Saint John Jewish Museum marks 40 years, weighs how to preserve its memory

Only Jewish museum in Atlantic Canada reaches a milestone

The Saint John Jewish Historical Museum is marking its 40th anniversary this summer, a landmark for an institution that community leaders say has preserved local Jewish life with more than 100 exhibitions over four decades. The museum, located in Saint John, is the only Jewish museum in Atlantic Canada, and its caretakers are using the anniversary to celebrate what has been safeguarded — and to confront what could be lost if hard-won institutional knowledge is not passed on.

Executive director and curator Katherine Biggs-Craft began as a student when the museum opened in 1986 and has led it since 1998. She is the museum’s only full-time employee, responsible for everything from planning shows to office upkeep. Her long tenure has made her a central keeper of community memory.

“You become the institutional memory,”

Biggs-Craft says, reflecting on decades spent cataloguing and interpreting the material record of Jewish life in the city.

Institutional memory at risk

With a collection that includes roughly 275 boxes of documents, the museum’s holdings require detailed knowledge to manage and interpret effectively. Biggs-Craft’s familiarity with records and family histories is widely recognized, to the point that locals often turn to her to trace people and events. That depth of understanding, however, raises a practical concern: how to sustain it if there is turnover in a small organization.

“Nobody gets away with wearing just one hat around here,”

she says, underscoring the realities of lean staffing. She notes that small institutions often depend on a single “knowledge keeper,” and the museum must plan for what happens when that person is no longer available.

Leadership changes and community loss

The question of continuity is sharpened by recent losses. According to museum president Lorie Cohen Hackett, several people who were instrumental in the museum’s creation and growth have died in the last five years. That includes founder Marcia Koven and past presidents Gary Davis and Lloyd Goldsmith. Their absence is felt amid the anniversary reflections, even as the board and staff focus on the achievements to date and the stories still to be told.

Hackett and Biggs-Craft are emphasizing both celebration and stewardship: how to continue sharing the city’s Jewish history while transferring responsibilities and knowledge in a way that keeps the institution resilient.

Four decades of exhibitions and research

Since opening, the museum has curated more than 100 exhibitions, drawing extensively on archival materials and community donations. The breadth of work reflects the diversity of Jewish life in Saint John, which stretches back to the late 18th century. The museum highlights the arrival of Loyalist David Gabel in 1783, who established a butcher shop and bakery, illustrating early commercial and social roots of Jewish settlement in the city.

Biggs-Craft, who is not Jewish, has become a trusted guide to that history. Her role ranges from poring over archives to public engagement, a scope that illustrates how small cultural institutions depend on staff who can bridge research, curation and day-to-day operations.

Planning for the next 40 years

As the museum celebrates its anniversary, leaders are looking ahead to succession planning and knowledge transfer. The need is practical: the systems, catalogues and interpretive frameworks stewarded by one person would take years for a newcomer to absorb. The board is focusing on how to document processes, build capacity and ensure that community memory remains accessible to residents, researchers and visitors.

• Continuity challenge: With one full-time staff member, the museum is assessing how to safeguard institutional knowledge.
• Community legacy: The museum honours founders and past leaders whose contributions shaped its collections and outreach.
• Regional significance: As Atlantic Canada’s only Jewish museum, its sustainability carries provincial and regional importance.

The anniversary offers a moment to take stock: a reminder that preserving history is not only about what is on display, but also about how the expertise behind those displays is sustained. For Saint John residents, the museum’s future is intertwined with the city’s understanding of its own past.

Key figures and roles

For now, the focus is on celebrating the work already done and preparing for the work ahead — ensuring that the stories held in those 275 boxes, and in the memories of those who care for them, remain a living part of Saint John’s historical record.