By Jill Abromowitz Gutmann

The portion of the week is Parshah Noach. It’s easy to gloss over the long lists of names at the end of the portion, the Toledot, or generations. These names bridge the gap from Noah down to Abraham. But those names aren’t filler. They represent real lives, real journeys, and the quiet resilience it takes to carry a legacy forward across generations.

That exact spirit takes center stage in Western New York as the Jewish Museum of Buffalo officially opens its doors to the public at 805 Delaware Avenue on Saturday October 17. As a newly Board of Regents-chartered museum, it stands as a permanent home for the art, history, and enduring legacy of Buffalo’s Jewish community.

Anchoring the museum is the Stuart and Caren Shapiro Jewish Genealogy Center, a dedicated, free resource giving visitors a direct way to explore their own lineage. With specialized archives and expert research assistance, the center transforms faded records and distant surnames into living family stories. Make an appointment to research and archive your family history by emailing [email protected].

Making the event even more meaningful, Buffalo native and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer joins as the headline for the evening in conversation with Mickey Osterreicher. As the son of Holocaust survivors, Blitzer has spent a lifetime highlighting the importance of memory and truth, which serve as a powerful reminder of how our local family roots tie into the broader arc of world history. Tickets can be purchased at www.jmbuffalo.org.

Just as Noah stepped off the ark to build a bridge to the future without losing the past, Buffalo’s newest cultural institution ensures our stories remain vibrant and accessible.

Jill Abromowitz Gutmann is the Executive Director of the Jewish Museum of Buffalo, located at 805 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo. Email [email protected] for more information.