The museum offers a range of education programmes specifically designed for pupils at Jewish schools, heder and religion school groups...

These programmes provide a forum for thought provoking, hands-on encounters, exciting activities and inspiration for creative projects.

TOTALLY TORAH (KS1, KS2 and KS3)

• How is a Torah scroll made?
• See a variety of Torah decorations and covers from around the world.
• Handle Torah decorations and accessories from the museum’s collection.
• Write with a quill and ink like a scribe.
• Design and make your own Torah breastplate.
• See examples of other beautiful handwritten items: eg. megillot, ketubot.
• Focus on the Ten Commandments (optional). (KS2/3)

MAKE A MINI MUSEUM (KS2, 3 and 4) Interfaith and citizenship links optional

KS3: (NNSGRE) 3l: Interfaith dialogue: A study of relationships, conflicts and collaboration within and between religions and beliefs. KS4 Citizenship QCA Unit 7: Taking part – planning a community event.

• What is a museum and what are museums for?
• Why do humans collect things?
• What should be in a ‘Jewish Museum’?
• Where did our collections come from?
• Explore and critique the Museums galleries! Post visit: (Optional) - supported by guidance from the Jewish Museum London
• Students take on the role of curators to create a mini-museum of Judaism back at school, using objects, text and activities for classes from local schools to visit!

HANUKAH HIGHLIGHTS (KS1 and KS2) Optional literacy and art links

• Re-enact/‘hot seat’ the Hanukah story.
• See the museum’s Hanukah lamps in the galleries and via the handling collection.
• Find all the menorahs featured in our galleries…
• Related craft activities. Options:
• Decorate 8 tea lights to make a simple Hanukah lamp (KS1)
• Make a 'stained glass' picture inspired by the museums Hanukah lamps. (KS1/2)
• Make a lantern from recycled glass jars. (KS1/2)
• Make your own candle. (KS1/2/3)
• Decorate your own wooden dreidle. (KS1/2)
• Related creative writing activity – Literacy link. (Year 2 upwards)

PESACH PARAPHERNALIA (KS1, KS2 and KS3)

• Re-enact/‘hot seat’ the Pesach story.
• Explore and handle related objects from the museum’s collection.
• Discover related objects and traditions from other countries. Options:
• Make a frog puppet to use at your seder! (KS1)
• Make a class hagada (KS1/2)
• Make an Egyptian headdress (KS1/2)
• Design and make a symbolic seder plate as a class) to represent Jews living in Britain today. (KS2/3)
• Who was Elijah and how do we remember him? (KS2/3)
• Paint your own ceramic seder plate (KS2/3) – Additional charge: £1.50 per pupil

ILLUMINATING JUDAISM (KS1, KS2 and KS3) Optional art and literacy links

• Explore the symbolism of light in general and in Judaism.
• See and handle different types of Jewish candlesticks and lamps from the museum’s collections. Options:
• Decorate Shabbat candle holders (KS1)
• Make a 'stained glass' picture. (KS1/2)
• Make a lantern from recycled glass jars. (KS1/2)
• Make your own candle. (KS1/2/3)
• Creative writing activity – Literacy link. (Year 2 upwards)

SHABBAT SHALOM (KS1, KS2 and KS3) Art link

• Find out how Jews in other countries and times celebrated Shabbat.
• See beautiful and unusual Shabbat related objects form the museum’s collection.
• Create large group collages, inspired by the symbols and objects seen in the gallery.

SAYING GOODBYE: HAVDALAH (KS1, KS2 and KS3) History and Art & Design links

History KS2: Life in Britain in the 1930s (kindertransport)

DT link: QCA Unit 5 – containers

• What is the symbolism behind Havdalah?
• See and handle Havdalah objects from the museum’s collection.
• Learn the story of a spicebox with an amazing past. Options:
• Make a besamim pouch. (KS1/2)
• Make an A3 havdalah placemat to use at home, inspired by patterns found in our gallery.(KS1/2)
• Play ‘guess the spice’. (KS2/3)
• Design and make a 3D cardboard besamim tower.(KS2/3/4)
• Make your own havdalah candle. (KS2/3)
• Make a whole ‘havdalah kit’. (KS1/2/3) - additional charge: £1.50 per pupil

AROUND THE WORLD (KS2,3 and 4)

• Which countries have Jewish people moved to Britain from?
• See the beautiful objects they brought with them...
• Learn about the sigificance of symbols featured on many of the objects, from a crescent on a Turkish besamim tower, German Shabbat lamps to the 'hamsa' symbol.
• Related creative activities.

