By Kevin McCauley
The National Museum of American Jewish History has retained Podesta Group to obtain federal outlays to support its programming as it readies for the grand opening next weekend in Philadelphia.
The $150M, five-story complex is located on Independence Hall, across from the Liberty Bell, and a block from the National Constitution Center and Independence Hall.
The goal is to explore the more than 350 years of American-Jewish experience via exhibits, interactive displays, lectures and performance art.
In July, the U.S. Senate adopted a resolution that recognized the NMAJH as the "only museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to exploring and preserving the American Jewish experience."
The House, in June, passed a resolution that states the Museum "serves to illustrate how the freedom present in the U.S. and its associated choices, challenges, and responsibilities fostered an environment in which Jewish Americans have made and continue to make extraordinary contributions in all facets of American Life."
The grand opening events include a panel discussion on "how the meaning and rhetoric of freedom have changed for Jews throughout their history in America" and performances by Bette Midler and Jerry Seinfeld, premier seating goes for $5,000 per-person.
Podesta's Israel Klein, ex-communications director for New York Senator Chuck Schumer, and Dale Oak, former staff director for the House Appropriations Committee's Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, represent the NMAJH.
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