As many of us know, New York boasts the largest percentage of Jews in America. But were you also aware that New York is the second-largest Jewish area in the world, coming in only after Tel-Aviv? Yup.
Knowing that, it’s easy to see why New York City is home to so many Jewish hot-spots. If you ever have a free afternoon or morning, you’d be remiss not to check out a few of these fascinating, culturally significant museums that are simply saturated with Jewish history. And out-of-town seniors: make sure to visit at least one of these historic sites before you graduate!
Ellis Island Immigration Museum: My personal favorite, Ellis Island is a must-see—if you haven’t been there yet already. Famous for being the gateway to America for 12 million immigrants, many of your ancestors probably stepped foot here. At times chilling, moving, and fascinating, Ellis Island could be a full-day trip (and many tourists combine it with the Statue of Liberty visit on Liberty Island). Highlights include the Registry Room in the Immigrant Inspection Station, the Flag of Faces, and the Wall of Honor.
There is no admission fee for the museum, but you’ll need to pay for the ferry there and back. Statue Cruises provides ferry transportation to Ellis Island from Battery Park in New York and Liberty State Park in New Jersey from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
(212) 363-6307
Adults: $8
Children (3-17): $3
Lower East Side Tenement Museum: The Lower East Side became the home of Ashkenazic Jewry in the late 1800s, and this museum is an architectural fossil of the era. The Tenement Museum is a renovated apartment building, so you’ll walk through rooms that have practically been untouched since that time. Different tours, such as “Hard Times,” “Sweatshop Workers,” and “Shop Life” reveal the inside stories and struggles of our nation’s first immigrants. Nearby, on 400 Grand St., the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy also offers walking tours of the street areas.
103 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
(212) 982-8420
Adults: $22
Students: $17
(“Shop Life” tours are $3 extra)
Museum of Jewish Heritage: Located in Battery Park, the Museum of Jewish Heritage is committed to preserving the history of Jewish life in Europe before, during, and after the Holocaust. Special exhibitions now include “Against the Odds: American Jews & the Rescue of Europe’s Refugees, 1933-1941” and “Hava Nagila: A Song for the People,” on view through April 22, 2014. Serving as memorial to the millions who tragically were murdered, the museum also features permanent exhibitions year-round, and makes for a meaningful visit on Tisha B’av or Yom HaShoah (Day of Holocaust Remembrance). There’s free admission every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
36 Battery Pl New York, NY 10280
(646) 437-4202
Adults $12
Students: $7
Children 12 and under are admitted for free.
The Jewish Museum: Founded in 1904 in the Warburg mansion on New York’s Museum Mile, just three blocks away from the Guggenheim, the Jewish Museum highlights art and Jewish culture. There are currently 25,000 findings and artifacts for history-lovers to revel in, but its permanent exhibition, “Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey,” is offered year round, and tells the story of the Jews through different forms of art and media. Currently, a special, never-before-shown exhibition featuring artwork by famed Jewish artist Marc Chagall on the topic of “Love, War, and Exile” can be viewed through February 2014. On Thursday evenings from five to 8:30, it’s “Pay-what-you-wish.”
1109 5th Ave New York, NY 10128
(212) 423-3200
Adults: $15
Students: $7.50
18 and under: Free
The Anne Frank Center USA: Though the Franks’ real old house still exists on Frankfurt am Main, Germany, this museum was founded in 1977 by Anne’s own father Otto Frank. Here, the famous author of Diary of a Young Girl is revealed through interactive exhibits that draw on excerpts from Anne’s diary as well as stories and pictures of her and the people who hid with her. In one room, with life-sized photography of Anne’s old bedroom, viewers can listen to parts of Anne’s diary being read aloud, as well as ambient noise in the foreground.
4 Park Place
New York, NY 10007
Tel: 212 431 7993
Adults: $8
Students and seniors: $5