Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York
36 Battery Pl
New York, NY 10280
(646) 437-4200
www.mjhnyc.org
Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York
36 Battery Pl
New York, NY 10280
(646) 437-4200
www.mjhnyc.org
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My visit to the Museum of Jewish Heritage with my family about two years ago was an unforgetable and yet heartbreaking experience. All my life, I have heard learned so much about the Holocaust, whether it was in academic school, religious school or from doing research on my own. I’ve been privledged to hear 2-3 Holocaust survivor speakrers, and have been told so many stories by my grandparents about both my surviving ancestors who escaped the concentrations camps and came to America, and those who suffered and died. When my brothers became of age, my parents thought that visiting this museum would be an essential learning experience and a time for us for think about and cherish our Jewish Heritage while learned about the disturbing past. This was the first time I had ever been to a Holocaust museum, or even a memorial museum for that matter. Listening to the stories of hundreds of people, seeing artifacts, pictures and documentary clips was trully disturbing but so important at the same time. In my eyes, this museum is a reality of what occured but also a memorial of those who died, as a way of honoring their life. It was extremely impossible to walk through the entirety of the museum and try to imagine the pain these innocent people suffered through without getting emotional. I remember having a tough time , but it was of course completely worth it and i gained so much knowledge about the Jewish culture from the endless exhibits and interactions with the people there. Something that stands out was walking outside through the “memorial garden.” Not only was it breathtaking because it was directly over the Hundson River, but it was reviving and symbolic in a way. Within the garden , there are 18 boulders that were hollowed out with a tree growing inside it. The number 18 is very significant in the Jewish culture, signifying “chai” the word for life. The trees growing out of the rocks were almost a way of saying how even in the worst of situations, the Jewish culture still lives and grows and life still exists. It was incredible. I strongly encourage others who have not visited to go because it is a difficult, but memorable experience. I want to go again soon because you can never learn enough about history and hope to have another rewarding yet challenging experience.