Outreach Programs

Group Tours

Teachers, pastors, group leaders and program chairs are invited to arrange group tours by appointment. Students are welcome from kindergarten to university.

The tour includes an introduction, video presentation on the Jewish holidays and way of life,in the Synagogue, and a tour of museum exhibits. Groups should allow a minimum of one hour for the visit.

For further information, call the Museum at (506) 633-1833

Outreach Programs

Jewish Education Outreach Kits

Educational kits are available for two week loans to schools and churches in the province of New Brunswick. The purpose of the kits is to educate teachers and students about Judaism through a hands-on exploration of Jewish holidays and lifecycles and the Holocaust.

Each kit includes a teacher’s manual (available in English and French), story and reference books (available in English and French), audio-visual material and artifacts. The box measures 12” x 15” x 20”. Participants can celebrate the holiday, practice writing skills, enhance creativity and experience new foods. The contents have been prepared by experienced educators with the needs of non-Jewish teachers and students in mind.

List of Kits:

Sabbath (the observance of the Jewish Sabbath day)

Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur (the Jewish new year and day of atonement)

Sukkot (Jewish thanksgiving for harvest)

Chanukah (Festival of lights) (three copies available)

Purim (celebration of Queen Esther and victory over persecution)

Passover (the exodus of Jews from Egypt)

Lifecycles (birth, education, marriage, death)

Holocaust (written to follow the New Brunswick curriculum) (three copes available)

Within the Saint John area, teachers may pick up and return kits directly at the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum. Otherwise, kits are shipped by Acadian bus Lines. The only charge to schools is the cost of returning the kit.

Holocaust Study Group

Beginning with the 1999-2000 school year, the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum has partnered with the District 8 Enrichment Centre to offer a Holocaust Study Group program for high school students in Districts 6 & 8. The group meets six times through the school year to learn more about Judaism and the events of the Holocaust Students have the opportunity to learn from eye-witness accounts, documentaries, hands-on activities and a field trip to the New Brunswick Internment Camp Museum.

Each participant presents an original project from their independent research. These may follow any of a number of formats: essay, poetry, journal, drama, art, music, or any combination of these.

The most recent projects can be seen on exhibit at the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum and online at District 8 Enrichment Centre.

Registration information is available from The Saint John Jewish Historical Museum at 633-1833 or by email.

Classroom Visits

Classroom visits by museum staff and volunteers can be arranged in Saint John and the vicinity. Topics offered are:

Jewish Immigration to Saint John

Jewish Holidays and Lifecycles (Can be overviewed or focused on one holiday)

Holocaust correspondence

Museum staff and volunteers are also available for in-school or district heritage fairs or heritage day celebrations.

Jewish Heritage Bus Tours

Since 1998, the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum has partnered with Aquila Tours to offer the Jewish Heritage Bus Tour to cruise ship passengers during their stay in Saint John.

The tour is led by a member of the Saint John Jewish Community who meets passengers at the dockside. The tour takes visitors to the Reversing Falls, through what had been the Jewish neighborhood, to the Museum and Shaarei Zedek Synagogue and finishes at the Shaarei Zedek Cemetery (burial place for the mothers of Louis B. Mayer and Nathan Cummings) before returning to the dock.

Booking information for this tour is available through the cruise line websites and on board ship. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Additional information may be found at Aquila Tours and the Port of Saint John.