Jan 24, 2008 -- Gabriel M. Goldstein, associate director for exhibitions and programs at Yeshiva University Museum, was elected chair of the Council of American Jewish Museums (CAJM) at its annual conference in Chicago on January 28. CAJM, a consortium of arts and history institutions committed to strengthening the Jewish museum field in North America, supports its member institutions in their missions to collect, research, preserve, present, and interpret Jewish art, history, and culture. As chair of the organization, Goldstein will lead the ten-person steering committee in a number of initiatives, including increased outreach to visitors of Jewish museums and expanded professionalization of Jewish museum staff. Enhancing CAJM’s Website and engaging in networking and project sharing are also on Goldstein’s agenda. “I am committed to the importance of Jewish museums in preserving the Jewish past and building for a Jewish future,” Goldstein said. “During my two-year appointment, I hope to strengthen the connections between the specialized Jewish museum field and the larger general museum field and also between Jewish museums and other components of the Jewish community.” Sylvia Herskowitz, director of the YU Museum, said, “Gabe is an indispensable member of the museum team, and his election to the CAJM presidency affirms what we at the museum already know: that Gabe’s knowledge of and commitment to Jewish museums is as expansive as his passion for art and art history. We are very proud of him.” CAJM was founded in 1977 by the YU Museum and six other institutions, and now includes 80 members in the US and Canada.