1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

UPDATE
Special
4th Fitiloonor
THE JEW
Ed
ISH
CHILDRE
N’S
B
MUSEUM I
S
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ARI HALBE
Annual Report
2012
Jewish Children’s Museum
M
RSTA
TAKE A
Voyage THROUGH
JEWISH HISTORY!
7,000 square feet of new exhibits now open to the public!
A
fter much anticipation the long awaited exhibition on
the brand new state-of-the-art 4th floor is ready!
Through the exhibit, “A Voyage Through History,”
visitors will experience the history of the Jewish people from
Noah until today—like never before.
With the opening of this floor, the JCM will once again prove
that possibilities are endless and imagination knows no
bounds. These new installations relive the Jewish story and
mark its greatest events and personalities through hands-on
activities, stunning graphics and breathtaking models.
In This Issue:
FROM
DIRECTOR
2
SPECIAL JCM VISITORS
3
THE WESTERN WALL
NOW IN BROOKLYN
4
THE
Continued on page 8
ALLEY
OF
COURAGE 10
HISTORY DEDICATIONS 11
Jewish Children’s Museum
UPDATE
FUNSTATS
84
5010
1125
5875
25,000
Months since
opening day
FROM THE
DIRECTOR...
Dear Friend,
This Newsletter marks a huge milestone
for the Jewish Children’s Museum—the
opening of our brand new floor “A
Voyage Through History.” After years of
hard work and dedication by our most
devoted staff, the dream has finally
become a reality, and you are the first to
see the fruits of our labor.
This newsletter will give you a taste of
the new floor as well as insight into all
the exciting happenings at the museum,
its special visitors and unique events.
Over the past seven years more than one
and a half million visitors have come to
love the JCM, and we look forward to
welcoming many more visitors to be
inspired through play on our new floor
and to learn about Jewish culture and
customs through our state-of-the-art,
hands-on exhibits.
These new exhibits are accessible to all
children, regardless of background or
religion, and will teach about Jewish
culture and history in an exciting way, as
never experienced before.
Thank you for supporting our cause. It is
because of you and your generosity that
we are able to continue our mission and
promote tolerance and understanding for
everyone. But we still need your help.
Please see the enclosed dedication page
for the various sponsorship options. Your
support makes our vision a reality. Thank
you for partnering with us and keeping
our dream alive.
We hope to welcome you and your
family at the museum very soon!
Rabbi Y. Benjaminson
Executive Director
2
Private
events
School
visits
Game
shows
played
Chocolate coins in
chocolate menorah
2,000,000
Foamies used in
Craft Workshop
+1,500,000
Visitors since opening day
SAVETHEDATE
JUNE 7TH 2012: THE YOUNG LEADERSHIP RIBBON
CUTTING CEREMONY FOR NOAH’S ARK EXHIBIT
JUNE 10TH 2012: THE JCM AND FBI TEAM UP FOR
AN EVENT IN MUTUAL RESPECT AND SOLIDARITY.
AUGUST 13TH 2012: THE JCM GOLF EVENT!
JEWISH CHILDREN’S MUSEUM STAFF
Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson
Executive Director
Devorah Halberstam
Director Foundations & Government Services
Gershon Eichorn
Director
Rabbi Sholom Ber Baumgarten
Director of Operations
Zev Steinhauser
Public Relations & Special Events
Abi Cohen
Public Relations Associate
Chaim Benjaminson
Director of Marketing
Mendel Spalter
Director of Development
Sholom Simon
Development Manager
Leah Hazdan
Executive Assistant
Rabbi Nissen Brenenson
Director of Education
Goldy Cohen
Program Director
Rivkah Lifshits
Education Assistant
Mushkie Block
Chaya Gansburg
Chani Majeski
Mushka Scharf
Rochel Lustig
Tour Guides
Chaim Benjaminson
Rochi Benjaminson
Young Leadership Committee Coordinators
Mendy Weg
The Great Jewish Big Rig
Boruch Yurkowitz
IT Department
Peretz Lazaroff
Exhibit & Building Maintenance
Mushka Glick
Visitor Service Coordinator
Shmueli Milecki
Comptroller
Berky Tarshish
Assistant Comptroller
Shterna Weiss
Brana Weiss
Reception
Chaya Eckhaus
Friendship Circle
Chaya Chein
Friendship Circle Volunteer Coordinator
Yakov Mayteles
Data Systems
Yetta Feldman
Librarian
Rabbi Mendel Nemes
Itta Simon
Mailing Department
Rabbi Mendel Cohen
Rabbi Hershel Scheiner
Special Funding Directors
Neville Johnson
Jorge Castillo Edward Jackson
Richard Mensah
Maris Paredes
Building Maintenance & Security
Jewish Children’s Museum
UPDATE
SPECIAL JCM 4TH FLOOR EDITION
VISITORS!
