The Jewish Museum has appointed Frances Jeens as its new interim director, as the institution said that it was “pausing its exhibition programme and refocussing online”.
Ms Jeens, who has led the museum’s ‘Learning Programme’ since 2013, fills a vacancy left since previous director Abigail Morris stepped down in February.
The Jewish Museum announced that its exhibitions programme had been placed on temporary hiatus to allow it to “protect its work countering antisemitism” and so it can concentrate on its educational initiatives.
The Camden-based institution said that this would involve a broadening of “established online channels” to schools through the launch of “virtual classrooms” and additional support for teachers.
The museum, which had been experiencing financial difficulties, has been closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It said it was planning an unspecified number of redundancies in a bid to “put the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing.”
In February, the institution withdrew from Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation, which has been supporting the museum with £220,000 per year in grants as it sought to “review its business model and plan for a new direction.”
Frances Jeens explained the changes, saying: “The museum was already preparing a new direction to make the organisation more financially sustainable.
“In choosing to refocus the work of the museum on the communities we serve, we have had to make the difficult decision to restructure the organisation and make some redundancies.
“We continue to seek creative ways in these challenging circumstances to continue our mission, and while the museum building will remain closed for the foreseeable future in line with both government advice and changing audience needs, the museum’s virtual doors remain open.”
The Jewish Museum also announced that its long-standing Chair of the Board of Trustees, Lord David Young, is to step down and be replaced on an interim basis by treasurer Tanya Persey.
Ms Persey said: “The trustees of Jewish Museum London believe that the new engagement model for the museum, with a greater focus on the learning and engagement programmes, is the best response to the current situation and will provide the foundation for a resilient and sustainable organisation in the future.”
