Evangelical Programs
All tours are 60-90 mins long, depending on the group.
The Jewish and Christian Experience
This tour takes us through ancient Israel for a profound exploration of the foundations of Christian and Jewish beliefs. We start our tour with a discussion about theological beliefs in the time of Christ.
Floor 1: We explore an interactive display about Jewish time, showing how the Jewish year, month and week are structured. A work of contemporary video art inspires us to talk about Shabbat – the Jewish day of rest, and the Covenant – the sacred contract between God and man according to Christian and Jewish faith. We see examples of Christian Bibles – a Catholic Vulgata, Luther’s Bible translation into German and an example of the Kings Bible. We learn how these texts formed not only the nucleus of faith and practice, but also how they continue to reverberate throughout history.
Floor 2: The second part of the tour delves into more concrete history, specifically that of Second Temple Judaism – the time of Christ, and when the Christian faith was formed. We look at original archaeological artifacts, such as a jar from Qumran – where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. A sect of Jews and their writings had a profound impact on Christianity, and the writings found in these jars give us a unique peek at the shared core beliefs of the two faiths. We will also see a diorama, depicting the formation of Christianity and its separation from Judaism. We end our tour at an ancient sarcophagus – showing signs of the foundation of belief in an afterlife, rebirth and the eternity of the soul.
Jewish History and Major Migrations
This tour follows Jewish history and its major migrations while looking at relevant historical and cultural artifacts.
Floor 2: We start with an 8-minute film that tells the story of the movements of the Jewish people through time and place – from Abraham in Ur to the modern State of Israel. We explore Judaism of the 2nd Temple era through an ancient jar from Qumran, where the scrolls of a Jewish sect were kept for thousands of years. A diorama gives us a look at a scene during the time of the separation of the two faiths – Christianity and Judaism. We explore an original sarcophagus from that time, which shows us the signs and symbols of a common belief in rebirth.
We discuss the enduring beliefs that Jews carried around with them in their migrations across the globe.
Floor 1: We visit a work of modern art about the Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, accepted as a day of cosmic rebirth. We talk about the Covenant – as found in the Hebrew Bible and the gospels, and end our tour with a closer look at extraordinary examples of Christian Bibles – to understand how history and beliefs are enveloped in scripture to this day.
Crypto Jews
Latin American Crypto Jews (Conversos) can link their history back to the very origins of Judaism.
Floor 2: We frame our tour with an introductory film about the history of the Jewish people. We explore the “Communities Wall” – an interactive display consolidating research about Jewish communities around the world. This wall includes 50 original illustrations of prominent figures throughout history. A letter from Rav Naturai Gaon of the 9th century documents the rise of the Jews of Babylon as the dominant cultural force of the time. This religious hub transferred to Spain – Sepharad in Hebrew, where perhaps the greatest cultural Jewish center in history flourished.
In a display center dedicated to Sepharad and Ashkenaz, we visit precious artifacts from this cultural center, such as illustrated biblical manuscripts and the seal of the Jewish community of Seville, Spain. The genesis of the Crypto-Jewish community was a result of increasing expulsions and conversions in 15th century Spain. This moment in history is exemplified by the statues of Synagoga and Iglesia, exemplifying the religious intolerance of the time. We visit a replica of the Santa Maria chapel – a former synagogue where forced conversions were known to take place.
An animated movie recreates the Shabbat service of a Crypto-Jewish family in Ladino, from the time of the expulsion. We see personal artifacts from families in Belmonte, Portugal and across the Mediterranean – where some Jews lived their lives in secret.
Floor 1: Our tour ends in the Synagogue Hall, where we learn how new communities were founded by Sephardic Jews in the Netherlands, the Caribbean and the British colonies of North America. The museum’s renowned synagogue models illuminate how these migrating communities of Crypto-Jews founded communities in South, Central and North America.