Once Upon a Time...

Once Upon a Time 9.17.2010

The Baltimore Jewish Times publishes unidentified photographs from the collection of Jewish Museum of Maryland each week. If you can identify anyone in these photos and more information about them, contact Jobi Zink, Senior Collections Manager and Registrar at 410.732.6400 x226 or jzink@jewishmuseummd.org.

Date run in Baltimore Jewish Times: 9/17/10

PastPerfect Accession #: 2007.016.010

Status: Partially identified. Talmudical Academy boys with their dean and principal. Adults: L-R Simon Isaacson (principal) and the man wearing the glasses is Hyman Sampson (dean). Seated row: 1. Leon Levin 2. Jerome Joseph Mondell 3. Simon Isaacson 4. Hyman Sampson 5. unidentified 6. unidentified Standing row 1. unidentified 2. unidentified 3. unidentified 4. Barney Kandel 5. unidentified 6. Leon Milner 7. unidentified Standing row back: 1. unidentified 2. Irving Milner 3. unidentified


Special thanks to: Arnold Levin, Ben Mondell, Michelle Kandel, David Milner

Once Upon a Time...

Once Upon a Time 9.03.2010

The Baltimore Jewish Times publishes unidentified photographs from the collection of Jewish Museum of Maryland each week. If you can identify anyone in these photos and more information about them, contact Jobi Zink, Senior Collections Manager and Registrar at 410.732.6400 x226 or jzink@jewishmuseummd.org.

Date run in Baltimore Jewish Times: 9/3/10

PastPerfect Accession #: 2009.040.5186

Status: Identified. Graduating class of Isaac Davidson Hebrew School, 1951. Maniloff, Marshall Feldman, Ina Rosen, Barbara “Bunny” Schoeffer, Ilene Kramer or Tema Sussman or Zelda Cohen, Annette Noh, Marcia Radin or Ellen Weinstein (Pozornik), Earl “Buddy” Weiner
Middle Rows: Warren Silverman, Herbie Sachs, Zelig Wolfe, Larry Wolf, Alvin Bard, Howard Pierce, Leon Stern, Myron “Maishe” Bloom, (?) Mendelson, Jerry Rabinowitz
Back Row: Billy Eisenberg, Mike Flaxman, Eugene Padow, Irving Friedman, Joel Sinsky and Sidney Krome


Special thanks to: Larry Wolf, Alvin Bard, Ellen Weinstein Pozornik, Toba Falk, Nadine Goldman, Marcia Radin Craven

November at the JMM

A blog post by education director Deborah Cardin.

I just finished compiling stats for November 2010 at the JMM. Every month, I tally our on-site attendance with separate categories dedicated to walk-in visitors, adult group members, schools, special events, and rentals. I am now in my 9th year as “keeper of the stats” and it is interesting to compare and contrast the ebb and flow of visitation over the years as we try and track trends and determine the various factors (weather, season, new exhibitions, popular programs, etc.) that seem to encourage higher numbers of visitors. School groups, in particular, are a special area of interest. As we work to promote our programs and resources to even larger numbers of school groups, I always pay particular attention to our monthly totals in an effort to discern how we can continue to grow our program.

November was a banner month for school groups. During the month, we served 834 students, teachers, and chaperones (as compared to just over 400 last November). One of the most influential factors driving school group visitation during the month was our installation of the exhibition, A Blessing To One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People. While many groups booked visits to see this exhibition – and we also saw the number of walk-in visitors rise – Catholic schools, in particular, demonstrated a high level of interest in bringing groups to see the exhibition. During November alone, we served 606 students, teachers, and chaperones from Catholic schools and universities.

One of the challenges in serving such large number of student groups is the limited space within the gallery housing A Blessing To One Another. As many of our docents have pointed out, ideal group sizes for a guided exhibition tour is 15 or fewer and yet, the average size group of students is larger than 50. It, therefore, becomes necessary to break the classes into smaller groups and rotate each group through various stations. This also necessitates bringing on additional volunteer docents and staff to help facilitate.

