Osher Marin JCC and Peninsula JCC: Curating spaces for art and Jewish peoplehood

By Ellen Lathrop, Associate Program and Communications Officer at the Koret Foundation

Jewish Community Centers are a critical part of the Jewish experience in the Bay Area. They are spaces for gathering, recreation, and learning for Jewish and non-Jewish community members alike. For many, their local JCC represents their major point of connection to Jewish peoplehood. One added benefit at many of our region’s JCCs is the opportunity to engage with world-class art in ways that strengthen and deepen an understanding of what it means to be Jewish at this moment.

JCC staff take pride in creating warm, welcoming spaces for fellowship and enrichment. The artwork on the walls plays a highly visible role in visitors’ overall experience. For many, it is something bright or interesting to take in briefly as they hurry to water aerobics or a painting class. And for those who take a closer look, a new world of Jewish art and community emerges, one that exemplifies the intentionality with which the staff approach the selection, installation, and creation of art-related experiences. 

We were fortunate enough to speak with Samantha Kniffin, Director of Development for the Osher Marin JCC (OMJCC) and Kimberly Gordon, Senior Director of Arts and Adult Program at the Peninsula JCC (PJCC) about the work of sourcing the art and launching these exhibits. Through our conversations, we learned more about the sincere care, vision, and effort of creating spaces for art to be enjoyed and interacted with by the public. 

Osher Marin JCC: Showcasing the “vibrancy and diversity of Jewish experience”

“Art has always been central to the Osher Marin JCC’s mission and vision of connecting people through Jewish culture,” says OMJCC Director of Development Samantha Kniffin. Curating Jewish art and making it available to the public “makes Jewish values visible and alive.”

OMJCC’s Taube Center for Jewish Peoplehood curates four seasonal shows a year that are displayed in the Taube Center for Jewish Peoplehood. Kniffin describes coordinating installations and managing complex logistics (lighting, signage, events, crowd control) as an opportunity to “transform spaces into living expressions of Jewish culture and connection.”

Currently, the space is hosting “Harvest, History, and Home: Jewish Papercuts” by Southern California-based artist Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik. His work is an intricate fusion of traditional Jewish texts and traditions in a decidedly modern medium: cut up comic books. 

The initial response has been excellent, with visitors excited to see the work and take advantage of the unique programming the OMJCC has built around it. Staff hosted multiple workshops with the artist to learn about (and try!) his style of art, and an opportunity to meet and chat with Brynjegard-Bialik at one of the organization’s signature “Shabbat Schmoozes.” 

By prioritizing art in its spaces, the OMJCC seeks to offer “inclusive, inspiring entry points into Jewish life.” In these works, Jewish creativity is an “ever-evolving bridge between ancient tradition and contemporary expression.” Highlighting the work of dynamic art and artists contributes to the OMJCC’s ultimate mission of strengthening Jewish peoplehood by “celebrating imagination, resilience, and the shared stories that connect us all.”

Peninsula JCC: Capturing interest and deepening understanding

The Peninsula JCC art gallery has been showing four installations per year since 2007. For Kimberly Gordon, Senior Director of Cultural Arts and Adult Program, making the art accessible to everyone is a major priority. She notes that the gallery is “intentionally located in the Koret Hallway, a public space on [the] first floor” that is “accessible anytime our center is open, and always free to the public.” Each year, she reserves one spot for a Bay Area artist and one spot to be thematically focused, typically aligned with the Jewish calendar.

The exhibit currently on view is “She-erit: What Remains Shall Speak the Truth” by Moroccan artist and peacebuilder Chama Mechtaly. She-erit is Hebrew for “what is left over,” and this work tells a story of Jewish persistence across Morocco, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates through a multimedia display of memory, identity, and resilience. Mechtaly spent three days at the PJCC in early November for programming related to her exhibition, including gallery tours, lectures, workshops, and opportunities to engage with elementary-school students, providing a personal context for her complex work at an accessible level. Because of this residency, Mechtaly was also able to speak on a panel at the Z3 Conference on the topic of the Abraham Accords, and her work to create cross-cultural conversation and diplomacy.

In addition to sourcing existing exhibits and bringing them to the PJCC, Gordon has been working to nurture new exhibits. Notably, in 2025, she created “Jewish Voices on Mental Health” in partnership with the Blue Dove Foundation (now part of BeWell). The exhibit and accompanying programs explored mental wellness through a Jewish lens and sought to destigmatize discussions on mental health. 

Gordon says she is drawn to expressions of Jewish identity and personal experience that “value diversity within Jewish peoplehood” and acknowledge that no two experiences are exactly alike. By ensuring that a wide variety of artists and subjects are featured in prominent public galleries, it’s clear she is succeeding in bringing this to the broader Peninsula community.

Looking ahead to 2026, “She-erit” will travel to the OMJCC as part of a collaboration between the two institutions, expanding the exhibition’s reach and creating additional opportunities for learning and discussion.