YUM is a teaching museum committed to the following goals:
-To collect, research, preserve, and interpret, through changing exhibitions, art and artifacts that represent the cultural, intellectual and artistic achievements of the Jewish people, and to make these collections and research available to institutions, scholars, and the general public through published catalogues and public programs.
-To create and conduct exhibition-based programs and workshops that expand cross-cultural understanding for students in both Jewish and public schools.
-To encourage and exhibit the work of contemporary artists dealing with Jewish themes or seeking new ways to express themselves as Jews.