Opening day is free for all

If you hadn’t quite decided whether to check out the new Contemporary Jewish Museum on opening day Sunday, June 8, here’s one more reason to do so: It’s free.

The museum is partnering with Target Corporation to offer Target Family Days, its centerpiece for family and community outreach. There will be four per year, with the first on opening day. The museum, located at 736 Mission St. (between Third and Fourth streets) in San Francisco, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visitors can explore the building, check out the exhibits and enjoy festivities such as live music, storytelling and more.

A Drop-in Art Studio in the Education Center, which will be open year-round, will offer opening day hands-on projects for all.

Musician Jonathan Bayer of New York will play songs for children, and interactive theater will be scheduled throughout the day.

On the plaza, local bands Klezmania and Kol Creation — which fuses Reggae with Israeli, Indian and other ethnic music from around the world — will perform.

For each Target Family Day, the CJM will collaborate with Bay Area cultural organizations to present activities and performances that celebrate connections between Jewish tradition and other cultures.

“Target’s generous gift will extend the reach of the Contemporary Jewish Museum and its programming to Bay Area families,” said CJM Director and CEO Connie Wolf.

The Target grant to support Target Family Days is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to give back to the community. “At Target we believe that exposure to the arts helps build strong communities, opens our minds to different cultures, traditions and points of view,” said Laysha Ward, Target’s vice president of community relations.