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Film & VideoJewish Culture & Ideas

StoryCorps StoryBooth

Oct 12, 2008–Dec 15, 2013

The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) is the first museum in the country to host a StoryCorps StoryBooth. Founded and directed by award-winning radio documentary producer and MacArthur Fellow Dave Isay, StoryCorps is the largest oral history project of its kind. Since 2003, StoryCorps has brought together thousands of people from across generational, professional, socio-economic, and cultural divides to share their life stories, history, and hopes. Aired each Friday on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, StoryCorps' award-winning broadcasts touch millions by illuminating our common humanity through personal experiences that reflect contemporary American culture.

about the exhibition

Bay Area residents and visitors are able to interview important people in their lives in the StoryBooth recording studio, located in The Museum's Sala Webb Education Center. After their recording session, participants receive a copy of their story, and with their permission, an additional copy is added to the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress for future generations to hear.

Selected stories from the San Francisco StoryCorps StoryBooth were also aired on National Public Radio's Morning Edition and local public radio stations, KQED 88.5 FM and KALW 91.7 FM. Additionally, local stories are available for Museum visitors at a dedicated listening station located in the Sala Webb Education Center.

Visit StoryCorps
Visit NPR
Visit American Folklife Center
gallery photos
See More Photos
about storycorps

StoryCorps is an independent national nonprofit organization with a mission to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Go behind-the-scenes, meet the StoryCorps team and get their perspective on the StoryBooth at The CJM via their blog.

Visit Blog
animated shorts

StoryCorps and The CJM have worked together since 2008, creating the first West Coast StoryBooth. StoryCorps' original animated shorts series takes StoryCorps to the next level! Selected interviews have been transformed into animated shorts.

Watch Animated Shorts
four years of storycorps

In 2013, StoryCorps Founder Dave Isay talked to CJM Writer-in-Residence Dan Schifrin about the past four years of partnership, and what's next for this groundbreaking oral history project.

supporters

StoryCorps is presented in partnership with National Public Radio (NPR) and the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.

The San Francisco presentation of StoryCorps is generously supported by the BayTree Fund; Gruber Family Foundation; Adobe Foundation; and Members of the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Leadership support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major corporate support is provided by Principal Financial Group. Other major supporters include The Atlantic Philanthropies, Inc.; Bloomberg Philanthropies; The Ford Foundation; The Marc Haas Foundation; The Kaplen Foundation;  John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; The National Endowment for the Arts; Open Society Foundations; Pumpkin Foundation and Pumpkin Trust; and Joseph and Carol Reich. Media sponsorship is provided by KALW.

Lead support of the 2012–13 exhibition season is by the Koret Foundation and the Taube Foundation.