On November 16, 75 students from The Catholic High School, an all-girls school in Baltimore City, visited for a half-day trip. The large number of students necessitated some creative thinking as to how we could break them into smaller groups and facilitate meaningful activities with each group. We decided to split them into four groups. Two groups were combined for an Introduction to Judaism program in the Lloyd Street Synagogue (which can accommodate larger numbers of students) where students learned about Jewish history, traditions, and customs. This station proved to be a terrific complement to the Blessing To One Another exhibition where students could ask questions and probe the significance of Jewish ritual items.

Catholic HS girls participating in an Introduction to
Judaism program led by JMM docent Lois Fekete.

The other two groups were split between A Blessing To One Another and The Synagogue Speaks! exhibition that explores the histories of the three different congregational groups (including a Lithuanian Catholic church) that occupied the Lloyd Street Synagogue at different times in history. The Synagogue Speaks! station included hands-on interactive activities that encouraged students to work together in teams and to solve mysteries of how the building changed over time.

Catholic HS students creating watercolors in The Synagogue Speaks!

The program culminated with a presentation by Holocaust survivor Rachel Bodner who shared her personal experiences of life before, during, and after the Holocaust.

Catholic HS students listening to Holocaust survivor, Rachel Bodner

Through these various activities and presentations, students received an intensive learning experience that touched on many aspects of their classroom lessons. One of the teachers from The Catholic High School shared his feedback about the field trip with JMM staff: “Thank you so much for helping to plan our experience at the museum. My students had an amazing experience and are still talking about it today. I cannot express how grateful I am for the museum, you, your staff, the volunteers, and the wonderful programs that you have available. The other faculty members and myself were discussing how we can incorporate the museum into our curriculum to make it a yearly event.”

The next day, we received a visit by a joint group of students visiting from St. Frances Academy and Shoshana S. Cardin High School. This interfaith gathering of students of Jewish and Catholic faiths was inspired by the Blessing To One Another exhibition. Students were split into small mixed groups and toured the exhibition with the assistance of worksheets looking for examples of how Pope John Paul II worked towards building positive relationships between Jews and Catholics throughout his life. As I walked through the exhibit asking students if they needed assistance finding answers to worksheet questions, I kept hearing from students that they were equally interested in getting to know their peers from the other school and they were conversing about mutual interest in sports, music, etc. I took this as a sign that the program was successful!

Again, we received positive feedback about the field trip from both teachers and students. “I just wanted to thank you for the experience yesterday. It proved to be a wonderful example of Judeo-Christian camaraderie and dialogue. I thought it went great, and my students were genuinely interested throughout the visit. I could not even get anyone to admit to liking one part of the day over the other, they said again and again, that it was great from beginning to end.”

While we are always pleased to serve high numbers of students and teachers, we are even more concerned with the quality of the programs. Feedback that we receive through teacher and student surveys (such as the comments shared above) provides guidance as we plan new programs and activities. We are grateful to all of the JMM staff and volunteer docents who provided such superior service for school groups this month and look forward to developing new tours, resources, and activities in the months ahead.

While it was an exhausting month, comments from students such as this St. Frances Academy student, truly make it all worthwhile!

Reaching Out to New Audiences

A blog post by education director Deborah Cardin.

Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia, is a fatal brain disorder in which certain types of nerve cells in particular areas of the brain degenerate and die. Individuals who suffer from this disease often have such difficulty remembering things and completing familiar tasks that daily routines often become impaired. Because of these challenges, many people withdraw from family members and friends, and sometimes even stop engaging in hobbies and participating in social activities.

Several years ago, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) developed Meet Me At MOMA, an educational program specifically designed for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers as a means of providing individuals with a forum for learning about art and creative expression in a nurturing environment. Recognizing the value of this program for making art accessible to individuals with disabilities throughout the country, MOMA has created a nationwide initiative that seeks to replicate this model in other communities. (To learn more about MOMA’s program, check out http://www.moma.org/docs/learn)

Over the summer, JMM staff members were approached by staff from the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association about participating in a pilot program in Baltimore that seeks to replicate MOMA’s highly acclaimed program series. After much discussion about what kinds of programs we might be able to offer (as well as, admittedly, some apprehension about working with a population that we knew little about), we eagerly jumped on board with hopes of sharing our exhibitions and educational programs with a new audience. My intrepid colleague Elena Rosemond-Hoerr offered to spearhead this new initiative by developing programs and coordinating tours.

