Contemporary Jewish museological experience in Brazil: the creation of the Jewish Museum of São Paulo (Museu Judaico de São Paulo)

This proposal intends to present some aspects of the research carried out since 2019 about the creation of the Jewish Museum of São Paulo. The study explores the motivation for such an initiative, its implementation and the challenges faced during its establishment. It aims to contribute to the production of knowledge in the Jewish museological field, as it is immersed into the interface between Jewish studies and museum studies, a theme poorly explored in Latin America. In this sense, the work brings unprecedent reflections on the two-decade journey of the Jewish Museum of São Paulo: from the constitution of the Association of Friends to the establishment of its headquarters; from the requalification of the original synagogal building to the incorporation of the Brazilian Jewish Historical Archive; from the first temporary exhibitions to incursions into the virtual universe, to name only a few milestones. The investigation examines the creation of a Jewish Museum led by the São Paulo community from the very first ideas of its inception in 1999 to the final moments before the opening of the long-term exhibition in November 2021. Additionally, it considers the specificity of this museum, the discussions around its idealization, the protagonism of the people involved in its construction as well as what inspired them. Moreover, it contemplates the functions and responsibilities that the institution, located at the heart of the largest city in Latin America, undertakes in the 21st century. The Jewish Museum of São Paulo is launched due to a community initiative. At the same time, it faces the challenges of speaking to the society at large. After all, the social role of museums, emphasized by the ‘New Museology’ movement since the 1970s, as well as their humanizing power amid the civilization chaos, are potential attributions of these cultural institutions.