Through exhibitions, education, and community outreach, Sobel will lead OJMCHE as it engages diverse audiences in intercultural dialogues about the Jewish experience in Oregon and the universal lessons of the Holocaust.
Following a national search in partnership with Lindauer, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education announced Rebekah Sobel as the museum’s new Executive Director.
“Our search committee, headed by Immediate Past President Jeff Mazer, has worked tirelessly with a national search firm [Lindauer] to find a candidate with the qualifications, experience, and passion to lead the museum,” said Board President Liz Lippoff. “We could not be more pleased that Rebekah will be joining the OJMCHE community. She has a deep knowledge of collections management, enhancing visitors’ learning experience, and strategic planning. This background is coupled with an education steeped in understanding the universal lessons of the Holocaust.”
Sobel will join the museum in January 2024. She will arrive from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, DC, where she serves as Policy Director of Museum Programs.
Prior to her role at NARA, Sobel served as the Director of Interpretation at the recently opened Capital Jewish Museum. With a PhD in anthropology from Temple University and impressive experience as a museum project manager, Sobel led exhibition development, collections management, education, and visitor outcomes for the new museum. Before her tenure at the Capital Jewish Museum, Sobel spent 10 years at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, leading program evaluation, audience research, and strategic planning projects, as well as teaching at George Washington University in Museum Studies and Anthropology.
“As a lifelong student of the human condition and a passionate advocate for understanding the darkest chapters of our history, it is an honor and a privilege to become the new Executive Director at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education,” said Rebekah Sobel. “To build on Judy Margles’ legacy, I am humbled to have this opportunity to join the Portland and greater Oregon communities in continuing OJMCHE’s commitment to confronting the challenging issues of our time—racism, discrimination, antisemitism, and the Holocaust—through education, museum experiences, and community dialogue.”
Read the full announcement on the OJMCHE website.
Rebekah Sobel was appointed in November 2023. The search was led by Lindauer Senior Consultant Marlene Mlawski and Executive Vice President and Managing Director Jill Lasman.