'It's Wonderful': New Exhibit At Tulsa Museum Highlights Historic Link Between Spartan College, Jewish Community

A new exhibit at a Tulsa Museum is highlighting the connection between Spartan College of Aeronautics and the Jewish Community. 

Many people know the popularity of Spartan College of Aeronautics in Tulsa, but less is known about its connection to the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art. A new exhibit there showcases the unique link.

Tulsa has been a big aviation town for most of its history, and that reputation is far-reaching. 

"This is really cool because it's a Tulsa story, it's a Jewish story, it's an international story," Curator Sofia Thornblad said.

She is talking about the Spartan Boys, a group of 50 men from Israel who traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1949 to study aircraft mechanics at Spartan School of Aeronautics.

"They had just fought in Israel’s war for independence and were in some pretty dire need of basic training in order to build up the Israeli Airforce," Thornblad said.

A new exhibit at the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art tells their story. Old uniforms and vintage videos show a glimpse of their time in Tulsa, giving visitors a look back in time.

"These kinds of connections are so long-standing and it's heartwarming," Bruce Beeber said.

He’s visiting from Atlanta, and he's proud to learn how Tulsa welcomed these 50 Jewish men into the community.

“I think it's wonderful."

One of those men was Bob Golan, and he has a connection to the museum itself. After falling in love with a Tulsa girl, he decided to move back and eventually became a docent here.

"He was able to tell the story of this museum for a long time, but also tell his story for a long time," Thornblad said.

She hopes his interesting story teaches visitors something new about Jewish Culture and how it intersects with Tulsa.

The new exhibit will run through September.