While we were in NJ for Thanksgiving, Gabbie saw that Temple University’s dance team was holding a clinic and we decided that she should go, since she applied and got into Temple and we hadn’t visited the school yet. We also decided we would visit the University of Delaware while we were in the area (she also applied and got in there). So while Gabbie was at Temple, the rest of us visited the Franklin Institute and the Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
The Franklin Institute is a science museum that I had always heard about growing up, but don’t think I had ever been to. Unfortunately, while we were there, Simon wasn’t feeling very well, so he didn’t get to enjoy much of the exhibits.
This is a pendulum as seen from above, although it looks like it might be above me!
In the body section, Zachary checked out how much blood would be in his body based on his weight.
One of the things I always heard about Franklin Institute was that there was a huge heart that you could walk through. Here it is:
We learned about the brain:
Zachary did a bit of climbing:
Just liked these images:
Playing with some machines:
They love each other even though they deny it.
After the Franklin Institute, Simon ended up throwing up and then feeling better. This has happened to him a few times over the past few months and we are not sure why. But at least he was feeling better at the Museum of American Jewish History.
We joined a docent guided tour of the museum and the boys got asked a lot about their Jewish knowledge since they were the only young ones on the tour! The museum was pretty interesting.
Some art work I liked:
There was a synagogue that had a hostage situation and someone used this chair to throw at the person who had taken them hostage and they were able to escape. What a random thing to have at the museum…
The beginning of the museum showed the beginnings of Judaism in America.
This is a prayer for the country in Hebrew and in the middle the lines start with the letters spelling out Washington.
This map of the U.S. is written in English and Yiddish. For some reason, they didn’t include the letters to spell out Kansas!
A Hebrew typewriter
Interesting info about early antisemitism in America
A model of a synagogue / gym. The synagogue I grew up going to was supposed to be like this but it didn’t end up having an actual gym.
Some religious items:
America during the Holocaust. Sadly they did not intervene as some hoped.
Culture throughout history:
An example of what a kid might pack for camp
Some interesting displays:
Political buttons in Hebrew
Rebecca – we have her too
At this point we had to head back to Temple to pick up Gabbie. She didn’t really like the campus there as it is very much in the city. We stayed overnight and visited Delaware the next day. We did like it there! We also stopped at Rutgers on our way back to NJ and she ended up applying there as well!
If you are ever in Philadelphia, these were both fun museums to visit!
