Shoebox Synagogues

As an educator at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, my job has different facets. I give tours about the Lloyd Street Synagogue and the Jonestown neighborhood to school groups, I help create content for new exhibitions, make flyers and promotional material, and one of my favorite things, crafting. Gluing, cutting, stenciling, folding, coloring, and designing are some of the things that went into our All American Synagogue craft.

On May 1, 2016 the All American Synagogue was the first program of many to denote how different parts of the third oldest synagogue in the United States had aspects of it made in America. The All American Synagogue is in association with MADE: In America and Carroll Mansion, this years’ All American Home. The Education team brainstormed collectively as to what we could create to celebrate our All American Synagogue, the Lloyd Street Synagogue. Out of a shoebox, a jewelry box, paper, felt, stencils, and photographs printed on labels, became a diorama of a synagogue.

Examples of synagogues the Education team created
Examples of synagogues the Education team created

A lot of effort was put into creating this craft and I could not have done it without the entire Education team. Pinterest did not offer a pre-made solution so we needed to create our own. Thank you to our Programs Manager, Trillion Attwood who created the triangle pediment that went on top of our ark. Our Education Director, Ilene Dackman-Alon who found a photograph of what the murals on the ceiling of the Lloyd Street Synagogue used to look like. The photographs that I took of the stained glass windows, the Hebrew writing on the pediment, and the bricks needed to be printed and cut. Thank you to our interns, Shoshana and Leah who helped me with this task.

The Education Staff cutting out the different aspects of the synagogue
The Education Staff cutting out the different aspects of the synagogue

All of our hard work and effort was worth it this past Sunday. It was great to see families at the museum creating their own synagogues. Everybody has a different way of viewing and creating art and I believe these synagogues that our visitors created will be a long lasting memory of their time spent at the Jewish Museum of Maryland! We hope more visitors will come see our other programs associated with the All American Synagogue. On Sunday, May 29, 2016 we are having a block party called Welcome to Jonestown and on Sunday, June 26, 2016 we are having a part lecture/workshop called A Glimpse into the World of Sofer. Bell, Book, and Candle is our specialty tour that will occur every Sunday at 3 pm. Come be a history detective and we hope to see you there!

Some examples of some of the synagogues our visitors created
Some examples of some of the synagogues our visitors created

A blog post by Museum Educator Kelly Suredam. To read more posts by Kelly click HERE.

Categories
Education jewish museum of maryland JMM Synagogue Stories Lloyd Street Synagogue Synagogue Stories

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