It reflects the history of the Jews from their first settlement in Odesa to their impacts in the city in the modern age.

[2] The museum opened on November 12, 2002 in a former apartment building, and was founded by the Migdal Jewish Community Center [ru].

[3][4] At its founding, it was the first Jewish museum in a post-Soviet nation.

The building is listed as #51-101-0776 on the State Register of Immovable Landmarks of Ukraine.

The location of the building is in close proximity to a formerly Jewish neighborhood of Odesa prior to the Holocaust.