Alice M. Greenwald once curated a show at the Historical Society of Princeton
By: Jake Uitti
The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, in cooperation with the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., announced Tuesday that former West Windsor resident Alice M. Greenwald will become the director of the World Trade Center Memorial Museum, construction of which is expected to begin in March.
Ms. Greenwald will create, program and direct the museum, which will be adjacent to the 9/11 Memorial. Construction of the memorial is also expected to begin in March.
Ms. Greenwald serves as associate museum director for museum programs at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
When she was living in West Windsor, Ms. Greenwald served as guest curator for the Historical Society of Princeton’s exhibition, "Old Traditions, New Beginnings: 250 Years of Princeton Jewish History," and authored the historical essay in the companion catalogue publication in 2002.
"We lived in the area for many years of our lives, our children grew up in West Windsor," Ms. Greenwald said. "The area around Princeton has some of the best resources in the country."
Ms. Greenwald, who lived in West Windsor for 18 years until 2001, said she is "excited and very humbled by the honor. It is a worthy challenge."
In her new position, she will be in charge of developing programming, preparing exhibits, choosing artifacts, designing the educational components, organizing and coordinating all the operational details of the museum, including overseeing the interior build-out and administration.
"It is an extraordinary challenge and responsibility," World Trade Center Memorial Foundation President and CEO Gretchen Dykstra said, "to build a museum at the very place where people died next to a memorial which will honor them. I am confident that Alice is the perfect person to guide us there. The Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., sets a high standard and Alice has helped shape its vision and implementation for nearly two decades."
Ms. Greenwald, speaking about her appointment, said, "I am deeply humbled by the privilege and responsibility of contributing to the realization of this essential museum. It will honor in perpetuity those whose lives were lost, and demonstrate, to all who visit the World Trade Center site for years to come, the healing power of memory in re-telling their story."
She will start full-time work at the foundation in mid-April.
Ms. Greenwald also has served as the executive director of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and holds a master’s degree in history of religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School.
The memorial and museum are expected to be completed in 2009.