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Jewish Museum Milwaukee Goes Digital During Coronavirus Pandemic

Jewish Museum Milwaukee
Jewish Museum Milwaukee officially closed to the public last week due to the coronavirus. But it's still sharing stories during the pandemic.

Most museums in Milwaukee are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. That’s left museum workers in an interesting predicament: how do they bring their work to people without actually visiting the museum?

"One big thing about working in a museum is: the product that you are putting out there for the universe is a place ... So we really had to think, what about our business model was something that could be taken and made into something that could be done anywhere," says Ellie Gettinger, the education director at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee

The museum officially closed its doors to the public last week. But before they did that, Gettinger was able to do a short video preview of their current traveling exhibit, "The Girl in the Diary." Although the closure has been difficult for the staff, Gettinger says the museum's approach has been evolving. The museum is continuing to find different ways of interacting with people in a way that speaks to its core mission. 

READ: 75 Years After Auschwitz Liberation, Exhibit Explores The Life Of A Girl Interred There

"Really the thing that we came up with is our sense of information, the stories that we tell and being able to share those stories. You don't necessarily need the objects that are on display in a museum to share a story," she says.

Gettinger is continuing to do video lessons for Jewish Museum Milwaukee, which can be found on its Facebook page

During this pandemic, WUWM's Bubbler Talk is focusing on the coronavirus and its impact on the Milwaukee area. If you have a question, submit it below.

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Joy is a WUWM host and producer for Lake Effect.