Harman Patil (Editor)

Jewish Children's Museum

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Established
  
April 2005 (2005-04)

Phone
  
+1 718-467-0600

Website
  
Official website

Founded
  
April 2005

Jewish Children's Museum

Location
  
792 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York

Public transit access
  
Subway: trains at Kingston Avenue B17 to Eastern Parkway (stops two blocks east) B43 to Union Street

Address
  
792 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11213, USA

Hours
  
Closed today · See hoursSaturdayClosedSunday10AM–5:30PMMonday10AM–4PMTuesday10AM–4PMWednesday10AM–4PMThursday10AM–4PMFridayClosed

Similar
  
Brooklyn Children's Museum, Staten Island Children, Museum of American Finance, Rabbinical College of America, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Jewish children s museum


The Jewish Children's Museum is the largest Jewish-themed children's museum in the United States. It aims for children of all faiths and backgrounds to gain a positive perspective and awareness of the Jewish heritage, fostering tolerance and understanding. The permanent collection features exhibits designed to be both educational and entertaining to children, often employing interactive multimedia. At the miniature golf course on the roof, for example, each hole represents a stage in Jewish life.

Contents

The museum is located in the Chabad-Lubavitch Chasidic community of Crown Heights at 792 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York, near 770 Eastern Parkway, the headquarters of the Lubavitch movement. The museum opened in 2004. In 2005, the Museum was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Jewish children s museum


History

In response to the infamous Crown Heights Riot in 1991 and the terrorist killing of 16-year-old yeshiva student Ari Halberstam on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994, the Museum was built to create a teaching tool for local children to better understand their neighbors.

Planning for the exhibit content was done with the input of various religious and secular educators, with the final word being made by the Museum's Orthodox Jewish directorate.

Community activist Devorah Halberstam, mother of Ari, played a major role in the Museum's creation. The Museum is officially dedicated to Ari's memory.

The front of the Museum displays a giant collage of pictures of children. When viewed from a distance they form one giant picture of a child.

Details

  • The Jewish Children's Museum was designed by Gwathmey, Siegel and Associates Architects.
  • The cost of construction has been $35 million thus far, with an additional $5 million projected after the completion of the fourth floor exhibits (expected summer of 2011).
  • The museum won the Building Brooklyn Award in 2006 for its design and social impact on the greater Brooklyn community.
  • More than 250,000 visitors came to the JCM in its first year of operation
  • In addition to its computerized and interactive exhibits, the JCM building includes a Kosher restaurant, gift shop, social hall, 100-seat theater, gameshow studio, arts and crafts center and computer rooms.
  • References

    Jewish Children's Museum Wikipedia