Gemma R. Birnbaum is a non-profit executive, learning specialist, digital storyteller, and strategist currently serving as Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society in New York.
Originally from Queens, NY, Gemma holds a Bachelors in History and Judaic Studies from New York University and a Master’s Degree in Post-WWII legal history, Civil Rights, and counterintelligence from Tulane University. Currently the Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society in New York City, she previously spent 11 years at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, where she oversaw media production and mission-driven web content, distance learning, K-12 and community engagement programs, and interpretation, serving as administrator of the Museum’s online Master’s Degree in World War II Studies with Arizona State University. Prior to her time at the Museum, Gemma worked as an experiential educator at Heifer International and was a Lipper Intern at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, where she first got her start in museums and archives.
The National WWII Museum
2010 - 2021
As a part of the executive team, I served as the inaugural head of the WWII Media and Education Center, an initiative within the Museum that served the institution at large in New Orleans as well as audiences around the country and the globe. Leading a staff of K-12 educators, community program managers, educational technologists, content strategists, and media producers, my team designed and executed the Museum’s onsite education and community programs, curriculum publications, teacher workshops, website and digital media content, exhibit media, and distance learning for K-12 students and teachers, lifelong learners, and higher education.
Heifer International
2010
Working at the Global Village, an experiential education facility and working farm that used real world examples to teach students about life in poverty and sustainable ways to help overcome these challenges, I helped to design and facilitate week-long immersion programs that allowed students to understand their role in the global economy.
Etc.
2004–2009
Prior to working in museums and non-profit, I spent 5 years working in marketing and public relations, customer relationship management, technical editing, digital engagement, and product development in various startups. After leaving the field to go to graduate school for public history, I found that many museums and non-profits had the desire to increase their digital footprint, but not necessarily the expertise to design and implement a strategy to do so. For many, this included the creation and publishing of original content, digitizing collections, and establishing a social media presence. My combination of experience and education in both digital and best practices for museums, libraries, archives, and other like-minded institutions, has given me a unique perspective on the ways in which these institutions can engage and build their audiences.