Maine Atlas, the Office of the Maine Secretary of State
A collection of framed black-and-white photographs arranged in a gallery display on a bright orange wall.

Maine Jewish Museum

Photo: Maine Jewish Museum.

Tucked off of bustling Congress Street stands the now-restored 1921 Etz Chaim Synagogue, home to a flourishing congregation and the Maine Jewish Museum. Created to honor the many contributions of Maine’s Jewish community, the museum highlights the immigrant experience through historic displays, art exhibition, programming, and the Maine Jewish Hall of Fame. 

The concept for the museum began in 2005 as a response to the declining membership and deteriorating structure of the synagogue. Out of this idea came the Tree of Life Foundation with the goal of not only restoring the historic building but housing the museum to foster appreciation and understanding of the Jewish experience here in Maine. By 2010, the building, the only European-style synagogue remaining in Maine, was once again teeming with life.

The building is a designated landmark located in the India Street Historic District and is open to the public year-round. 

Maine Jewish Museum
A two-story red brick building with arched windows and a central entrance, viewed from a red brick path through a garden with blooming tulips and stone benches.
Exterior of the Maine Jewish Museum. Photo: Maine Jewish Museum.
A long, brightly lit museum hallway with wooden floors, grey tiled runner, and art pieces displayed on large vertical panels and walls.
Exhibit installation. Photo: Maine Jewish Museum.
The interior of a historic synagogue featuring dark wooden pews, dual wooden balconies on the sides, and a central ark beneath a large stained-glass window.
Historic synagogue interior. Photo: Maine Jewish Museum.
A person stands facing a wall gallery displaying a grid of framed photographs, with a quote from Pamela Chodos visible above the artwork.
Exhibit There Is Always an &. Photo: Maine Jewish Museum.
A bright rainbow arcs across a cloudy sky above a green neighborhood street, viewed from a red brick pathway framed by trees.
Beautiful rainbow viewed from the museums front steps. Photo: Maine Jewish Museum.

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