Truman and Israel: Behind the Decision
February 15 - April 13, 2008

On May 14, 1948 President Harry Truman announced that the United States would offer de facto recognition of the new State of Israel. His decision, coming only eleven minutes after the new government was formed in the former British mandate of Palestine, gave immediate legitimacy to a country that existed only on paper and in the hearts of the world-wide Jewish community.

Truman's decision to recognize Israel was one of the most difficult decisions of his Presidency. Many on his staff and in his Cabinet argued against recognition, in part because it would anger the surrounding Arab nations and threaten access to the vast oil reserves they held. In the end, though, Truman decided to recognize Israel to provide for a Jewish homeland. The decision was largely personal, stemming from his understanding of the Bible and from his interpretation of historical texts. He was also swayed by the advocacy of longtime Jewish friends like his fellow World War I soldier and early business partner Eddie Jacobson.

In this exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of Truman's decision to recognize Israel, his decision is examined through his own letters and handwritten diary entries, through correspondence he had with his Jewish friends, and through the recollections and oral histories of people around him who were in one way or another involved in the decision making process.

Portrait 2000
February 15 - April 13, 2008

Portrait 2000 contains fifty black and white framed portrait photographs of Holocaust refugees and survivors who settled in the Greater Kansas City area. Each portrait is accompanied by a narrative profile describing the individual's pre-Holocaust life and ultimate journey to Kansas City.

The exhibit, funded by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City, illustrates Jewish life in Europe prior to World War II and documents personal stories of resettlement and resilience by those whose world, as they once knew it, was destroyed by the Nazis. Photography was contributed by Gloria Baker Feinstein and David Sosland.
By emphasizing the pre-war and post-war experiences of this population of witnesses - most of whom were teenagers or younger during the war years - rather than on the atrocities they suffered, "Portrait 2000" personalizes the overwhelming scope of the Holocaust. The exhibit focuses on the beauty of the culture that was lost - the traditions it sustained, the values it taught, and the strength it provided - and the heroic resources that enabled its survivors to cope with personal dilemmas and rebuild their lives after World War II.

In this way, "Portrait 2000" allows all of us to reclaim an era that affects more than just Holocaust survivors and their descendants and to connect personally with those who lived through it, teaching us about this inspiring immigrant group and their contributions to our Greater Kansas City community.

Co-presented with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education.