Contemporary Jewish Museum 🇺🇸

Located at 736 Mission Street at Yerba Buena Lane in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) offers cultural experiences focused on making the diversity of the Jewish experience relevant for 21st-century audiences. Founded in 1984, the CJM is a non-collecting museum that moved into its 63,000-square-foot facility in 2008.

The venue combines the historic 1907 Jessie Street Substation—rebuilt by Willis Polk following the 1906 earthquake—with a modern deconstructivist dark-blue stainless steel addition designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. Inspired by the Hebrew concept L'chaim ("To Life"), Libeskind shaped the facility using forms based on the Hebrew letters "chet" and "yud." While the museum suspended regular operations in December 2024 and announced in 2026 that it would sell its building, the venue was kept available to host events.

Inside the lobby, you can view David Lane's Lamp of the Covenant, a commissioned 90-foot, 12,000-pound suspended sculpture crafted from recycled steel, globes, animal figurines, and Edison bulbs. The top-floor "Yud" space features 36 diamond-shaped windows designed for sound and performance exhibitions, while past exhibitions spanned topics from pop culture and photography to historical Jewish texts.

What to see at Contemporary Jewish Museum

• Architectural design by Daniel Libeskind combining historic brick and blue steel
• David Lane's 90-foot suspended lobby sculpture, Lamp of the Covenant
• The top-floor 'Yud' space featuring 36 diamond-shaped windows
• Exhibitions celebrating Jewish culture, art, music, and history
• Educational spaces including the Helen Diller Institute's Beit Midrash

Visiting tips

Keep in mind that the museum suspended regular operations in late 2024 and announced plans to sell the building, though the venue was retained to host events.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: During hosted events

How to get there & what’s nearby

Contemporary Jewish Museum is easy to reach on San Francisco’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our San Francisco travel guide.