Museum Offers FREE Day For Families

National Museum of American Jewish History Honors

Legacy of Martin Luther King on Monday, Jan. 16

Museum to be Open and Free with Family Activities

            The National Museum of American Jewish History is specifically opening and will be free for family-friendly activities and exhibition exploration in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Monday, Jan.16, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

            Among the activities taking place are:

·        The Museum is partnering with the Fleisher Art Memorial to offer a painting project. Appropriate for children ages 5 and up, children will be asked to visualize the meaning and feeling of freedom and will then paint those images. This activity takes place from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

·        Self-guided tours highlighting artifacts related to the struggle for civil rights and equality in America will be available for all visitors.

·        The Museum will be screening episodes of Eyes on the Prize in the Dell Theater.  Through contemporary interviews and historical footage, the 14-hour television series covers all of the major events of the civil rights movement from 1954-1985.

When Eyes on the Prize premiered in 1987, The Los Angeles Times called it "an exhaustive documentary that shouldn't be missed." The series went on to win six Emmys and numerous other awards, including an Academy Award nomination, the George Foster Peabody Award, and the top duPont-Columbia award for excellence in broadcast journalism.

·        Visitors will also be able to take part in two of the Museum’s interactive technology exhibits that will have been customized to engage participants in discussions of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.

            The multimedia Contemporary Issues Forum™ offers visitors the opportunity to engage             in real-time discussions about important and provocative issues facing the American             Jewish community and the world today. Visitors will be asked, “Has Martin Luther         King’s dream been realized?” and invited to share their responses with other visitors in          the gallery and on the Museum’s online forum.

            The “It’s Your Story”™ video recording booth invites visitors to share their family         histories and personal memories, which the Museum archives for public viewing and    sharing through online links.  On Jan. 16, visitors will be prompted to complete the sentence “I have a dream that one day.…”

            By participating in the Contemporary Issues Forum™ and the “It’s Your Story”™ video           recording booth, visitors will be able to make a contribution to keeping Dr. King’s legacy of service alive.

  
The National Museum of American Jewish History, located in the heart of historic Philadelphia, tells the story of American Jews from their arrival in North America more than 350 years ago to

the present – exhibiting and interpreting the American Jewish experience in a100,000-square-foot, five-story building on Independence Mall. It is the only museum in the nation dedicated solely to telling the story of Jews in America. The Museum interprets how Jews shape and are shaped by America, explores the blessings and challenges of freedom, and provides opportunities for visitors to contribute their own stories.