The Maltz Museum has announced a $2 million gift from Lois Goodman, naming its special exhibition gallery the Henry and Lois Goodman Gallery. Together, the Museum and Mrs. Goodman aspire to continue its long-standing tradition of bringing world-class exhibitions to Cleveland audiences as it has done for the last seventeen years, exploring Jewish and universal stories of courage and resilience.
“The generosity of Lois Goodman, and her husband Henry of blessed memory, enables us to keep doing what we do best. We seek out and produce special exhibitions that help audiences better understand themselves and the diverse people with whom we all share the world,” said David Schafer, Managing Director of the Maltz Museum.
The gift is a foundational investment—funding a growing need for Jewish cultural awareness and anti-bias education—in the launch of LIFE & LEGACY, an initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
“This gift is exemplary of the incredible response from our community within the first year of the LIFE & LEGACY initiative. Lois and Henry z”l Goodman’s legacy is well established in Jewish Cleveland, and this new commitment further solidifies the impact their leadership and enduring generosity will have on ensuring a vibrant future for our community. We are grateful for their support for the Maltz Museum, which plays a critical role in developing deeper awareness of Jewish history and culture while bringing us all together to build tolerance and understanding as we forge our shared future.” said Erika B. Rudin-Luria, President of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
Mrs. Goodman describes her gift as “a way of supporting the work of the Maltz Museum, which is a reflection of the values held by me and my husband.” She also recognizes the importance of the LIFE & LEGACY gift, “I am grateful to be able to leave a legacy that will support arts and culture for Cleveland’s Jewish community, as well as all of Northeast Ohio.”
In the past, the newly named Henry and Lois Goodman Gallery has hosted such landmark special exhibitions as Violins of Hope; Operation Finale: The Capture & Trial of Adolf Eichmann; and RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. From October 26, 2022, through April 2, 2023, the space will once again become home to the acclaimed exhibition This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement.
The Maltz Museum has established itself as a landmark institution in Northeast Ohio, attracting local and international visitors of all ages and backgrounds, plus schools and cultural exchange groups through its doors. Since 2005, its core exhibition, An American Story, narrates how the Jews of Cleveland have survived and thrived as well as dealt with issues of antisemitism. An educational resource for Northeast Ohio’s diverse communities, the Museum also convenes important conversations between people of different religions, races, and ethnicities. It has welcomed over 520,000 visitors, including more than 150,000 K-12 students. The Museum’s Stop the Hate anti-bias education program for 6-12th graders from 12 Northeast Ohio counties gives students an opportunity to tell their own stories of standing up to bias and hate.
