Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education

Along with its exhibitions, OJMCHE works in public and private schools to teach the Holocaust to Oregon students.

Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education)
By Veronica Bianco

724 NW Davis St., 503-226-3600, ojmche.org. 11 am–4 pm Wednesday–Sunday. Adults $10, seniors $6, students $5, members and children under 12 free.

This two-story museum on the North Park Blocks does more than provide a sweeping history of Judaism and the Holocaust. Three of the four permanent exhibits focus specifically on Jewish life in Oregon, with stories about Jews finding community in South Portland (the neighborhoods now lost to “urban renewal”) and the Holocaust survivors who settled in Oregon. The museum is currently featuring two temporary exhibits. One is the Burned Piano Project, a collection of art forged from a Jewish grandmother’s grand piano that was destroyed by arson in a 2022 antisemitic attack in Oregon. The second is Oregon Jews, A to Z, a collection of artifacts from lacrosse sticks to naturalization papers. (Both exhibits close June 30.) Along with its exhibitions, OJMCHE works in public and private schools to teach the Holocaust to Oregon students. It also manages the Oregon Holocaust Memorial in Washington Park.

Don’t miss: The Burned Piano Project is a moving symbol of rebirth and resistance in the face of hate—see it before June 30.

Will kids like it? The Holocaust exhibit contains material that children may need preparation for, like descriptions of life in concentration camps. But OJMCHE has a play area for kids upstairs, and its exhibits are interactive, colorful and engaging.

See the rest of Oregon’s Museum Trail here!

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.