Scrapbook of an American Community

Transcription

1 j e w i s h w a s h i n g t o n Scrapbook of an American Community An activity guide for elementary school students and families Presented by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington and its Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum

2 Create your own scrapbook as you fill out this book! It has two sections: Part I: Complete this part as you look at the panels in the exhibit. Part II: Complete this part at home. Don t miss the two word puzzles at the end of the scrapbook!

3 part i: A Scrapbook of Jewish Washington The answers to these questions are on the exhibit panels. Just look for the titles and photographs. First Jews, First Congregation Washington s first known Jewish resident built these large houses (below). What was his name? Daniel Boone Moses Sexias Isaac Polock When did he arrive?

4 Seventh Street, Northwest & Half a Day on Sunday In the 1800s and early 1900s, many Jewish immigrants lived in downtown Washington, near what is now the Verizon Center. Many ran small shops called mom-and-pop stores. Entire families worked in the stores, including kids! These stores provided everything that the surrounding neighborhood needed. Which of these items do you think Jewish shopkeepers sold in their stores? Groceries Clothing Cell phones Penny candy Hardware Video games

5 Minnie Lansburgh Goldsmith Minnie Lansburgh Goldsmith lived from 1871 to That s 100 years a whole century! She spent her whole life helping people in many ways. She put together food baskets for poor families and bought shoes for orphaned children. The Hebrew word for this kind of work is tzedakah. When did Minnie Lansburgh Goldsmith begin raising money for charities? Age 18 Age 25 Age 40 What did children at the Jewish Foster Home call Minnie Lansburgh Goldsmith? Mrs. Goldsmith Aunt Minnie Minnie Mouse 5

6 6 Saving the Children During World War II, Jewish children in Europe were in danger. Jewish women in Washington raised money to send these children to Palestine (now Israel) and out of danger. Look for the word aliyah on this panel. What does this Hebrew word mean? Leaving Israel Vacationing in Israel Moving to Israel aliyah

7 A Dream Comes True By the early 1900s, Jews in Europe and America were dreaming of a Jewish homeland. These people were called Zionists. Many Zionists in Washington lobbied Congress and raised money to help support a new Jewish country. Their dream came true when Israel was founded on May 14, How did Washington Zionists react when they heard the news? They danced and sang. They raised the new Israeli flag. They cried with joy. (Did you notice this is a trick question? All of the answers are correct!) 7

8 8 Growing Up Jewish Look for pictures of children learning about being Jewish. Which of these things do you do to learn about your religion? Go to camp Light candles Join youth group activities Become a bar or bat mitzvah Go to school Blow a shofar (a ram s horn) Expanding in All Directions The Jewish community has grown and expanded since In the mid-1900s, people began moving from the city to the suburbs in Maryland and Northern Virginia. They built new stores, schools, synagogues, and community buildings. This panel shows several new buildings. Which ones have you seen? Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia Hebrew Home of Greater Washington Jewish Social Services Agency The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

9 Part II: Your Scrapbook 2 Ask your family for help answering these questions.

10 10 Your History Who was the first person in your family to arrive in America? Where did that relative come from? When did that relative arrive? Who was the first person in your family to come to the Washington area? Where did that relative come from? When did that relative arrive? Where were you born? Put a picture of you, your family, or your neighborhood here!

11 Your Synagogue The oldest synagogue in the Washington, D.C. area is now the Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum. It was built by Adas Israel Congregation in This photo shows the synagogue being moved three blocks in 1969 to save it from being torn down. Do you belong to a synagogue or congregation? What is it called? Paste or draw a picture of a synagogue you ve visited below. Does it look like the Small Jewish Museum? What is the same? What is different? 11

12 12 Your Tzedakah People can give tzedakah, or charity, in many different ways. You can donate time or money to a cause, or you can do kind things for people. Being nice to someone who really needs a friend is an easy way to give tzedakah! How do your parents or grandparents help other people? You don t need to be a grown-up to do good work. What do you do with friends, family, school, or youth groups to support your community?

13 Your Heritage Ask your grandparents or other older people if they remember when Israel became a country in Who remembers? Where were they living at that time? How did they feel? 13

14 14 Your Neighborhood Only a few mom-and-pop stores remain today. However, some of the small businesses that were begun by Jewish families are still around. Some of them have grown from just one, small store to many, larger stores in Washington, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Which of these stores have you shopped in with your family? (Year first opened in parentheses) Hecht s* (1896) Giant (1936) Magruder s** (1875) G Street Fabrics (1941) Shalom s Kosher Market (1974) Marlo Furniture (1955) Max s Kosher Café (1994) * Hecht s has been sold and will be renamed Macy s in Fall ** Originally opened in 1875, Magruder s was bought by a Jewish family in 1967.

15 Activities Word Find Word Bank AMERICAN LIFE TZEDAKAH EXHIBIT SCRAPBOOK ZIONIST answers:

16 Activities Crossword Puzzle 1. The nation s capital 2. English word for tzedakah 3. The study of the past 4. Jewish country, established in Something you put in scrapbooks to preserve memories 6. Aunt Minnie gave a of service (Hint: 100 Years!) answers:, an exhibition created by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington/Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum. Activity guide developed for JHSGW by Dr. Laura Burd Schiavo, with assistance from Rabbi Toby Manewith and Amy Federman. Revised by Erin McCormally with assistance from Nathalie Lavine and Sharon Barry. Designed by Addison Hall Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum Contact us at or info@jhsgw.org Visit us online at