Sam Azeez Museum

The rich heritage of Woodbine New Jersey is truly unique. Begun over 100 years ago, Woodbine was purchased by the wealthy German philanthropist, Baron de Hirsch who established a fund to assist the immigrating Russian Jews coming to America in the 1890s. Woodbine was the experimental agricultural-industrial colony envisioned by the Baron de Hirsch Fund trustees. The immigrants could pursue the agricultural lifestyle that they had been denied in Russia. But because of poor soil conditions, Woodbine soon became better know as a factory town, the manufacturing center of Cape May County. Education, religion, tolerance and inclusion were values shared by the community as it grew, diversified and continued.

The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage was created to remember and record this past while also actively collecting the materials to preserve its continuing heritage. It is a destination for visitors and a local resource for the entire Woodbine community so that they may continue to use the Woodbine Brotherhood Synagogue building as a place to come together. Built by the early Woodbine colonists, the synagogue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The sanctuary has been restored and is available for special worship services. The lower level, Brotherhood Hall, houses the museum's permanent and temporary exhibitions. Also included is a community sculpture, the Collective Memory Wall, where the Woodbine community has contributed personal memories of Woodbine.