The Jewish Museum in London has closed following large financial losses, despite a £1million bailout three years ago.
The institution, which holds the second largest collection of Judaica in Europe, shut its doors for the last time on Sunday after nearly three decades at its Camden site.
The collection, which includes testimonies of Holocaust survivors, has been put in storage.
Bosses hope the sale of the Camden site will fund new premises.
It hopes to reopen in a new home within five years, and in the meantime the museum will move online.
The museum’s income took a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic with a significant drop in visitor numbers.
Surging energy bills and dwindling donations made it too costly to maintain the Grade II listed Georgian town house in Albert Street.
Nick Viner, chair of trustees, told the BBC: “It’s been an incredibly tough decision, but the museum has always found it difficult to be financially sustainable even though it’s had some huge success with exhibitions.
“We are planning to do several temporary displays in London and beyond all whilst we think about how we can engage communities online with our collections.”
Mr Viner urged people to provide more financial support for the museum so it can move to a new site.
“If the community wants to have a museum, it needs to come forward and support it.
“We need them to help us tell our story to the wider world.”
The museum closed for 15 months during the pandemic. In May 2020, it received a £1million bailout from the Arts Council.
