Exhibit about Maine Jewish population begins May 15 at state library

AUGUSTA — Three Colby College students will present a program, “Belonging in this Place: Stories about Maine’s Jews,” at the Maine State Museum, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at the Maine State Museum, 230 State St.
The program is free of charge and is the first in a series of offerings that will lead to the museum’s next new major exhibition, “Maine + Jewish: Two Centuries,” scheduled to open in September.

“Jews have called Maine home for over 200 years,” said Colby College professor and organizer of the program, David Freidenreich. “The students will provide an illustrated look at three topics that explore how the experiences of Jewish people were uniquely shaped by Maine.”
The three topics and student presenters are are “Jewish-Franco relations in the early 20th century,” Sarah Shoer, 2018; “Jewish Back-to-the-Landers,” presented by Sam Sessions, 2021; and “Local Jewish Artists,” Ling Ding, 2018.
Amy E. Waterman, guest curator for the Maine State Museum’s upcoming exhibition, will give a sneak preview of the exhibit, which in addition to the Colby students’ work and other audio-visual presentations, will include people, stories, artifacts, and photographs from Jewish communities across the state.
“Belonging in this Place: Stories about Maine’s Jews” is a project of Colby College’s Jewish Studies program and the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, in cooperation with the Maine State Museum.
For more information, visit www.mainestatemuseum.org or call 207-287-2301.