San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) will close to the public for at least a year and reduce its staff over the next several months, the institution announced today, November 13, citing declining visitor numbers and financial difficulties. The museum is slated to indefinitely shutter its galleries on December 15 and will offer free admission to all visitors until then.
The news comes in the wake of several changes in executive leadership over the last few years as well as demonstrations led by anti-Zionist Jewish artists this past spring.
“The CJM has been weathering a challenging financial landscape, compounded by attendance and general support that have not fully recovered since the pandemic,” a museum spokesperson said.
“This decision, while extremely difficult, is a proactive measure to ensure The CJM’s long-term sustainability,” the spokesperson continued, adding that the move does not “represent a permanent closure of the institution.”
Founded in a small gallery space within the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the CJM relocated to a larger building in 2008 defined by a dramatic annex structure designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. The closure was voted on unanimously by its 19-member board and will involve the reduction of the museum’s 30-member staff by approximately two-thirds, the Jewish News of Northern California reported.
Hyperallergic has reached out to the museum for comment.
“It is far better for us to take necessary steps towards restructuring now, rather than waiting until we no longer have options,” the museum’s Interim Executive Director Kerry King said in a statement.
King stepped into the role after the museum’s previous Executive Director Chad Coerver resigned last June following a brief tenure of under two years. He succeeded Lori Starr, who left the museum at the end of 2020 after being at its helm for over seven years.
“This decision does not come without significant pain because it will affect our team of extraordinary and deeply dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to fulfill The Museum’s mission,” King added.
This past spring, the anti-Zionist Jewish group California Jewish Artists for Palestine (CJAP) protested the museum over its alleged lack of transparency surrounding “Israeli governmental and pro-Zionist foundation funding.” The action involved the withdrawal of artwork from the ongoing exhibition California Jewish Open, an open-call show that was initially scheduled to run through next April. Two months later, the museum was the site of another CJAP demonstration that saw one artist featured in the show break off a piece of her sculpture.
