In Review is a series in which teens review artwork, exhibitions and films for The Jewish Museum Teen Blog. Most recently, students share critical thoughts about films from the High School Film Festival (HSFF) at The Jewish Museum.
In Review: Wo Ai Ni Mommy (I Love You, Mommy)
Written by admin-teen on May 24th, 2012Storybooks and Art
Written by TeenBlog on August 16th, 2011
It was a beautiful sunny day, and you could hear the chirping of the birds as you walked along Fifth Avenue. Actually, it was snowing and incredibly dreary and as I struggled to walk against the HUGE gusts of wind, I dearly missed my warm bed. That day would be my third time working in the art studio, and I was going to have the opportunity to lead Storybooks and Art activity, a gallery program that Teen Interns lead for families. When I finally arrived on the fourth floor of the Museum, I found out that my fellow intern would not make it because of the snow. 
Uh oh. Click to continue »
SoCalled
Written by TeenBlog on July 22nd, 2011
While attending a Jewish Museum Teen Intern training one chilly Thursday evening, I was happily surprised to learn that I had won the Teen Intern raffle! The prize, I soon learned, was two tickets to the New York Jewish Film Festival to see the documentary film, The Socalled Movie. I proudly left the Museum that night with my prize in hand. A few Saturday nights later I was off to Lincoln Center!
When I arrived at the theatre at Lincoln Center, it was packed. As I entered, an extremely diverse crowd glanced in my direction as they impatiently awaited the official “okay” to enter the screening room. The lights began to dim, and the movie started to slowly appear on the screen. As I began to watch the film, I discovered the movie’s interesting subject: the life of the eccentric, Canadian based musician, Josh Dolgin—aka SoCalled. Click to continue »
Sundays in the Art Studio
Written by TeenBlog on July 8th, 2011
Every Sunday from September through June, Teen Interns work at The Jewish Museum. On Second Sundays, the simulated archeological dig is open, and an intern teaches families how to use a trowel, brush, and screen to excavate ancient artifacts. Sometimes there are performances or concerts, and two interns help with ticket collection—and as a bonus, we also get to see the show. The Museum program that happens every Sunday and is always waiting for ready-to-work-interns, is the Drop-In Art Workshop. Click to continue »
Traditions
Written by TeenBlog on June 23rd, 2011
Many works of art in the permanent exhibition of The Jewish Museum relate back to ancestry and family. Looking at pieces like I Hate the Name Kenneth by Ken Aptekar and The Return of the Volunteer from the Wars of Liberation to His Family Still Living in Accordance with Old Customs by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, I thought about how my own family has been instrumental in my understanding of myself as a young 
Jewish woman. I realized that it is my mother who has been the guiding light in my spiritual life. She is the one who has pushed me to find a greater understanding of my own Jewish spirituality, and it is to her that I owe my love of Judaism. Click to continue »
The Jewish and the Chinese: Say What?
Written by TeenBlog on June 7th, 2011
Growing up as a Chinese-Jewish girl made me always feel like the odd ball out. After all, how many Chinese people do you know that are Jewish? Probably not many. So yes, I am a lucky rare breed, benefiting from both of the rich cultures that my background has to offer. I thought that I and the few others I know like me were the only things tying these two vastly different worlds together. How else would the nation of China, typically Buddhist, Christian, or atheist, and the Jewish religion be connected? Then, a family trip to China rocked my world and changed everything.
Before we went, my parents did research on all of the cities we were going to visit. They gave me a rundown a week before on what we were going to see: the Panda Preserve in Chengdu, the beautiful canals and gardens in Suzhou , the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an…and the Jewish Ghetto in Shanghai. Yes, that’s right, the Jewish Ghetto in Shanghai. This shocked me at first. I was so excited that my two worlds were connected. When I thought about it, though, it did make sense; it was just an overlooked part of history. During the Holocaust, when many countries closed their doors to immigrants, China kept its doors open. With nowhere else to go, many European Jewish people who were fleeing Adolf Hitler and the Nazis went to Shanghai, China’s largest and most popular port. Click to continue »
Transitions
Written by admin-teen on May 20th, 2011
The Jewish Museum’s Teen Programs offer high school students opportunities to explore art and Jewish culture through workshops, classes, contests, internships, and more.
Beginning this year, members of the Teen Intern program will share their thoughts, ideas and experiences on the Teen Blog. Please enjoy!