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? (BRITISH / JEWISH IDENTITY) (Year 6 and KS3) Citizenship link. Optional art and literacy links.

KS2 QCA Citizenship Unit 05: Living in a diverse world.

KS3 QCA Citizenship Unit 04: Britain - a diverse society?

KS4 QCA Citizenship Unit 03: Challenging racism and discrimination: Where do we come from? What are our communities like?

• What makes you who you are?
• Consider the effect of factors such as family, belief, gender, appearance, name, occupation and home.
• Which of these relate to being British / Jewish? Which is dominant?
• Explore the identity of characters featured in our ‘Faith’ and ‘History’ galleries. Options:
• Create a portrait of a British Jew living in London today.
• Write an acrostic poem about your personal identity.

CHANGE AND RESPONSIBILITY: BAR MITZVAH and BAT MITZVAH (KS3)

Optional Holocaust link: (History) QCA Unit 19: Rights and responsibilities.

Optional Art and design link: QCA Unit 9A: Life events.

_ History link: QCA Unit 19: Rights and responsibilities’._

• Consider the rights and responsibilities which come with age and changing school.
• What religious responsibilities are expected of Jewish people?
• What social responsibilities are expected of Jewish people? (Optional focus on Jewish charities for students to use as inspiration for a charity project to mark their Bar / Bat mitzvah.)
• Consider how young people had to make life altering decisions during the Holocaust.
• Use the museum’s portraits, photos and images to think how you would portray yourself at Bar/Bat Mitzvah age.

CONTAINERS (KS1, KS2 and KS3) (half day inspiration session or full day practical session available)

Art and design link: QCA Unit 5 – containers.

• What is a container?’
• Why are they important to humans and for Jewish practice?
• Explore some of the beautiful containers in the museum’s collection.
• Object handling – everyday and mystery containers!
• Make your own (Jewish) container (full day session only)

SIGNS AND SYMBOLS (KS2, KS3 and KS4)

• What is a ‘symbol’?
• Why are they useful? Are they always useful?
• Where do Jewish symbols originate from?
• Explore the signs and symbols in the museum’s galleries and handling collection.
• Design your own family coat of arms.

Please also visit the museum for:

Art and Design QCA Unit 9: Visiting a museum, gallery or site (KS1/2)

Art and Design QCA Unit 10: Visiting a museum, gallery or site (KS3/4)

Enabling pupils to discover Jewish history.

THEN AND NOW (KS2, KS3 and KS4) History and Citizenship links

KS2 QCA History Unit 2: What were homes like a long time ago?

KS2 QCA History Unit 11: What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?

KS2 QCA History Unit 12: How did life change in our locality in Victorian times?

KS2 QCA History Unit 18: What was it like to live here in the past?

KS4 QCA Citizenship Unit 03: Challenging racism and discrimination: Where do we come from? What are our communities like?

• Pre-visit: Find out where your family originates from… (Just a couple of questions to research!)
• How and why did so many Jews come to live in London?
• What was life like for Jews in London 100 years ago compared to now?
• Step back in time and meet the Jablonsky family from the East End…
• Handle trade and home related objects used by Jewish Londoners in the past.
• Who are the immigrant groups in London today?
• Play a Victorian parlour game! (KS2) Recommended: Post workshop, the class could go on a walking tour of the East End. Suggested follow up work: A study investigating how your schools local area has changed over a long period of time.

WHO WAS JANUSZ KORCZAK? (outreach only) * What did this man do and why was he so special?
* Related art, craft, drama and poetry activities
* History links: World War II, Holocaust
* Citizenship
* Adaptable for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4

ONE SUITCASE
This programme focuses on the stories of individual Kindertransport refugees who will meet students and tell their story, reflecting on the impact of the experience on their life.

CITIZEN TO CITIZEN
Use passports, refugee documentation and testimony from Holocaust survivors to stimulate discussion and debate about human rights, identity and democracy. In conjunction with a filmed encounter with Holocaust survivor Leon Greenman OBE.

BE TOUCHED BY HISTORY
Use artefacts, documents, photographs and maps as tools for examining evidence and developing skills such as interpretation, analysis and empathy.

THE BOYS
the story of a group of teenage Holocaust survivors admitted to Britain after World War II, produced in association with the book by eminent historian Sir Martin Gilbert.

All education programmes must be booked in advance. For more information on educational activities at the Jewish Museum please contact our education officers on +44 (0)20 7284 7384 or education@jewishmuseum.org.uk.