, Rock and Roll will introduce you to a part of our history that most never knew — Elvis’ maternal grandmother was Jewish; Willie “The Lion” Smith, the great Harlem stride pianist, served as a cantor; "Strange Fruit", Billie Holiday’s “song of the century,” was written by a Jewish schoolteacher. Pink, Drake and Mike Gordon of Phish share their Jewish stories.
Jews, Rock and Roll explores how a handful of men and women promoted social justice through their art, rebelled against expectations and reinvented themselves in the process. It is a quintessentially American story that opens a rich conversation about ethnicity and religion and how, through popular music, Jews help define the American mainstream.
May 26 Launch and Benefit
Mia Beurkens, Exhibit Designer, who recently designed for Ralph Applebaum Associates built an eye-popping, 35-foot mini-prototype of what will turn into something roughly 15 times the size. Schmoozers crowded around to observe our array of artifacts featuring Jews who Rock from Al Jolson to Phish, with everything from Doc Pomus’s songbook to Matisyahu’s Talit. All of this was expertly described, and pedagogically organized by exhibit consultant Ben Sidran, author of There was a Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream. The exhibit showcased the photos of legendary rock photographer Bob Gruen and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame photographer Janet Macoska.
The evening was made more special as Sidran, an accomplished jazz pianist, took the audience on a 30 minute history of the Jewish connection with rock and roll. The highlight of the evening was the introduction of Mike Stoller, of the legendary duo-writing team of Leiber and Stoller, donating the museum’s first artifact, a signed score of Jailhouse Rock.
Later, our 150+ guests loved the insights and humor from video clips of rocker Al Kooper, Matisyahu and famous photographer Bob Gruen -- a portion of the 50 interviews that will make up our interactive oral history collection.
Jews have been instrumental to the soul of rock and roll. No one exemplifies that more then Mike Stoller of the legendary songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller.Mike contributed a ceremonial loaning of a signed score of "Hound Dog" to the museum.
From Carole King to Regina Spektor, Gene Simmons to Mike Gordon of Phish, and DJ’s like Alan Freed, the impact of Jewish musicians, songwriters, performers and music management on Rock & Roll music is astounding.
Using hundreds of unique artifacts, text panels, video screens, interactive computer kiosks, listening stations, rare concert posters and handbills, album covers, concert performances, photographs and video interviews, the exhibit will educate and excite new audiences. In an era where affiliation and identification with the Jewish people is not a given but a choice,
Jews, Rock and Roll helps make Judaism relevant, accessible, interesting, a source of pride and yes, cool. Jews, Rock and Roll will tour as a traveling exhibit for traditional exhibition spaces, and “Pop-up Museums” in short-term storefront rentals in 20 to 25 cities across North America beginning in Boston Fall 2016.
Over 250,000 people will see the 3,500 sq. ft. exhibit over the next two to three years.
Jews, Rock and Roll
Music Industry Advisory Board
(In formation)
- Craig Balsam, Founder & President, Razor & Tie Records
- Steve Berkowitz, Sony Legacy
- Cliff Chenfeld, Razor & Tie Records
- Michael Cohl, Promoter and Producer
- Michael Dorf, Founder, Knitting Factory and City Winery
- Marty Diamond, Paradigm Talent Agency
- Charlie Feldman, Vice President, BMI
- Jason Flom, Lava Records
- Danny Goldberg, President, Gold Village Entertainment
- Scott Goldman, President GRAMMY Foundation, MusiCares Foundation
- Richard Gottehrer, The Orchard
- Steven Greenberg, Founder & President, S-Curve Records
- Andrew Hurwitz, Ropeadope
- Ken Levitan, Founder and Co-president, Vector Management
- Mel Lewinter, Sony Music
- Avery Lipman, Republic Records
- Larry Miller, Professor, NYU Steinhardt Dept. of Music
- Bruce Resnikoff, Universal Music
- Larry Rosen, Producer
- David Sable, CEO, Y&R
- Ben Sidran, Writer, Musician, Producer
- Peter Shapiro, Promoter
- Seymour Stein, Cofounder, Sire Records
- Julie Swidler, Sony Music Entertainment
- Walter Yetnikoff, Former President, CBS Records
Jews, Rock and Roll
Exhibit Advisors
- Mike Benz, former President, Cleveland United Way, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Mike Devine, Museum Consultant, Spy Museum
- Marilyn Hassid, Artistic Director, Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston
- Amy Schiller, Fundraising Advisor
- Morris Wheeler, Private Equity Fund Manager
- Ari Kellman, Phd., The Jim Joseph Chair in Education and Jewish Studies
- Terry Stewart, Retired President and CEO, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Janet Macoska, Photographer
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Michael Dorf, Executive Producer and Co-Founding Creator.
Michael is a builder, creator, and music scene veteran, having founded both the Knitting Factory and City Winery. Michael is also one of the foremost Jewish music producers in America. He brings 30 years of music industry experience and entrepreneurial instinct to our team.Michael@citywinery.com
David Franklin, Exhibit Curator & Co-Founding Creator.
A Jewish professional with over twenty-five years of Jewish non-profit and arts promotion experience, Franklin has directed The International Jewish Presenters Association Schmooze Culture Conference.Davidfranklin006@gmail.com
Ben Sidran, PhD, Exhibit Consultant.
An award winning artist, music producer and journalist, who has contributed to the contemporary Jewish music scene through concerts, lectures, a CD (Life’s a Lesson) and the book, There Was a Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream, a National Jewish Book award finalist.ben@bensidran.com
Andrew Greenblatt, Fundraising and Curatorial Affairs.
A writer, promoter, and researcher fresh off a stint of Torah study in Jerusalem. Greenblatt studied Film and Media at Swarthmore College and brings youthful energy to our team.andrew@jewsrockandroll.com
Donate
We need your help. We are raising first round funding of $750,000 of our 1.5 million dollar goal. Our funding goes towards:
Curating rare artifacts and procuring the necessary permissions
· Securing museum-grade insurance policies for rare artifacts
· Exhibit construction and design
· Creation of a film capturing interviews with artists and managers
· Exhibit shipping and tour logistics
· Staffing
To help fund Jews, Rock and Roll by credit card or PayPal
Donate NowIf you’d prefer to send a check, please make it payable to Downtown Arts Development and mail it to the address below:
Downtown Arts Development, Inc.
155 Varrick St.
New York NY 10013
155 Varrick St.
New York NY 10013
