Exhibit features Jewish Pioneers

A new exhibit at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum brings to light the contributions to New Mexico's cultural, civic, economic, and creative life of Jewish merchants, bankers, miners, ranchers, and even a Jewish governor of Acoma Pueblo.

"Jewish Pioneers of New Mexico, 1821-1917" is on display in the Museum's Legacy Gallery from Feb. 29 through June 15, 2008.

The legacy of New Mexico's Jewish pioneers is alive today throughout the West, where descendants carry their names and their values into a new millennium. The lives of these pioneers testify to the importance of family, cultural identity, community service, and cross-cultural alliances. Until recently, this history has remained fragmented in family stories.

Between 1750 and 1850, many German Jews came to America to escape economic hardship and religious persecution. In the 1840s and 1850s, the first Jewish immigrants to New Mexico established themselves as merchants, sending for relatives as soon as they were able. They married local women or traveled to Europe or cities in the United States to find Jewish brides. By 1860, half the Jewish population of the territory was related.

During the Civil War, Jews served the Union cause as soldiers and suppliers. After the war, they expanded into new occupations - banking, politics, law, mining, and ranching. The railroad arrived in New Mexico in 1879, and a new wave of Jewish immigrants reflected their conservative Eastern European origins. After New Mexico became the 47th state in 1912, most of these families returned to urban centers to educate and marry off their children, and the pioneer era came to a close.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Regular admission is $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and $2 for children ages 5 to 17. For more information, please call (575) 522-4100.