On November 5, Carol Wynn from the Alzheimer’s Association led a training workshop for JMM staff and volunteers to give us background on the disease and to share insight as to what we might expect during the programs. As she distributed fact sheets with information and warning signs (to learn about the 10 warning signs of the disease, check out http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_know_the_10_signs.asp), she also answered questions and made suggestions for leading tours that would be inclusive and welcoming. One thing Carol repeatedly stressed is that the participants in our programs are experiencing early on-set Alzheimer’s disease and are still able to function to certain degrees in their jobs and daily activities. (To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Maryland, visit: http://www.alz.org/maryland/)

For our first program on November 15, Elena created a two-part program making use of our special exhibition, A Blessing To One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People. She started with an exhibition tour. While the group was smaller than expected, this actually proved advantageous and it lent a very intimate feel to the tour.


While participants seemed a bit shy initially, as the tour progressed, it became clear that many in the group were touched by various photographs and artifacts, particularly in the last section of the exhibit that explores Pope John Paul II’s visit to Israel. Two of the members of the group reminisced about a recent visit to Israel where they stood on Mt. Nebo at the same spot where the Pope stood and delivered an address during his trip.


The second part of the program was more interactive and participants had the opportunity to play a version of the game “Jeopardy” with questions geared towards the exhibition. Participants called out categories (“Early Childhood for $200, please”) and answered questions based on what they had seen. It was fun to see the competition heat up as participants raced to get their hands in the air and call out the answers. The program ended with participants sharing new things that they had learned about Pope John Paul II.


Bringing JMM programs and resources to new and often underserved audiences is an ongoing effort. We are grateful to Carol Wynn and the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Maryland for reaching out to us as partner in the exciting new initiative. We look forward to our next program which will take place this spring (one idea is to bring in artist Lorning Cornish for a morning of mosaic-making!) and to creating an established program series at the JMM.

Teaching Teachers

A blog post by Deborah Cardin, education director.

While the majority of the educational programs offered by the JMM focus on bringing school groups to our site for student field trip, providing professional development opportunities for teachers is a growing priority. Last year, we offered eight workshops on topics as varied as Holocaust education, immigration history, world religions, and making effective use of JMM resources. Together these programs reached 220 teachers from public, independent, Catholic, and Jewish schools and universities. Several programs take place here at the JMM while others take place at other museums, schools, and venues throughout the State. (Last year, my colleague Jeanette Parmigiani and I traveled as far Calvert County in Southern Maryland for a presentation on Holocaust best teaching practices at the Maryland Council for Social Studies.)

Holocaust survivor Rubin Sztajer talking to teachers
at the Summer Teachers Institute, August 2010

Teachers learning how to make journals as part of a workshop,
Teaching The Diary of Anne Frank, April 2010

Teachers at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum
during Summer Teachers Institute,
August 2010, learning about the history of
African-American / Jewish relations during the 20th century

I am currently working on two very different workshops that are taking place the first week of November. The first is in conjunction with our current exhibition, A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People, and, in keeping with the theme of the exhibition, focuses on the importance of interfaith dialogue among educators of diverse backgrounds as a means for promoting tolerance.

Exhibition curator, Dr. James Buchanan
leading JMM docents on a tour of A Blessing To One Another

The other is a program for Baltimore City Public School (BCPS) teachers sponsored through the Teaching American History program. This workshop’s theme is Ethnicity in East Baltimore with sessions exploring the history of the neighborhood surrounding the JMM.