FROM BROOKLYN
TO ISRAEL
t the recent opening of the Israel
Pavilion, the Chief of Brooklyn
South took the time to write a
Wall.
letter and place it in the Western
wall in
These letters are sent to the real
Jerusalem.
A
A WINNING MINISTER
T
he honorable Yuli Edelstein, Israel’s
Minister of Public Affairs and the
Diaspora, enjoyed the water gun
fair ground game and even managed to
beat all of his opponents in getting the
first fruits of Israel up to the Temple
before they did!
HIGH FLYING CEO
by
EO of El Al Eliezer Shkedi relaxed
trip to
nt
playing David’s Harp on a rece
e
hav
sn’t
the museum. The harp doe
King
of
ion
actual strings; this high-tech vers
beams of
are
that
gs
strin
has
p
har
David’s
d” to
colored light that can be “plucke
produce musical sounds!
C
3
Jewish Children’s Museum
UPDATE
The
Western Wall
NOW IN Brooklyn!
P
erhaps the highlight of the new
“Voyage Through Jewish History”
exhibition is a stunning replica of the
Western Wall in Jerusalem. Created by Niche
Designs, this stunning replica stands at 12.5’
high by 31’ long. The designers spent many
months studying photographs and video
footage to ensure a high quality copy.
The Western Wall, or Kotel, in Jerusalem was
part of the Temple Mount retaining wall
built in the first century b.c.e. When the
Temple was destroyed, this wall remained
standing.
The Western Wall has figured prominently in
the Jewish consciousness for centuries.
4
Generations dreamed of appearing before
the old stone wall, even just once. Jews
throughout the ages have visited the
Western Wall to offer prayers at this holy
location, because, as the sages teach, the
Divine Presence that was manifest in the
Temple never departed.
Nearly two thousand years later, the wall still
stands. The wall is thus a symbol of Jewish
survival and hope for the future—the
rebuilding of the Temple and the
Messianic Era.
As part of this exhibit, visitors are invited to
write their prayers and insert them into the
wall, just as is done at the Western Wall in
Jerusalem. These notes, inserted by museum
Jewish Children’s Museum
UPDATE
“Wall of History”
Daily News
visitors, will later be sent to Israel, to be inserted into
the real wall.
The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of
this exhibition took place on March 1st. One of the
evening's special guests was Yuli Edelstein, Israel's
Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs. So
important was the exhibit’s opening to Yuli that he flew
in from Israel to be here for the ribbon cutting
ceremony. He was deeply moved by the state-of-theart, hands-on exhibition depicting his country and
heritage, and was honored with the cutting of the
ribbon to open the new pavilion.
“The Kotel on Kingston Avenue”
The Jewish Week
“Kids don't just come here to learn, they come here to
experience the Jewish tradition. This exhibit will make
them feel closer to the Jewish land and all it has to
offer.”
The former Russian refusenik, who now lives in Gush
Etzion located just south of Jerusalem, has a special
connection to the Land of Israel, where he says he
“lives the Bible every day.”
“When I go outside my home, I am walking in the
place where our Patriarchs walked,” said Edelstein, who
opened the new exhibit together with Eliezer Shkedi,
CEO of El Al Airlines and friend of the museum.
