Spartan Boys: A Tulsa Jewish Story

at The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art in Partnership with the Tulsa Air and Space Museum July 1 – September 9, 2024

(June 25, 2024; Tulsa, Oklahoma) — In partnership with the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art presents Spartan Boys: A Tulsa Jewish Story on display at the museum through September 9.  This historical exhibition is dedicated to the story of The Spartan School of Aeronautics,  and the training of 42 technical staff members of the young Israeli Air Force, who in 1949 came to the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Tulsa, for a 9-month training. They were known as the “Spartan Boys.” The Spartan Boys were "adopted" by families from the Tulsa Jewish community during their time of study. Upon completion of their training, they returned to Israel as certified aircraft mechanics. One young mechanic, Bob Golan (of blessed memory), originally from Poland who went to Israel after the Holocaust, ended up moving to Tulsa and becoming a docent at The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art. The exhibition tells the fascinating story of the Spartan School of Aeronautics from its founding to becoming a leader in the aeronautics training industry.  

Exhibition Information:
What:                Spartan Boys: A Tulsa Jewish Story
When:               On display now — Monday, September 9, 2024
Where:             The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, 2021 E. 71^st St, Tulsa, OK 74136
Cost:                   $6.50 Adults, $5.50 Seniors, $3.50 students -- *Current Spartan College students are invited to view the exhibit at no cost with proof of student ID*
More info:      JewishMuseumTulsa.org

Warbirds in factory. Courtesy of Tulsa Air and Space Museum

Bob Golan, 1949. Courtesy of Tulsa Air and Space Museum

For additional high-resolution photos courtesy of Spartan School of Aeronautics contact:
Roxanne Aichinger, Senior Director of Communications: [email protected]

About The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art
The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art (SMMJA) and its collections were founded in 1965. The SMMJA, now housed on the Zarrow Campus, boasts a permanent Judaica collection, rotating exhibitions, the Sanditen/Kaiser Holocaust Center, the Julius and Gertrude Livingston Oklahoma Jewish Archives, the Tulsa Jewish Genealogical Society, and the Markovitz Jewish Genealogy Study and Research Center. The SMMJA library serves as a research facility for those interested in Judaic studies, the holocaust, and genealogy. The mission of the SMMJA is to preserve and promote Jewish heritage, culture, history, and community through art and education.