Momentum group tour

Momentum at ANU- Museum of the Jewish People

Time: 60-90 minutes

Goals:

• Jewish People as unified, not uniform
• Showcase diversity of Jewish creative expression and culture throughout time and space
• Emphasize global Jewish unity through shared practices, beliefs and history
• Encourage personal connection through guided self-exploration in galleries

Important points for guides:

1. Less is more
   1. Focus on fewer items in the gallery but use them to go into deeper conversations.
   1. DO NOT tell participants: “I wish we had more time” or “We have to rush through everything”. Participants are busy women, many are working full time jobs and many are mothers. They have taken 10 days out of their lives for this trip, leaving families at home. They don’t want to hear that the time they are dedicating to this trip is “not enough”.
2. Awareness of full range of Jewish world
   1. Focus on what unites the Jewish people: texts, holidays, core beliefs, history.
   1. DO NOT bring participants into the “Streams of Judaism” exhibit on 3^rd floor. It is okay if they explore it on their own, but it should not be a talking point when with the group as a whole.
   1. Sharing about diversity of Jewish culture throughout the world is recommended.
3. Balance of guided tour and self-guided exploration
   1. Tour breakdown:
      1. (5 minutes) Intro to ANU/guided framing of Jewish Peoplehood and museum structure
      1. (7 minutes) 3^rd floor: focus on 1-2 items on floor, discuss modern Jewish mosaic.  Encourage participants to see modern Jewish identity as a mosaic with different sized and colored pieces, but one that fits together to create a stunning masterpiece.
      1. (20 minutes) Give participants time to explore floor. Send off with question: “Find 2 things: one element of the modern Jewish mosaic that speaks to you, and one that you are learning about for the first time.”
      1. (7 minutes) Regroup, share answers.
      1. (5 minutes) 1^st floor: focus on 1-2 items on floor, discuss universal Jewish connections such as Shabbat, texts, life cycle rituals. Encourage participants to share personal stories and connections (ex: “Do you have a family tradition during Shabbat? What powerful memory do you have surrounding a particular life cycle ritual?”)
      1. (7 minutes) Give participants time to explore floor. Send off with question: Find a core element of Judaism that is important for you to pass down to future generations.
      1. (5 minutes) Regroup, share answers.
      1. (3 minutes) Summary of museum: The Jewish story that we tell everyday at ANU- Museum of the Jewish People is one that we are all continuing to write, together. Tell participants they can visit Aroma or the gift shop, or they can have extra time in the galleries to explore. Offer to give quick tour of the second floor for anyone interested. Remind participants you as the guide will be available in the galleries if they have questions or want to speak more about a certain subject.
      1. Total: 59 minutes. Some groups will have this amount of time, some will have more. If groups have more time, allow for more time to share answers or include an extra item on either floor.
      1. Important: due to large total group size and many guides starting their groups at the same time, this tour can begin on either the 1^st or 3^rd floors, and at different parts on those floors.
4. Theme of the day: courage
   1. Focus on courage- אומץ in conversations. How did Jewish women in the past showcase courage, and how do we see modern examples of courage in our communities or in the Jewish world today?