The Judah L. Magnes Museum, founded in 1962 by Seymour and Rebecca Fromer, is the third largest Jewish museum in the United States. The Magnes seeks to collect, preserve, and display objects that reflect the Jewish Diaspora around the globe.

With more than 30,000 objects in its collection, The Magnes regularly presents exhibitions that explore and explain Jewish culture, history, and identity. Scholars and researchers also use the archives of the Western Jewish History Center and the Blumenthal Rare Book Library to further their understanding of the Jewish experience.

TIMELINE

1960 – Seymour Fromer, director of the Jewish Education Council of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, finds the graduation picture of Judah L. Magnes in an 1894 Oakland High School yearbook.

1961 – Fromer and his wife Rebecca meet with Judah L. Magnes’ widow Beatrice, while on a trip to Israel. The Fromers gain Mrs. Magnes’ support to start a museum named after Magnes, a former Oakland resident who became a renowned rabbi, lecturer, political activist, and co-founder of Israel’s Hebrew University. Martin Buber, the noted philosopher, agrees to serve on the advisory council.

1962 – The Judah L. Magnes Museum is founded and is housed in one room in the Oakland-Piedmont Jewish Community Center. During its first year, the museum receives the Karetsky Collection of rare books and manuscripts The Magnes also receives a collection of memoirs from Institute for Righteous Acts about the rescue of Jews by non-Jews during the Nazi persecutions.

1962 – The museum’s collection of Judah Magnes’ personal papers and objects is exhibited at the Oakland Public Museum.

1963 – The museum forms the Commission for the Preservation of Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries and Landmarks, an organization focused on restoring and preserving pioneer Jewish cemeteries of the Gold Rush.

First rescue mission: Mr. Arthur Katz visits Egypt; catalogues and locates Jewish ceremonial objects; negotiates and brings some objects out of Nasser’s Egypt.

1964 – The Magnes moves to new site, a six-room space above the Parkway Theater on Park Boulevard in Oakland. The museum now has more than 5,000 items in its collection and begins to hold regular visiting hours. The Magnes publishes its first book, “Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries and Communities of the Mother Lode,” by Robert E. Levison.

1965 – Film Festival Judaica, now called the Jewish Film Festival, begins as part of the Magnes’ New Jewish Media Center.

1966 – The museum purchases and moves into the historic Burke mansion at 2911 Russell Street, Berkeley.

1967 – The Western Jewish History Center is founded. Professor Moses Richlin is named director of the archive and research center, which focuses on the life, and culture of Jews of the thirteen western United States.

Rabbis Bernard Kimmel and Yosef Miller conduct Magnes Museum rescue missions for objects of Jewish culture in India and Iran.

1968 – Museum acquires the Siegfried Strauss collection, a major collection of Judaica consisting of more than 500 ceremonial objects.

Women’s Guild formally organized to conduct tours of the exhibits, act as a public relations arm of the museum, and to assist in researching and securing sources for new collections.

1968 – The Magnes invites David Moss to serve as artist-in-residence with a studio in the old carriage house of the Burke mansion. Moss is a pioneer in custom-made kettubot, the marriage contract that must be signed between Jewish grooms and wives. Moss hand-paints and illustrates the ketubbot, creating colorful contracts that contrast sharply with the typical printed, drab versions. The Magnes holds an exhibit of Moss’ work in 1969, sparking a resurgence of interest in decorative kettubat that has continued for more than 35 years.

1974 – The Magnes is the first Jewish museum in the United States to be accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Field collecting expeditions are conducted in Morocco and Israel.

1976 – The Magnes launches first the Jewish theme video project through its department of photography and film. The Magnes will go on to produce films documenting Jewish life in the Gold Rush and the relationship between Jews and Buddhists, among other topics.

1979 – Docent program organized to enable Women’s Guild to develop and implement a program of interpretive tours, lectures and public outreach programs.

1981 – Reutlinger Gallery, named after philanthropist Jacques Reutlinger, is opened. Museum begins renovation of historic Burke mansion, adding 1,000 square feet of exhibition space.

1985 – Art & Culture Council, a museum support group, is founded.

The John S. Sills Memorial Lectureship is established to hold annual lecture on Judaic art, history or culture.

1986 – The Harry and Dorothy Blumenthal Rare Book and Manuscript Library is completed.

1991 – The Magnes receives a $150,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to endow the Blumenthal Chair of Judaica.

1992 – Western Jewish History Center receives a major collection with the donation of the papers of Mt. Zion Hospital, San Francisco, 1887-1990.

1994 – First Annual International Jewish Video Competition is held.

1998 – Seymour Fromer, director and co-founder of The Magnes, becomes Director Emeritus.

1998 – Magnes Board of Directors acquires new building on Allston Way in downtown Berkeley for future home of museum. The building is located in Berkeley’s bustling theater and arts district.

2000 – The Magnes marks the millennium with a major exhibition, “Telling Time: to everything there is a season.” The exhibit runs for two years.

2002 - The Judah L. Magnes Museum and Jewish Museum San Francisco merge together into a new institution called The Magnes Museum. The new institution has goal of building two new museum buildings, one in San Francisco and one in Berkeley.

2003 – Disagreement over the direction of the merged museum prompts dissolution of the merger. The Judah L. Magnes Museum reverts back to a separate entity, governed by its own board of directors.

2003 – The Magnes reopens with exhibition, “Brought to Light: The Storied Collections of the Magnes Museum.”

2005 – Terry Pink Alexander is appointed executive director.