Sept 3, 2010
Jewish Museum
Children 11 and under free. Seniors also receive discounts on some public programs.
Thurs: 11 am – 8 pm
With exhibitions and educational programs that inspire people of all cultural backgrounds, the Jewish Museum explores 4,000 years of art and Jewish culture. The museum was founded in 1904 in the library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, where it has been housed for decades. In 1944, Frieda Schiff Warburg donated her family mansion to the seminary, which has been home to the museum since 1947. Early exhibitions featured avant-garde art, but in the 1970s the museum broadened its scope to encompass all of Jewish culture, including the development of a collection of archaeological material from ancient Israel and an education department. In 1993, the museum completed a $36 million expansion, the centerpiece of which is the exhibit Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey. This exhibit, covering 4,000 years, tells the unfolding story of Jewish culture and identity, and provides a frame of reference for subjects explored in temporary exhibitions.
The museum also operates a 232-seat auditorium, a café, two shops and an education center with classrooms and children's gallery. The education department presents programs for individuals, families and school groups. The Warburg mansion was designed by Charles Gilbert and completed in 1908. The renovation and expansion, designed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates, was unusual in that it extended the Gothic chateau-style of the original mansion to the rest of the building. The result is an astonishing seamlessness that helps to make it one of Fifth Avenue's architectural highpoints.
Programs for Seniors
The museum has outreach programs for senior centers located outside of New York City.
$35
Admission to the museum is free on Saturday.
- Landmark Status
- Directions: Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th Street
- ADA Compliant Restrooms
- Audio Guides
- Coat Check
- Disability Access: Fully accessible; ramp at main entrance
- Disability Assistance: Access tours and programs are free of charge, but require advance registration. Contact the Scheduling and Access Coordinator at (212) 423-3225, TTY (212) 660-1515 or e-mail access@thejm.org.
Hearing: Sign-language interpreted group tours
Vision: Large print materials, touch tours and verbal imaging tours. A tactile book can be used in the galleries by people who read Braille. - Gift Shops: Books, catalogs, audio and video tapes, children's items
- On-Site Food: Cafe Weissman serves cafeteria fare.
- Public Phone
- Space Rental
- Tours
Get involved with Jewish Museum
- Donations through NYCharities.org
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Memberships
See more at NYCkidsARTS
Jewish Museum Listings
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Archaeology Zone: Discovering Treasures from Playgrounds to Palaces
Ongoing This interactive exhibition lets children experience what happens when archaeologists unearth artifacts and analyze them, looking for clues about life in the past.
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South African Projections: Films by William Kentridge
Sun, May 2, 2010 – Sun, Sept 19, 2010 This South African artist’s work is acclaimed for its theatrical qualities and for the artist's extraordinary techniques. Charcoal drawings are successively revised, erased, redrawn, photographed and presented as film. The four films on view depict two fictional Jewish characters who embody the social, political and moral legacy of apartheid.
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Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey
Ongoing This two-floor exhibition features objects from the museum's collection, which documents the Jewish experience over a 4000-year period.