JMB on.tour

Grade level: 6 to 13 
Number of participants: max. 30 students 
Length: 3 lesson periods 
Location: a large room e.g. an auditorium or a gymnasium (at least 8 x 8 meters) 
How many times: twice in one on.tour day

The mobile exhibition conveys knowledge about Jewish religion and culture and German-Jewish history as well as the present. Topics can include the Torah and Talmud, dietary laws (Kashrut), the Sabbath (day of rest), Jewish places, the significance of migration stories for present-day Jewish life in Germany and Jewish perspectives on the Holocaust and forms of remembrance.

The workshop revolves around independent, interest-led discovery with the aid of around 40 hands-on exhibits: What does a broken glass, a pack of Fromms condoms or a soccer shirt have to do with Judaism? Discussions with the on.tour facilitators connect questions to young people’s own lives: How do you watch what you eat? Is there anything you don’t eat on principle? What do you want to free yourself from? What languages do you switch between? The museum itself is also part of the discussion: What actually is a Jewish object? What does the Jewish Museum Berlin collect? And what would you donate to a museum or let it exhibit?

The facilitators respond to the individual needs and interests of each group and adapt the contents to the group’s prior knowledge and curriculum. This workshop takes place twice in succession.

Grade level: 8 to 13  
Number of participants: max. 30 students 
Length: 3 lesson periods 
Location: Classroom 
How many times: max. twice in one on.tour day

Who is a Jew? What is Jewish? And what defines me? The workshops is centered on artist Yael Reuveny’s film Four Questions, in which she asks Jews about their Jewish identity. The protagonists present Jewish life today in a multifaceted, contradictory and entertaining way. Participants discuss their own approach to life and share their opinions on the wide-ranging statements in the film. In doing so, they recognize the diversity of Judaism in Germany and can reflect on their own stereotypes.

Grade level: 9 to 13  
Number of participants: max. 30 students 
Length: 3 lesson periods 
Location: Classroom 
How many times: max. twice in one on.tour day

Contempt for Jewish tradition and the rejection of Jews have repeatedly led to hate and violence throughout history. Today, Jewish institutions in Germany are under police protection. In this workshop, we address the complex phenomenon of antisemitism by using film case studies that participants respond to. They discuss the antisemitic nature of the incidents and exchange arguments. The participants’ ideas and experiences will be included in the open discussion. The aim is to exchange perspectives and form one’s own opinion, thereby creating an understanding of what antisemitism is and how it can present itself. 
 

In JMB on.tour, participants explore more than forty exhibits that they can touch, look at, listen to and even taste and smell. There is also a diverse array of biographies, photos, documents, quotes and in-depth explanatory texts. All parts of the exhibition have at least the title printed in Braille, and panels with quotes from Jews, for example on dietary laws, are fully legible in Braille. All texts are written in plain language and have been designed with tactile QR codes that can be used with screen readers. Our trained facilitators tailor the exhibition to participants with disabilities or limitations in the areas of hearing, seeing, moving and understanding.

Various advisory boards were involved in developing JMB on.tour.

Students from two Berlin schools served on the school advisory board where they tested the prototypes and provided important feedback. The Biesalski School in Dahlem has a special pedagogical focus on “physical and motor development” and “autism.” The Refik Veseli School is an integrated secondary school in Kreuzberg.

Experts from the General Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Berlin and the Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences at Humboldt University supported JMB on.tour with their knowledge on the Inclusion Advisory Board.

Editorial staff at the magazine Ohrenkuss checked the texts for readability and, together with the expert Anne Leichtfuss, translated the texts into plain language.