Jewish Museum

Time Out says

Wed Jun 20 2012

Opened in March 2010 after a ten-million-pound transformation, the Jewish Museum London features displays and exhibitions that tell the story of Jewish history, culture and religion and reveal how the Jewish community has made a vital contribution to British life. Displayed across four permanent galleries are historical and contemporary objects, films and personal stories that explore immigration and settlement. Packed with plenty of hands-on, interactive displays, the museum’s four new galleries offer a wonderful snapshot of Jewish British life, as well as exploring general issues surrounding contemporary immigration. London’s Jewish history is beautifully evoked in displays such as the recreation of an East End tailor’s sweatshop or the photographer’s studio in which visitors can pose in period wedding outfits – or you can practice your best Yiddish insults at the Yiddish karaoke booth. There is also a thirteenth-century medieval mikveh (ritual bath), on show for the first time since its discovery in the City of London in 2001. The Holocaust Gallery explores the impact of Nazism through the experiences and personal items of Auschwitz survivors. In the 'Judaism: A Living Faith' gallery, newly-commissioned films reveal a range of contemporary Jewish families celebrating festivals and Jewish lifecycle events. Offering a lively and imaginative events programme, the space looks set to become a London museum landmark.