“Hopefully the children who visit here will also develop
a love for the Land of Israel and have a yearning to visit
and spend time there.”
“The Western Wall, Now In Brooklyn”
The Jewish Press
5
The Jewish Children’s Museum would like to thank the following companies whose
top-notch creations make the “Voyage Through Jewish History”
the incredible exhibit that it is:
3form
Abet, Inc.
Act II Glass and
Mirror Corp
AD+
Airways Freight
Aquallusion
AST Waterjet
Atlas Avatar
Atomizing Systems
Autograph Foliages
B&H
Balfore
Barbizon
Bargsten ICBA
Benee’s Inc
Besam
Best Plice Tech
Bob’s Space Racers
Bradley Painting
Bremen
Chris Brown
Certified Plumbing
Charlotte
International Partners
CIP
Clearr Corp
Cliff Startup
CMEANN
Computer Terrain
Mapping
Coventry
Cowpainters
C.R Laurence
Crossroad
Woodworking
Custom Carving
D&N Services
Dahan, M
Dale Electronics
D’Arcy , Frank
Diana Precision
DSA Phototech
Duggal Visual
Solutions
Dynair
Ed Gallahger
Emco
Enjoy-A-Book Club
Entrance Inc.
Ever-Nu Metal
Products
Expressive Lighting
Fiber Optic Systems
Five Star
Opti Music
6
Gray Glass
Honeoye
Impact Lighting
In Depth, Inc.
InCord
Intertech
Corporations
Just Plastics
Kamen Tall Architects
KHL Studio
Kodiak
Landscape Structures
LTI Smartglass, Inc.
Lynden Designs
M & F Trucking
Macton
McCann Systems
McCormack
Micro Lens
Technology
Milagros
Mitch Art
M.T. Designs
NatureMaker
New Penn Motor
Express
Niche Design
On The Surface
Orlandi Statuary
Orlando Special
Effects
Pavan And Kwalbrun
Pemasadi
Pevnick Design
Photo Lab Inc.
Plantscape Inc.
Practical
Automation Inc.
Precision Glass
Bending
Print Big
Projector Pros
Purple Sneakers
Studio
Retrotherm
Insulators, Inc.
By Paul Rosenthal
Ryan Herco Flow
Solutions
Seal Reinforced
Fiberglass, Inc.
Shawn Hanley/dba
Trim Specialist
Slide Innovations
Softmotion
Specialty Signs
Spotlight
Sterling Instrument
Stone Service Corp
Sweet Onion
Creations
Hardware ExpressTrue Value
UP Realty LLC
Viking Automation
Walsh
WebSite
Marketing, Inc.
Wenco
Machinery Corp
Werther
International, Inc.
Matthew Wisdom
Woodbine Design
Work With
Your Brain, LLC
Yona Love Consulting
Services, Inc.
YRC
ZAMAN
Construction Corp
Zuni Scrolling Signs
7
Jewish Children’s Museum
UPDATE
Continued from cover
So what can visitors expect?
Travel back to biblical times to
experience history first hand. As
the elevator doors open, be
welcomed into Abraham and
Sarah’s tent and be a witness to our
forefather’s ten tests of faith. Draw
buckets from a well to learn about
Isaac and Rebecca. You can even
decorate Joseph’s unique coat of many
colors.
Relive some of the defining moments in
Jewish history—the Exodus from Egypt and
the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
Begin the experience by reading a cartoon
about Joseph traversing to Egypt as the story
floats down the Nile River. Later, pass
through the split waters of the Red Sea, and
witness a dazzling display of sounds and
lights as the Jews receive the Ten
Commandments. Breathtaking multimedia
effects capture the magnitude and awe of
this important event.
Following instructions and a
“blueprint” culled from the
Torah, build a miniature
model of the tabernacle,
where the tablets of the
Ten Commandments
were stored, out of
oversized building blocks.
