For the past seven years, the Jewish Museum of Maryland has partnered with Tel Aviv’s ANU — Museum of the Jewish People to present “My Family Story.”
A signature program of ANU (formerly known as Beit Hatfutsot – The Museum of the Jewish people), “My Family Story” is a Jewish heritage experience that engages 20,000 Jewish youths from more than 30 countries in research about their ancestry.
Based on what they learn, students design creative art projects that tell the stories of their families. The best projects are displayed as part of an international exhibition, and winners receive free plane tickets to Israel where they can attend the exhibition opening.
Last year, Baltimore’s winners were unable to attend the exhibition because of the pandemic. It is still unclear whether this year’s winners will have the opportunity to go.
This year’s judging took place on Feb. 26, and projects by four students from Baltimore were selected to move on to the international competition.
The artists whose projects were chosen were Aliza Reich and Yael Sebbag from Ohr Chadash Academy, and Tamar Gordon and Ellie Berlin of Krieger Schechter Day School. The winners and their families took part in a virtual awards ceremony on Feb. 29.
Ilene Dackman-Alon, the JMM’s director of education, said she was not only proud of the winners and the other 40-plus participants but she was glad the museum was able to offer the program at all this year.
“Originally, we didn’t think we’d be able to do the program because of the pandemic,” she said. “We reached out to some partner schools but they weren’t interested in participating this year. Then, we tried religious schools. We thought with schools closed and everyone Zooming, it would be a great program for kids to do at home, but they weren’t interested either. Then, in mid-December, we heard from Ohr Chadash Academy that they wanted to participate. Soon after, Krieger Schechter Day School contacted us and said they wanted to pilot the program with their seventh grade.”
Once it was determined that the program would go on, Dackman-Alon and other JMM staffers had to come up with the best way to offer the program virtually.
“The most challenging part was how to present the program when we can’t see the students or the projects in person,” said Dackman-Alon. “We had to think of a way for students to submit their projects and curator statements, and created a Google form that judges could use to rate projects they viewed online. There was a lot of work behind the scenes.”
Ultimately, the staff created a process that worked for everyone.
Krieger Schechter seventh grade student Ellie Berlin’s winning art installation was titled, “The Berlins on the Beth El Bima.” As she wrote in her curator’s statement, “[The project] emphasizes the importance of shalshelet hamesorah, when you pass down traditions through your family. That is what my family did with passing down the tradition of going to Beth El.”
In preparation for the b’nai mitzvah of Ellie and her sisters, she said there was a lot of discussion about all of the simchas the family has celebrated at the Pikesville synagogue.
“Beth El has been really important to our family,” she said.
Ellie said she was “very excited” when learning she was among the competition winners. Said her mother, Alicia Berlin: “Ellie was so proud of the hard work she had done on the project the whole time. She really spent a lot of time on it. … It was such a labor of love, and the fact that she won was just the icing on the cake.”
Tamar Gordon’s project, “The Journey Home,” was also a winning entry. The installation shows the paths taken by generations to immigrate to Israel. Tamar, also a KSDS seventh grader, and her family relocated to Baltimore from Israel so her father, Dr. Oren Gordon, could complete a fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. They plan to return to Israel when Dr. Gordon completes his training.
“My project is about my love for Israel and the love of my ancestors for this small, unique and beautiful country,” Tamar wrote in her curator’s statement.
She said that being a winner felt “amazing. When I made my project, I wasn’t even thinking about a competition. I just wanted to get a good grade.”
Tamar’s mother, Yael Gordon, said she and her husband are proud that Tamar adjusted so well to life in the United States. “Her challenge was big and she came through,” she said.
Tamar said her project shows how “one decision you make can change your life and so many people’s lives that come after you. Because if my great-grandparents hadn’t decided to come to Israel, I wouldn’t have been born. You should think about every choice you make.”
To see images of all the “My Family Story” installations, click here.
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