PHILADELPHIA, PA.- Billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad announced he will give $1 million to the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia to help with the construction of its new building and for future exhibitions. The gift will be paid in five installments by 2012.

Eli Broad stated, “It's good to remember the Holocaust and to say never again, but you also want to show the positive. I don't think a lot of Americans realize the total contribution American Jews have made since the founding of the Republic…I've been very fortunate, and after getting involved in the world of commerce, I said it's time to give back.”

This will be the only National Museum in America devoted to telling the American Jewish Experience. This $130 million facility is located between and in full view of both the National Constitution Center and Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center on the premier corner of Fifth and Market Streets. The new landmark building will house the Museum's exhibitions and programs and serve a diverse audience of more than 250,000 visitors each year.

A Museum for All People: It will be a major national educational and cultural resource. At a time when some people have less historical perspective and are less connected to synagogues, Israel, and the Holocaust, this Museum will educate Jews and non-Jews alike about how Jews used the opportunities of freedom to make diverse contributions to American life, while also recording the experiences of other ethnic groups. Most importantly, the coming generations will have a better understanding about who they are and where they came from.

Architecture: James S. Polshek of the internationally acclaimed architectural firm Polshek Partnership Architects, LLP is designing the new building. His recent projects include the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Cultural Resource Center of the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, in Suitland, Maryland.