I’m thrilled to begin my term as the President of the board of the Jewish Museum Milwaukee.
The first time I met Patti Sherman-Cisler, our executive director, she talked about museums providing transformative experiences. I, too, believe the stories we tell at JMM have the power to be inspirational and transformative for our visitors.

As a strong believer in life-long learning, I have always been a museum enthusiast–but serving on the JMM board for the past five years has turned me into a museum advocate.

I advocate for the JMM when I gush about our latest special exhibit—and each one is always somehow better than the last—and when I urge friends to attend upcoming programs. And I hope you do this type of advocacy, too.
But there is so much more we can do to help grow this wonderful resource for our community. I’d love to see more of you, our visitors and supporters, advocate for us by:
∙ Becoming a member of the museum at the Associate level or above and gifting a membership to another family
∙ Recommending JMM on travel websites like Yelp! and Trip Advisor
∙ Hosting your meetings and special events at JMM—anything from book clubs and Scout troops to wedding parties and non-profit boards
∙ Encouraging your child’s educators to bring student groups for tours
∙ Connecting our archivist with friends and neighbors who may have items for our collection
∙ Introducing our executive director to your CEO, board chair, or other community leader
∙ Inviting a member of our staff to speak to your congregation, club, or class
∙ Sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Istagram
∙ Responding to local media coverage of our exhibits and programs with a letter to the editor sharing your museum experience
∙ Asking your employer to match your donation
∙ Telling other community organizations about us, our work, and our potential as a partner
∙ Thanking our exhibit sponsors and donors
∙ Contacting your elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels to let them know of your support for public funding for the humanities, arts, and culture

I believe that the JMM can help us transform our relationships with others by exploring Jewish experience and identity and by finding commonalities with people from all backgrounds. I believe the JMM can inspire ingenuity and imagination by celebrating humanity’s resilience and creativity. And I believe the JMM can transform and inspire you into becoming a museum advocate, too.

-Anneliese Dickman