Stockton University returns ownership of Azeez Museum in Woodbine to its founder

Stockton University is returning ownership of a Jewish history museum, housed in a stately synagogue in Woodbine, to the organization that was founded to support the building’s future.

Stockton announced Monday that its oversight of the Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage “did not align” with the college’s future priorities, prompting it to return the building to Woodbine Museum LLC.

Woodbine Museum LLC is a nonprofit corporation established by Michael Azeez, the son of the museum’s namesake.

Michael Azeez, a co-founder of the cellular phone company UNITEL, assumed control of the museum in 2001. He spent several years restoring the interior, exterior and grounds of the building, a National Historic Landmark, as close as possible to its original form.

In 2003, he established the Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage, honoring the memory of his father, a successful entrepreneur who grew up in Woodbine.

“I am deeply grateful for Stockton University’s stewardship of the museum over the past decade and for our continued partnership moving forward. The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage and Stockton continue to share a common purpose to preserve history, educate future generations, and fight prejudice through knowledge,” Michael Azeez said in a news release announcing the ownership change.

Azeez and the Azeez Foundation donated the museum and a $5 million endowment supporting its operations to Stockton in 2011. The university helped to fund an addition in 2012 with two state-of-the-art classrooms and two offices on the property.

Over the years, the museum worked with Stockton and the New Jersey Holocaust Commission in education, teacher training and the collection of oral histories. It has also hosted classes, professional development courses and seminars for the public, according to the release. 

Stockton President Joe Bertolino said that during the process of creating the college’s new strategic plan, and through conversations with Michael Azeez, it was mutually determined that the Azeez Museum did not align with Stockton’s future priorities and would be returned, as per the original agreement. He said the university continually reviews its facility and other needs.  

    Bob Schulte, a docent and security officer, looks at one of the exhibits inside the Sam Azeez Museum.
  

Bertolino noted that the university will continue to partner with the Azeez Foundation and the museum in future Holocaust programming.

“We are incredibly proud of how the museum has thrived as a vibrant space for preserving Woodbine's unique heritage and fostering Stockton’s commitment to preserving history in southern New Jersey,” Bertolino said in the release. “We eagerly anticipate deepening our long-standing partnership with Michael Azeez and the museum on new programming and activities, ensuring the museum's impactful mission continues to flourish for generation to come.”

Sam Azeez Museum is housed in the stately, red-brick former Brotherhood Synagogue built in the 1890s. The museum chronicles Woodbine’s founding in 1891 as a settlement for Eastern European Jews. Woodbine became known as "the first self-governing Jewish community since the fall of Jerusalem,” according to the museum’s website.

The museum, located 630 Washington Ave., contains a rich collection of historic photos, artifacts and documents detailing the story of the town’s settlers who had been denied the opportunity to pursue agriculture in their native lands.

Russian and Eastern European Jews were being persecuted through the various pogroms that drove them from their homes to seek safety in other countries. Through the efforts of the Baron de Hirsch Fund, they were resettled in the United States and Argentina. Woodbine was one of the largest and most successful towns, the release stated.  

Stockton's Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center hopes to continue educational programs at the museum, said Director Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez.

“We've been deeply invested in the museum's success under Stockton University's care, particularly through powerful programs about the Holocaust that brought world-renowned scholars, including those from Yad Vashem, the world Holocaust Remembrance Center, directly to the Cape May County community,” Moreno-Rodriguez said in the release. “I hope together we will continue to teach the public about Jewish immigration and settlement in southern New Jersey, and combat antisemitism and all forms of hate through education.”