Neighborhood scene, Lombard Street, 1950s

So, how do we go about planning a program that provides teachers with a balance of content knowledge and pedagogical skills for teaching a specific topic? For the Blessing-related workshop, I am working closely with Jeanette Parmigiani (director of Holocaust Programs at the Baltimore Jewish Council) who always has terrific ideas for speakers and sessions. Our opening session will include an overview of the history of “The Parting of The Way”, documenting the path leading to the split between Jews and Christians led by educator extraordinaire, Father Robert Albright. This discussion will then help set the stage for a more detailed conversation about the history of antisemitism and the role of the Catholic Church during the Holocaust. We also rely on expert teachers who help frame a specific topic by sharing teaching techniques and strategies. Local educator Allene Gutin, who teaches at The Day School at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, will lead a workshop demonstrating classroom resources for teaching about the Righteous, the few individuals who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. The program will conclude with a contemporary exploration of Jewish/Catholic dialogue since the Holocaust facilitated by Dr. Christopher Leighton, Executive Director of the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies.

To plan the Baltimore City workshop, I have been working with Jennifer Frieman, who coordinates the TAH program for BCPS. The JMM has hosted three previous TAH sessions exploring a variety of themes such as immigration history and the history of religious pluralism in Maryland. The format for the TAH workshop is familiar: teachers spend the first hour listening to a scholar provide content on the given topic followed by a museum tour and review of relevant classroom resources. The afternoon is spent listening to master teachers share lesson plans on the topic that they have written that incorporate primary sources from the JMM archives. For some reason, this particular program has proven challenging to organize, and it has taken quite a few weeks to solidify speakers and participants. Fortunately, it is starting to come together thanks to the help of two of my colleagues, Anita Kassof and Deb Weiner who co-curated our Voices of Lombard Street exhibition. One of the highlights of this workshop will be a culminating panel moderated by Anita and Deb featuring former neighborhood residents of diverse backgrounds who will share their personal reminiscences of neighborhood life.

Baltimore City teachers participating in JMM workshop, November 2008

While developing the concept and organizing the myriad logistics for teacher training workshops is sometimes daunting, the benefits for the JMM are numerous. Teachers who participate in these programs become familiar with our Museum and are enthusiastic about the learning opportunities that we offer their students. Participants often become part of our Teacher Advisory Committee and serve as ambassadors to their schools and school systems on our behalf. In addition, they frequently take advantage of our programs and resources. And the education staff benefits from this opportunity to spend time with educators and to learn about the ways in which our Museum can improve the quality and relevance of our programs.

For more information about these programs and other JMM teacher training workshops, contact Deborah Cardin, director of education, at (410) 732-6400 x236 / cardin@jewishmuseummd.org.

Programming Done Right

A blog post by Rachael Binning, outreach coordinator.

Because I only started my job as Outreach Coordinator a few weeks ago I currently have the luxury of observing and shadowing the other staff members on their various project. I got to watch Jobi lead a collections meeting where the Collections Committee decided on what objects should be accessioned into JMM’s vast collection. I’ve followed Deborah and Elena while they led school groups galore through the “A Blessing to One Another” exhibit, and most recently I got to be a participant in Ilene Dackman-Alon’s “Student Immigration Stories.” For the past two Mondays I have traveled to Patterson High School to visit Ms. Franklin’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Class. My experiences were so positive that I decided that I must share a few of them with you .

A few blog posts ago Ilene wrote a bit about “Student Immigration Stories” so I won’t go into the minute details of the program. Instead I’ll give you some visuals to accompany my story.

First, before the class started Ilene, Ms. Franklin, and myself pushed the desks to the side and made a big circle so that the students and teachers were able to sit together and talk. I love the idea of everyone sitting in a circle together because in this class everyone is equal and everyone has a story.

Preparing the room.

Soon the after the bell rang around sixteen students from countries as varied as the Dominican Republic, Nepal, and Eritrea rushed into the classroom. After the class settled down Jennifer Rudick Zunikoff, the storyteller and facilitator, asked each of us to say our names, where we are from, and how to say hello in our native tongue. What impressed me the most today was that despite the fact that there were about six students who spoke Spanish, they were from countries ranging from Mexico to Honduras. Although they spoke the same language, they each had their own accents and terms unique to their country. Lisbeth, who is from the Dominican Republic said that Dominicans tend not to pronounce “s” so when she says good morning in Spanish is sounds like “bueno dia” compared to “buenos dias.”

