The Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum sits on Manhattan’s famous Museum Mile inside a stunning French Gothic-style The Jewish Museum sits on Manhattan’s famous Museum Mile inside a stunning French Gothic-style chateau. It is the first institution of its kind in the United States. This makes it a deeply meaningful Chol Hamoed destination. The museum avoids overwhelming visitors with endless text. Instead, it uses world-class visual artifacts to trace 4,000 years of Jewish history.

• Presidential History: Head up to the galleries to view a rare piece of American Jewish history. The museum displays a famous 1790 letter from President George Washington. He wrote this directly to the Jewish congregation in Newport, Rhode Island. In it, he declares the new government gives “to bigotry no sanction.” This foundational document is extremely sensitive to light. Therefore, it sits inside a specialized high-tech case. Kids love pressing the display’s interactive button. It instantly turns the blackout glass clear to reveal the letter.
• Second Temple Era Artifacts: The museum houses a massive collection of antiquities. These items directly connect your family to ancient Jewish history in Israel. Kids can examine actual coins from the Second Temple era. They also display coins from the Bar Kokhba revolt and ancient Roman glasswork. Younger children love the mock archaeology dig room. Here, they uncover replicas of ancient artifacts in the sand. They can even document their finds in a provided “Archaeologist’s Notebook.”

• Centuries-Old Judaica: The core collection displays a stunning trove of ceremonial art. You will discover towering, hand-carved wooden Torah arks. These were carefully rescued from centuries-old European synagogues. The museum also displays silver spice boxes and antique Torah scrolls. These specific artifacts show how communities preserved their traditions across the diaspora.
• The Hanukkah Lamp Wall: Do not miss the museum’s most famous permanent display. Visitors can stand before a massive, floor-to-ceiling Hanukkah lamp installation. It features hundreds of entirely unique menorahs. Artists crafted these lamps across multiple centuries. They were sourced from Jewish communities spanning the entire globe.
• The Cooper Shop: Stop by the main gift shop before you leave. They skip standard generic souvenirs for incredibly cool, modern Judaica. You can buy colorful Lego mezuzahs and iridescent acrylic tzedakah boxes. They also stock unique kids’ toys and high-quality art books.