New Exhibit Opening! Freedom through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond
Thursday, July 02, 2026
All Day
Join us for the launch of Freedom through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond, a new exhibit that will reveal how religious freedom, framed as "unalienable rights," was a foundational promise of the Declaration that was strongly represented and practiced inside America’s first penitentiary, especially among its Jewish population. The exhibit will explore how faith sustained dignity, community, and moral agency for incarcerated people, demonstrating how liberty of conscience persisted even within confinement.
This project is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Program, a program funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Eastern State gratefully acknowledges the generous supporters who made this exhibition possible, including The McLean Contributionship; Philadelphia City Fund's 2026 Milestone Grant Fund, supported by PECO; The Reichlin and Tuck Families; Aileen and Brian Roberts; Robert L. Freedman; Sara Jane Elk; and Jill F. Bonovitz in honor of Robert H. and Janet S. Fleisher.
About the Panelists:
We strive to make the penitentiary and our site, programs, and exhibits accessible to all visitors. Click here to learn more about accessibility and accommodations at ESPHS.
This program is part of A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future, a yearlong slate of free, inclusive programs exploring the evolving meanings of liberty and justice in America. A Time for Liberty is made possible with support from civic and cultural partners including the City of Philadelphia, America250PA, Campus250, the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, the Philadelphia City Fund’s 2026 Milestone Grant Fund, supported by PECO, the National Trust Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program series, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