Sound the shofar to
bring down the walls of
Jericho, and play a hightech version of King
David’s harp. Built by
Mountain Glen Harps in
Phoenix, OR, the hightech version of King
David’s harp has strings
that are actually beams of
colored light that can be
“plucked” to produce musical sounds!
Peer into a model of the Holy Temple built in
Jerusalem by King Solomon to see where all
the rituals, rites and ceremonies of Jewish life
were carried out and where many modern
Jewish observances have their roots.
8
Take a virtual tour of Israel and find out why
the land is so special to the Jewish people.
Wander through a garden comprised of the
seven species mentioned in the Bible and
play the First Fruits Race. The First Fruits
Race, a Bob’s Space Racers creation, is an
arcade-style water race, reenacting the
process of bringing the first fruit of the
Seven Species to the Temple in Jerusalem.
Seven players are each assigned a water
blaster with which they spray the fruit
targets to try and bring them up to the
Temple. The winner is the one whose fruit
reaches the Temple first.
Find out what the Mishna
and Talmud are and then
explore the evolution of
Jewish traditions and biblical
interpretation by getting to
know seven great scholars
and spiritual leaders—Hillel,
Saadia HaGaon, Rashi,
Maimonides, the Ariza”l, the
Baal Shem Tov and the
Chofetz Chaim.
Return to the modern age to
look at the vibrancy of Jewish
life around the globe. A giant
map presents audio and
visual glimpses of various
Jewish communities and their
unique traditions. Visit a
breathtaking replica of the Western Wall in
Jerusalem where you can place a prayer or
wish in the wall and watch a video of Jewish
life throughout the world. These prayers will
be collected monthly and taken to Israel to
be placed in the real wall.
Jewish Children’s Museum
UPDATE
Celebrate Jewish
survival by learning
true stories of
bravery, devotion,
and faith during the
Holocaust. Hear about
women in a concentration
camp who made a menorah out of silver
spoons, peer into the secret synagogue
created in a basement in the ghetto and bear
witness to other tales of hope.
At the conclusion of the tour, the hope for
the ultimate redemption is shared. As a final
project, each child will place a tile on a large,
ongoing mosaic, clearly demonstrating how
we are all part of the same world and are
each responsible for our own small portion
of it.
The Mitzvah Accumulator, produced by
Aquallusion Design Concepts, is a special
effects display involving mist, smoke and
special lighting which rise to the ceiling as
Mitzvahs are performed at various stations. It
is part of a pavilion of exhibits that teach
concepts such as “cause and effect” and how
each good deed brings the world one step
closer to the time of universal peace. There
will be a variety of stations ranging from a
“Lighting Shabbat Candles” station to a
“Giving to Charity” station, and at each
station, when visitors perform the “Mitzvah,”
they will be able to see the amazing effect in
the Accumulator!
Even toddlers have a special place on the
new floor as they discover a lively biblicalthemed play space, Noah’s Ark, with a dressup corner, hand puppet station, speaking
tube, craft area, velcro wall and stuffed
animals. Enjoy an all-sensory experience of
the sounds of animals and rain on the roof,
and watch footage displayed on video
monitors in the Ark’s portholes.
Described here are but a few of the highly
interactive and impressive exhibits featured in
our new permanent exhibition. With the
guidance of our exhibit designer and project
manager Steve Samuels of Work With Your
Brain LLC, we are able to see the fruition of
our dream, and now it’s your turn!
Join us at the Jewish Children’s Museum
where in every corner of the museum's
50,000 square foot, $40 million facility,
Jewish life and history come to life through
creative and accessible multimedia activities
designed to engage, entertain and educate
visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
9
Jewish Children’s Museum
UPDATE
Facing Hate with Hope
HOLOCAUST ALLEY OF
COURAGE GALLERYAT THE JCM
T
aken as a whole, the gallery conveys a
sense of optimism and vitality. This
positive message of a thriving 21st
century Jewish community is the backdrop
against which we introduce stories of the
Holocaust, allowing us to recount examples
of tragedy within the larger, optimistic
context of Jewish survival and Jewish renewal.
