On Dec. 3, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill to create a commission to study the possibility of incorporating the Weitzman National Museum of Jewish American History, located in Philadelphia, into the Smithsonian Institution. Having gained approval from the House of Representatives in September, the bill is now set to be signed into law by President Joe Biden. The bill is just the beginning of a yearslong process, but one that has gained urgency with the rise in antisemitism in the United States in recent years. A commission of nine experts would have two years to issue a report, establish a fundraising plan, and present recommendations to the President and Congress. The commission would also be tasked to suggest ways the museum could assist educational and governmental institutions in countering antisemitism.

If the effort is successful, the Weitzman would remain in Philadelphia, but would join the Smithsonian’s network of 22 museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of the American Latino.

Philip Darivoff, a trustee of the museum pointed out that bringing the Weitzman under the Smithsonian umbrella would help broaden its reach and bring new opportunities to partner with educational institutions and deliver curriculums. “We’re rushing to get this done because of an epidemic of ignorance about the Jewish people. We believe the more people understand who Jews are, how we’ve contributed to this country, how central Jewish text and Jewish wisdom are to American political thought and society, we think it can be an antidote to antisemitism.”