Lisbeth is from the Dominican Republic and Katie is from Honduras.
Both girls speak Spanish, but have different accents.

Ms. Sally Franklin and her students sitting together as we introduce ourselves.

Jennifer leading the class in a storytelling exercise.
Notice how the students face each other when they share their stories.

The three translators in the class who also shared their stories with us.

The premise of the class is to get students to share stories about their lives with each other. Each time I have participated in these storytelling exercises I have been extremely humbled by the students’ amazing tales and many hardships they have already endured.

I’d like to finish this blog with one final special moment from my experience. Jennifer told the class to think about a family member and a special memory we had with them. She had us actually travel in our minds back to a time with that person and visualize what we were doing with them. For this storytelling experience I was partnered with Agatha, a translator in the class from West Africa. I told Agatha about my memory with my Grandma Sharon. Grandma Sharon didn’t have a lot to give us monetarily, but she was so generous with her love and time. When my sister and I would stay over at Grandma Sharon’s house we would always have a tea party, which consisted of drinking tea heavily diluted with milk in special mini teacups and saucers. We would also have special frosted animal cookies, which was a big treat because we were not allowed to have those at home. Over glasses of tea we would sit around the table and talk and share stories. This was always the highlight of our trip to grandma’s.

Agatha heard this and was immediately reminded of her memories with her grandmother. She would travel from her urban home to her grandmother’s rural house to spend time with her. She would share stories with her grandmother while sitting around a fire and roasting maize. Agatha and I come from extremely different places and from different times, but we both had the same memory of sharing time with our grandmothers.

My entire experience at Patterson High School has been so moving and meaningful. On one hand I’ve realized how lucky and easy my childhood was compared to most of the students in Ms. Franklin’s class. At the same time, I’ve also realized how many similarities and common values I have with my new friends.

Once Upon a Time...

Once Upon a Time 6.4.10

The Baltimore Jewish Times publishes unidentified photographs from the collection of Jewish Museum of Maryland each week. If you can identify anyone in these photos and more information about them, contact Jobi Zink, Senior Collections Manager and Registrar at 410.732.6400 x226 or jzink@jewishmuseummd.org.

Date(s) run in Baltimore Jewish Times: 6/4/10

PastPerfect Accession #: 2007.001.02

Status: Unidentified. Graduating class of Baltimore Hebrew College, June 1927. Front row, seated third from left is (Dr.) Sidney L. Esterson

Special thanks to: Judy Chernak

Teaching American History

Teaching American History

Think back to 5th grade US history. Did you get to read 18th century letters that talked about the formation of the United States? Did you get to see photographs of immigrants arriving in New York? Did you get to listen to a grown women recalling what it had been like to be a child during the Great Depression? Probably you learned history from your teacher and from the textbooks, and not from primary resources (AKA the actual old stuff). But this summer a group of teachers came to the JMM to burry themselves in the actual old stuff and use it for their own lessons. This happens every year as part of the Teaching American History summer institute – the program matches museums throughout Baltimore to teachers researching specific historical topics, with the aim of using primary resources to teach their students. Each museum provides digital copies of materials so that students can see and not just hear about what their teachers have seen. This year the JMM brought out archives related to: “Ethnic Relations in East Baltimore from the late 1800s to the early 1900s,” “Childhood in Baltimore’s Immigrant Neighborhoods,” “Discrimination,” and “Occupations of Immigrants in East Baltimore.” A lot of topics and a lot of researchers. I don’t often have five researchers in at one time – they kept me very busy for two days. More than two days actually.

Teaching American History researchers at work

Many of the teachers who take part in the program have not worked with archives before. As anyone who’s done research knows, it can get overwhelming very quickly, so we try and pull a selection of materials for the teachers – photos, traditional paper archives, maps, oral histories, etc. They can also search through our database to find something just right for their topic. Still it requires a lot of work on the part of the staff and interns (thank you Lindsay and Julia!!!!!!! They actually did most of the prep work.)

