Museum of Jewish Montreal facts for kids
The Museum of Jewish Montreal (MJM) is a special online and mobile museum. It gathers, maps, and shares the history and experiences of the Montreal Jewish community. It does this through exhibits, walking tours, and using online and mobile technology. The museum is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was started in 2010 by Zev Moses, who is still its director today.
Contents
What the Museum of Jewish Montreal Does
The Museum of Jewish Montreal began in 2010. This was when Montreal’s Jewish community celebrated its 250th birthday. At first, it was a project to map Montreal’s Jewish history. Since then, it has grown a lot. Now, it includes online exhibits, recorded personal stories, and walking tours you can take with your phone.
Online Exhibits and Digital Shows
The MJM website has many online exhibits. These exhibits have written descriptions of important places, events, and people in Montreal’s Jewish history. Each exhibit also shows old pictures and links to more information. These exhibits help you understand how different parts of the Jewish community’s history fit into the bigger story of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Jewish life around the world. There are over 125 original exhibits. Some exhibits are also based on research about old synagogues in Montreal.
Starting in 2013, MJM began creating digital exhibitions. Some of these included Between These Walls (2013) and Work Upon Arrival (2014). The Museum also started doing pop-up exhibitions in different places. One early pop-up show in 2014 was about clothing factory workers. Another show in 2015 was about a Moroccan Jewish pop singer. MJM also holds events like talks and group discussions for the public.
Physical Space and Future Plans
In 2016, the museum opened a physical space. It was located at 4040, Saint Laurent Boulevard. This spot was on the ground floor of an old clothing factory building. However, in May 2020, the museum had to leave this space. They plan to open a new physical location further north on St. Laurent in early 2022.
The Third Solitude Series Blog
In October 2011, MJM started publishing The Third Solitude Series. This is a blog that shares in-depth interviews, research, stories, and photo essays. All of these relate to Montreal’s Jewish heritage. The name 'Third Solitude' is a special term. It is sometimes used to describe the Jewish experience in Canada. It refers to how Jewish people fit in between the French and English cultures in Canada, especially in Montreal. This name comes from a famous book called Two Solitudes by author Hugh MacLennan. That book was about the French versus English divide in Montreal.
Collecting Community Stories
In 2012, MJM launched the Stories Project. This project collects personal stories from people in the community. It aims to gather stories from many different backgrounds and experiences. The goal is to share these stories with more people and to keep them safe for a long time. In 2015, they launched a special app. This app lets people record their stories and upload photos easily.
Exploring Montreal with Walking Tours
In June 2014, MJM started leading daily Jewish walking tours. These tours explore the Plateau and Mile End neighborhoods of Montreal. In June 2015, the Museum also launched "Beyond the Bagel" Jewish food tours.
Today, the museum offers four different walking tours. Each tour tells a unique story about Jewish life in Montreal. These tours include:
- Making Their Mark
- Rabbis, Writers, and Radicals
- Beyond the Bagel (the food tour)
- In The Shadow of the Mountain
The "Making Their Mark" tour is available both online and in person.
See also
- Demographics of Montreal
- Saint Laurent Boulevard
- History of the Jews in Canada
- Jewish Museum
- List of museums in Quebec
