Something Super in Beachwood
An Appreciation for the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage

Guess Who is Coming To The Maltz Museum? It's a Bird, It's a Plane... it's Superman. The Cleveland creation is coming to The Maltz Museum in the Fall in an exhibit titled ZAP BAM POW: The Super Hero, The Golden Age of Comic Books 1938-1950. Of course, Superman was born right here in Cleveland. Glenville High School student Jerry Siegel wanted to wow all the pretty girls, and he thought if he had something going on like “leaping tall buildings,” or “flipping cars around like peanuts,” he would have an advantage that none of the cooler guys had.

As his alter ego Clark Kent and “Superman,” he got buddy Joe Schuster to draw the images... and Superman was born! Siegel and Shuster created Superman in 1933, but the character was repeatedly rejected until DC (then "National Periodicals") took a chance on the Man of Steel in 1938. Buzz is going to be building all summer for this exhibition, but before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a closer look at the spectacular museum hosting this and other stunning exhibitions.

The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage was founded by Chairman of the Museum, Milton Maltz, who envisioned the museum and brought it to life with his wife, Tamar, who is President of the Maltz Museum's Board of Trustees. What they've created in Beachwood is nothing short of sparkling. The Maltz Museum is a truly rare diamond; the scope and magnitude of what this museum is skillfully exploring is amazing. Examining our world from Superman to international controversy is what makes this museum a stunner. Hearing about the museums’ most recent exhibition, Deadly Medicine: Creating The Master Race, sparked some interest in making the easy ride down Richmond Rd. off Chagrin to see what was going on. Roaming the galleries is a visual and thought provoking experience that will stay with you for its uniqueness and emotional impact. A look at this riveting exhibition gave a nod to the quality and comprehensive nature of the work being done there.

Remembering our past was a frightening reality as The Maltz played host to the exhibition Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race since last September. It was one of the most compelling looks into the origins of “The Final Solution” from its earliest rumblings to the devastation that became the holocaust. Eyewitness accounts, extensive photography, archival film footage, plaster cast models, and actual scientific equipment used in the experimentation on twins in the quest to build “The Master Race,” captivated the visitor in its scope and sense of pervasive evil.

The traveling exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, D.C. was brought to the Maltz with impeccable care brought for extraordinary stories. Deadly Medicine demonstrated how in small incremental steps, buoyed by the distorted, “Survival of the Fittest,” theories of Darwin and Spencer, the “cleansing” of Europe took not only the lives of Jews, but Gypsies, alcoholics, homosexuals, the mentally ill, the handicapped, and disabled veterans.

Eugenics became a worldwide phenomenon, which rarely is seen in history books other than in the context of Germany. The power of the images and information covered here recognizes that these early practices of sterilization were not confined to The Third Reich, but to a lesser degree, were utilized even here in the United States. The exhibit creates some ideological squirming as it departs from other coverage of this arena in its sweeping look at the worldview of Eugenics prior to World War II.

We saw the gradual indoctrination of young Germans and the marching of the Third Reich through the streets of Berlin. Vaudeville style theaters scattered throughout the museum lend the nostalgic feel of being in the mid 20th century watching newsreel coverage of events as they escalated.

Every American should be exposed to the dynamic flow of energy that leaps from the pictured faces of children who died at the hands of scientific madmen. Most chilling is the miniature sized Klu Klux Klan outfit placed at the side of an adult in full Klu Klux Klan regalia. This is forever a reminder of what we teach our children, and is a part of the extensive permanent collection.

The nature of some of the images are intense, but the lasting impressions you will leave the museum with, is the sense of healing, and refocusing on the positive contributions that have emerged from the past. This is where the Maltz Museum absolutely scintillates. In all its exhibitions since the inception in 2005, there is a global look at all the angles. This is the integrity of art, science, and philosophy at its zenith.

Deadly Medicine, as well as some of the permanent collection examines the gamut of prejudice and bias, provided a clear look at all types of irrational hatred rooted in bigotry. Footage of the Columbine shootings play with the archival images of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights marches. The benchmark of this historic account is the evenhanded way all prejudices are scrutinized closely. Visitors are challenged to examine their own boundaries and prejudices; both adults and children alike stand to be moved by even a single visit.

Walk the Maltz galleries, view their upcoming exhibits and prepare yourself a fully realized, globally altering and intensely mindful experience.

The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is located at 2929 Richmond Rd., Beachwood. Call 593-0575 or visit online at http://www.maltzjewishmuseum.org.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Deb Dockery dddockeryATaol.com
Comments? Letters@CoolCleveland.com

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