Lindsay and Julia

While the Teaching American History days do make a little extra work for me (and the interns), I also get really excited about it. I love primary sources (AKA the actual old stuff). To me that’s what makes history exciting. For me, a class about discrimination has more impact when the teacher can show how communities excluded others.

JMM 1995.201.001

A class about childhood in the 19th century can connect with kids better when they read or hear the words of the people who lived through it. The actual old stuff does make a difference.

Education and Program Position Available.

With a heavy heart, I am leaving the Museum after nearly seven years to take a position with the American Association of Museums in Washington, D.C. It has been such a wonderful experience here at the JMM and leaving is bittersweet. As of such, my job at the Museum will be available. The description is as follows:

EDUCATION AND PROGRAM ASSISTANT/COORDINATOR, JEWISH MUSEUM OF MARYLAND

The Jewish Museum of Maryland, a dynamic, growing museum of regional Jewish history, seeks a program and education assistant. Reporting to the education director, the assistant will help conceptualize and implement a variety of Museum programs and special events, including film series, lectures, tours, performances, and exhibition openings. The assistant will also lead school group tours, and help to write curricula and to develop programs for children and families. Additional duties include providing support for our marketing director. Candidate must be an organized, flexible, motivated self-starter with excellent writing, computer, and communication skills.

Energetic, team oriented work environment. Full-time position with occasional Sundays and evenings. Salary high-20s to low 30s depending on experience, excellent benefits package.

Cover letter, resume, three diverse writing samples, and names of three references to: Deborah Cardin, Director of Education, Jewish Museum of Maryland, 15 Lloyd Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, or email to dcardin@jewishmuseummd.org.

Best wishes to all of you! Lauren

Spotlight on Holocaust Education!

It's hard to believe that we have already wrapped up hosting our fifth annual Holocaust education workshop! What started as a fairly small program has grown into a three day event in early August that included trips to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center. The 34 participants represented a fascinating diversity of backgrounds and specialties. Here's the breakdown:

• Anne Arundel public schools: 1
• Baltimore City public schools: 6
• Baltimore County public schools: 2
• Carroll County public schools: 6
• Cecil County public schools: 2
• Frederick County public schools: 1
• Howard County public schools: 3
• Jewish schools: 3
• Archdiocese of Baltimore: 4
• Graduate students: 3
• JMM volunteers: 2
• Maryland State Department of Education administrator: 1

Here are a couple of photos from Monday at the JMM:


Dr. Nicole Dombrowski of Towson University shares their online digitized archive of materials relating to the Nuremberg Trials.



Storyteller Jennifer Rudick Zunikoff introduces students from Goucher College who have focused on learning and sharing personal testimonies.


Teachers learned about additional resources like this trunk of materials that is available to rent from the Baltimore Jewish Council.

Additionally, participants listened to survivors, watched documentaries, learned best practices from award-winning teachers, received introductions to humanitarian law and Israeli history, explored social action in contemporary situations, heard about education practices in Russia, visited exhibitions, and so much more!

Some of the overwhelmingly positive feedback that we received:

• Thanks so much for the GREAT food, excellent planning, and phenomenal resources!! I am very appreciative of this fabulous institute!!
• Thanks for everything!! Excellent job! Great info!!
• Great job, excellent resources & diversity in topics/speakers
• Wonderful workshop! One of the best I’ve ever taken.
• This was a great experience!
• This was an incredible conference! Thank you for bringing in so many terrific speakers. We learned a lot in a very short amount of time. I was impressed with the breadth of knowledge spanned by the speakers!
• Wonderful seminar – I can’t wait to take it again!

If you are interested in participating next year, please email education coordinator, Lauren Silberman, at lsilberman@jewishmuseummd.org to be notified.

What Does A Typical Week Look Like for JMM Education?

These are just photographs of three of several programs offered during the course of seven days in April at the JMM...

