The Jewish children’s Museum in Brooklyn

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.

The museum is located in the Chasidic community of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York, near the headquarters of the Lubavitch movement. The museum is run by Tzivos Hashem, a Chabad organization dedicated to the education of Jewish children. The museum opened in 2004.

History

Largely due to the infamous Crown Heights riots in 1991 and the terrorist killing of 16 year old yeshiva student Ari Halberstam on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994, Tzivos Hashem and City officials felt it neccesary 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.

The original plans for the Museum exhibits were based upon the annual Jewish Children’s Expo sponsored and operated by Tzivos Hashem for six consecutive years in the 1980’s.

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.

Key facts

- 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 fall of 2008).

- 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.

The building also houses two floors of office space for the many organizations under the umbrella of Tzivos Hashem International. These include: Friendship Circle, The Bat Mitzvah Club, The Moshiach Times Magazine and After School Program