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The Jewish Museum
When I found out that we had to pick a museum on our own, I really had no idea where I wanted to go. I’ve never been a huge fan of museums, so none of the museums really stood out to me. As I visited the three mandatory museums, I began becoming more interested in museums and all the different exhibits that they offer. However, I wanted to do something outside of the artistic realm that the three prior museums revolved around. I started looking for museums that would be more educational in a cultural sense. As I researched museums, the Jewish Museum stood out to me. Seeing how I was raised in an Islamic household, I didn’t know much about the Jewish culture. Therefore, I decided to visit the Jewish Museum as my own personal museum.
Walking into the Jewish Museum, the first exhibit that caught my eyes were the many Hanukkah lamps. I soon found out that the Jewish Museum actually has the largest collection of Hanukkah lamps in the Western hemisphere. As I walked around, I saw hundreds of different Hanukkah lamps. Each of them unique in their own way. The museum also had many little subtitles which explained fundamental Jewish culture and educated the visitors about Hanukkah.
As I walked along the museum, I found myself infront of the Houdini exhibit. Houdini had always been one of my favorite magicians as a kid. As I grew up, I was completely enthralled by magic. I loved the sense of illusion and mystique it gave off. That made Houdini a must see exhibit for me.
Through impossibly daring feats Harry Houdini (1874-1926) captivated audiences worldwide, and his legendary escapes instill awe to this day. The museum featured many of his magic apparatus such as his strait jacket, handcuffs, and milk cans. The exhibit also talks about how Houdini was a magician in two different aspects. In one aspect, he was incredible in escaping physical constraints. However, in another aspect, he was also incredible in escaping the metaphysical constraints. Houdini was able to leave Budapest all the way to New York and was able to succeed in New York.
Overall, I enjoyed going to the Jewish Museum a lot. It was a great experience for me to be exposed to another religion’s ideas and holidays and really widened my knowledge about Jewish people. It has some really incredible exhibits, and the Houdini exhibit is a definite must see for any magic lovers!