On Wednesday, April 22nd, the JMM welcomed upper middle school students from Sacred Heart, a Catholic school in Mount Washington to tour the Museum. After their tour, students listened to Holocaust survivor, George Rabinek, share his life experiences. That afternoon, a group of museum studies students from Johns Hopkins received a special treat: a behind-the-scenes tour! Only offered to small, older groups, the students were able to see the downstairs collection area in a tour led by Senior Collections Manager, Jobi Zink.


On Thursday, the JMM hosted teachers from Howard County Public Schools for the professional development workshop, Echoes & Reflections, led by Danielle Goldberg from the Anti-Defamation League. The JMM has hosted this workshop for teachers from several jurisdictions and is happy to include more.


At the same time, JMM volunteers were out doing some professional development of their own, touring the Irish Shrine and Railroad Workers Museum. Additionally, JMM education staff led a program for 7th graders from Federal Hill Prep, a Baltimore City Public School.

On Friday, a group of students from Lakeland Elementary, a Baltimore City Public School, toured the Museum. That Sunday brought several groups, including the penultimate session with Kol Ha Lev, a religious school who was showcased in last month's educator e-newsletter. On Monday, one of the education staff led an outreach program at Beit R-J, Baltimore's joint religious evening school for high school students belonging to several Reform affiliated synagogues.

Tuesday brought a large group of students from Potomac High School, a public school from Prince George's County. The students not only toured the Museum and exhibits but also participated in an Archival Exploration in our library on the topic of immigration.

On Wednesday, April 29th, the JMM welcomed students back from Oakland Mills High School, a public school in Howard County. Oakland Mills had brought a different set of students last October. That afternoon, an adult group from Holy Communion Lutheran Church participated in our tour program.

Just another typical week for the education staff at the JMM!

Program Spotlight: Kesher Kit: The Maryland - Israel Connection!

Are you an educator whose class is studying Israel? The Kesher Kit may be perfect for you!

Inspired by the 60th anniversary celebration of the founding of Israel and along with the previous exhibition Dateline Israel: New Photography and Video Art, the JMM created Kesher Kit: The Maryland-Israel Connection, an educational resource that explores connections that Jewish Marylanders have with Israel, past and present.

Each kit includes innovative lesson plans, biographical sketches, timelines, glossaries, and reproductions of archival documents historical photographs, and images from the Dateline: Israel exhibition. (Dateline: Israel was curated by the Jewish Museum in New York.)

The main objective of the kit is to provide engaging and innovative lessons so students can understand the lives of Maryland Zionists during the early years of the establishment of the Jewish state. The lessons enable students to develop critical thinking skills as they examine and analyze contemporary photographs documenting current life in Israel. The lessons are also designed to strengthen the student's own connection to the State of Israel.

Five Marylanders have been included in the resource kit because of their contributions to the establishment of the State of Israel. Included are Henrietta Szold (this lesson is intended for elementary school students but can be modified for high-school students), Rudolf Sonneborn, Dr. Herman Seidel, Mendes I. Cohen and Jacob Blaustein. All of these colorful figures have wonderful stories and each has made a significant contribution to the development of the State of Israel.

Joanie Leeds Rocked the JMM!

Last Monday, over 100 pre-schoolers and their parents enjoyed a great concert by Joanie Leeds at the JMM as part of our annual school's-out program. Check out this video of Joanie playing "Hinei Ma Tov" to the tune of "In the Jungle."

School Spotlight: Baltimore City Public Schools

Teaching American History Workshops at the JMM!

The JMM is committed to partnering with school districts to provide valuable professional development opportunities on a variety of topics. In February, we hosted two workshops in collaboration with Baltimore City and the Irish Railroad Workers Museum sponsored by a Teaching American History grant on the topic of immigration history. As part of the program, teachers listened to UMBC professor Kriste Lindenmeyer provide an overview of immigration history; toured both the JMM and Irish Railroad Workers Museum; received an abundance of teacher resources for classroom use; and learned the value of working with history museums to develop lesson plans. We enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with social studies teachers and to learn from them how we can effectively meet their needs.

Want to see your school spotlighted? Contact Lauren Silberman at lsilberman@jewishmuseummd.org.


Photo of teachers at a teacher training session at the Museum.