The Museum recognizes both the importance
and the sensitivity of the Holocaust. By virtue
of its enormity as a crime, its far-reaching
effects, and its recent occurrence, it remains
a sensitive, open wound. We also recognize
the Museum's goal of presenting a positive,
inspirational message. To reconcile the two,
the gallery takes an unusual approach. Its
focus is not on the sorrow of death or the
overwhelming loss but on the hope and
devotion implicit in the Jewish People's
10
survival as seen through the courage and
constancy of individual Jews.
The history of the Holocaust is of course a
story of intolerance and suffering. But it also
is a story of bravery, devotion, and faith. This
is the aspect that the Jewish Children's
Museum highlights. A simple, text-based
introduction will establish quickly and simply
the basic facts of the Shoah. The heart of the
exhibit, however, emphasizes human
experiences rather than cold facts and
figures, celebrating the bravery of Jews
determined to live as Jews despite danger.
Jewish Children’s Museum
4TH FLOOR DEDICATION
UPDATE
OPPORTUNITIES
NOAH’S ARK TODDLER
PLAY SPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $360,000
Ball Pit Interactive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
Bison Play Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000
Animated Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Story Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Help Feed the Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Noah’s Ark Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Puppet Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (sponsored) 18,000
Periscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,000
Speaking Tubes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000
Find Your Way Around the Ark . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000
ONE GOOD DEED . . . . . . . . . . . $360,000
Mitzvah Accumulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180,000
Making a Mosaic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
When Moshiach Comes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Animation Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
I Shpy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,000
THE LAND OF ISRAEL . . . . . . . . $360,000
Bikurim First Fruit
Water Pistol Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000
Holy Sites in Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000
Seven Blessed Fruits
of the Land. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
Entranceway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
THE PATRIARCHS
& MATRIARCHS . . . . . . . . . . . . $360,000
Abraham and Sarah’s Tent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000
Video Interactive Introduction to Floor . . . . . . 72,000
Sending a Message to G-D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
Rebecca’s Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
Jacob's Ladder and the Twelve Stones . . . . . . 72,000
Jacob and the Twelve Tribes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
Baking with Sarah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000
Family Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000
Joseph’s Dream Conveyer Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000
Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors Sand . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Pay or Pray Abacus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Pioneer of Faith Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Joseph's Hieroglyphic Face Wall Structure. . . . 36,000
Treasures of the Jewish People Wayfinding . . 18,000
TABERNACLE, KING DAVID
& TEMPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $360,000
The Tabernacle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
The Walls of Jericho Crumble . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
King David’s Harp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000
The Prophetess Deborah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
The Prophetess Ruth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
The Wandering Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
The Temple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
King David’s Psalm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,000
THE EXODUS EXTRAVAGANZA
SOUND AND LIGHT SHOW . . . $1,000,000
SAGES THROUGH THE AGES . . . $360,000
Mishna - Oral Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000
Interactive Talmud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
The Story of Hillel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (sponsored) 36,000
Sages - Rav Saadiah Gaon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Sages - Rashi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Sages - Maimonides. . . . . . . . . . . . (sponsored) 36,000
Sages - AriZal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Sages - Baal Shem Tov. . . . . . . . . . (sponsored) 36,000
Sages - Chofetz Chaim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Art Angle of Jewish Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
THE JEWISH WORLD
TODAY . . . . . . . . . . . . (sponsored) $720,000
Holocaust - Alley of Courage . . . . . . . . . . . . 360,000
The Jewish World Today Multi-Screen
Video and the Western Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . 360,000
Bunker of Chassidim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000
The Rebbe and the Diaspora . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000
Voices from the Holocaust - Multimedia. . . . . 36,000
Holocaust - Nine Spoons Flipbook . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Holocaust - Saving Tefillin . . . . . . . (sponsored) 36,000
Holocaust - Matza Bakery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,000
Holocaust - Torah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (sponsored) 36,000
Holocaust - Luggage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,000
Holocaust Commemorative Dedications
Fourth Floor (per name) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,800
11
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