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.

TOTALLY TORAH

KS2: QCA Unit 6C: Why are sacred texts important?

KS2: 1B: Describe the variety of practices and ways of life in religions and understand how these stem from, and are closely connected with, beliefs and teachings.

• What is the Torah? What does it say?
• See Torah scrolls and handle Torah decorations from the museum’s collection.
• Explore the Hebrew alphabet.
• Try writing with a quill and ink like a scribe or illustrate your name in Hebrew.
• Design your own metal Torah breastplate OR group challenge to make a Torah breastplate and 'rimonim'.

FESTIVAL FOCUS Adaptable for different festivals: Passover, Purim, Hanukah, Sukkot, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

KS2: QCA Unit RA: What are harvest festivals? What is the Jewish festival of Sukkot?

KS2: 1B: Describe the variety of practices and ways of life in religions and understand how these stem from, and are closely connected with, beliefs and teachings.

• Act out a story from Jewish history.
• How do Jewish people celebrate Jewish festivals today?
• Explore objects, traditions and taste food connected to the festival.
• Related arts and crafts activities.

WHAT TO WEAR?

KS2: 1B: Describe the variety of practices and ways of life in religions and understand how these stem from, and are closely connected with, beliefs and teachings.

• Learn about and try on traditional and ritual items of Jewish clothing.
• Who wears them and why?
• Design your own kippah (skullcap) and tie your own tzitzit (fringes).

SHABBAT SHALOM

KS2: 1B: Describe the variety of practices and ways of life in religions and understand how these stem from, and are closely connected with, beliefs and teachings.

KS2: 3F: Teachings and authority: What sacred texts and other sources say about God, the world and human life.

• Why do Jewish people have a day of rest?
• Discover Sabbath traditions and rituals through role-play.
• Learn a Sabbath song.
• Hear a Sabbath story.
• Decorate a candle, candleholder, spice pouch or kiddush cup.

ILLUMINATING JUDAISM (KS1 and KS2)

KS1: QCA Unit 1E: How do Jewish people express their beliefs in practice?

KS2: 1B: Describe the variety of practices and ways of life in religions and understand how these stem from, and are closely connected with, beliefs and teachings.

• See and handle different types of Jewish candles and lamps used in the home, synagogue and for festivals.
• Explore the importance of light and what it represents.
• Decorate your own candle holder, make a candle or design a stained glass picture.

HOME AND SYNAGOGUE - full day (half-day workshop also offered for either home or synagogue)

KS2: QCA Unit 6A: Worship and community.

• Explore the items you would find in a synagogue (am).
• Explore the items you would find in a Jewish home (pm).
• Spend time in the galleries looking at beautiful and unusual examples of the objects...
• Related object handling.
• Related creative activities.

A TASTE OF JUDAISM

KS2: 2B: Respond to the challenges of commitment both in their own lives and within religious traditions, recognising how commitment to a religion is shown in a variety of ways.

• Learn about what makes food ‘kosher’. How is Kosher food marked?
• Design a kosher meal for a Jewish family.?
• Find out about traditional or festival foods.
• Make/taste some traditional Jewish foods.

MAKE A MINI-MUSEUM Interfaith link (basic knowledge about Judaism required if run as a half-day session)

KS2: Unit 4D What religions are represented in our neighbourhood?

• What is a museum and what are museums for?
• Why is there a Jewish Museum?
• What are the key elements of Judaism? (Related object handling)
• How are they shown in our ‘Faith’ gallery? Post visit: (supported by guidance from the Jewish Museum London)
• Students take on the role of curators to create a mini-museum of different faiths back at school, using objects, text and activities for other classes from their school or other local schools to visit!

THEN AND NOW - 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?

• Pre-visit: Find out where your family originates from… (Just a couple of questions to research!)
• How and why did so many Jewish immigrants come to live in London between 1880 and 1914?
• What was life like for immigrants in the east End of London ~100 years ago compared to life 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.

CHANGE AND RESPONSIBILITY – BARMITZVAH/BATMITZVAH (Year 6 only)

KS2: 3K: Religion and the individual: What is expected of a person in following a religion or belief?

• Consider the rights and responsibilities which come with age and changing school.
• When do you become an ‘adult’ according to Judaism?
• How do Jewish boys and girls mark this occasion?

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 LAST GOODBYE (Resource book also available to purchase)
Trace the tragic separation of children from their families in order to find safety in Britain in 1938 and 1939. Explore concepts such as prejudice, propaganda, scapegoating, fear, loss, separation and rescue. Draw links with contemporary areas of conflict and refugee experiences.

ONE SUITCASE
Either in conjunction with the Last Goodbye programme or as a separate session, 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.

We are offering a new package to schools, where children benefit from 3 different Jewish Museum London learning experiences during their time at primary school:

1. KS1 – Visit to a local synagogue within Greater London (run by an education officer)
2. KS2 – Visit to the museum for an interactive half-day workshop (with the option of expanding this to a full day) This workshop can be a Discovering Judaism workshop OR a Kindertransport workshop to link into World War II studies. A full-day workshop could cover both topics.
3. Use of the Discovering Judaism loan box – loaned to your school for two weeks per year, at a time of your choice.

The cost of this scheme is either £135 or £210 per year based on a class of 30 children.
Breakdown of costs:
KS1 trip – £60
KS2 workshop – £75 (or £150 for full day)
Loan box – free! (only a £50 returnable deposit in case of damages)
Total – £135 per year (or £210 per year including a full-day museum workshop)