Jewish Federations of North America applaud the US House of Representatives for its passage of the Weitzman Museum Bill, which allows for a study of the potential transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution. 
 
Federations now call upon the Senate to do the same. 
 
Following passage, Jewish Federations, along with the ADL and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, sent a letter signed by 34 Jewish communal organizations to Senate leaders Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), which reads: 


“The Smithsonian Institution educates about several of our country’s diverse communities through the establishment of museums celebrating their contributions to the American tapestry—National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of the American Latino, and, under study currently, National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. The story of the American Jewish community similarly merits a Smithsonian museum. We are unfortunately at a moment in time when such a museum is not merely meritorious, but critical.” 

 
The Weitzman was established in 1976 as the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. It is currently a private non-profit and is maintained primarily through generous charitable support. The Weitzman has been in its current home, a 100,000-square-foot James Polshek-designed building on Philadelphia's Independence Mall since 2010.