Thomas Kennedy Center

05/18/2026

Congratulations to these students from across Maryland that did very well in the Jewish Museum of Maryand's Thomas Kennedy Essay Contest!

High School Division:
1) Noam S
2) Lilly A
3) Ella P
Middle School Division:
1) Deebshana K
2) Victoria S
3) Olivia O

03/13/2026

Some photos from Thursday evening's 200th Anniversary of Thomas Kennedy's "Jew Bill" event at the Maryland State House. It was great to have the Thomas Kennedy Center at the event, and also the "maquette" of the Thomas Kennedy sculpture "front and center!"

03/13/2026

Happy to provide the mini-statue of Thomas Kennedy for tonight's event in Annapolis. Several speakers recognized the Thomas Kennedy Center!

03/13/2026

We're grateful to the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area for supporting the Thomas Kennedy Center with an FY25 Mini-Grant! This funding helped us develop professional brochures, stationery, and fundraising materials that share Thomas Kennedy's remarkable story of fighting for religious freedom in 19th-century Maryland. As a new cultural institution in downtown Hagerstown, these materials are helping us build partnerships across the heritage tourism community and connect with visitors who want to learn how one person's courage changed Maryland history. Thank you for investing in our mission of advancing liberty and inspiring inclusiveness!

03/08/2026

Great to see this article, which mentions Thomas Kennedy...

"In 1824, local politician Thomas Kennedy published a 27-page poem titled “The Battle of Funks-town, A Burlesque Poem,” which satirized the events and participants. Kennedy’s poem soon sold in Hagerstown and Chambersburg bookstores."

On a cold St. Patrick’s Day morning in 1823, two groups of men converged in the street: Irish turnpike workers and local Funkstown residents.

03/02/2026

2026 Essay Contest! The Thomas Kennedy Center is once again partnering with the Jewish Museum of Maryland!
An exciting program is returning to the Jewish Museum of Maryland Education Department this year. For the second consecutive year, we are partnering with the Jewish Museum of Maryland to host an essay writing contest for middle and high schoolers who attend public schools in Maryland (participants who placed or won last year’s contest are respectfully asked not to re-enter).
The subject of the essay contest will center around Maryland's 1826 "Jew Bill," and its implications about political participation, religious freedom, and otherness.
You can view the contest flier on the web site, for more information on submission, requirements, and eligibility. Entries are due on Thursday, March 31, 2026. Every student who enters the contest will receive free admission for a visit to the Jewish Museum of Maryland, for themselves and their family. Winning essays will be featured and awards distributed at the Jewish Museum of Maryland's Annual Meeting.

Essay Contest IDENTITY AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN THE US   An essay writing contest for public middle and high school students in Maryland. The Jewish Museum of Maryland and Thomas Kennedy Center invite you to reflect on Maryland’s “Jew Bill” and consider what it tells us about political ...

01/16/2026

In case you missed it...

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DXuPD3hL9/

01/14/2026

Great to see this:

Discover the history of the Jew Bill passed in Maryland in 1826, granting rights to Jewish citizens previously denied.

12/14/2025

Our hearts go out to the innocent people killed or wounded at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia.

BBC News

One of the attackers was also killed during the incident and 42 people remain in hospital, Australian police say.