(RNS) — Late Tuesday (Dec. 3), the Senate unanimously passed a bill creating a commission to study the possibility of incorporating the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia into the Smithsonian Institution. Having gained approval from the House in September, the bill is now set to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The bill is just the beginning of a yearslong process, but one that has gained urgency with the rise in antisemitism in the United States in recent years.
“It’s a major step in the process of the Weitzman ultimately becoming a Smithsonian museum,” said Philip Darivoff, chair emeritus and trustee of the museum.
The commission of nine experts would have two years to issue a report, establish a fundraising plan and present recommendations to the president and Congress. The commission would also be expected to suggest ways the museum could assist educational and governmental institutions in countering antisemitism.
If the effort is successful, the Weitzman would remain in Philadelphia but would join the Smithsonian’s network of 22 museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the Americ …