Exodus Steps

In order to better help our children understand the Passover, we thought a trip to a very special, local museum might be in order. In the heart of L.A. lies one of the most remarkable places you will ever visit; the Skirball Cultural Center.

Hailed by The New York Times as “a lesson on how to connect the eye to heart and mind,” the Skirball Cultural Center has established itself as one of the world’s most dynamic Jewish cultural institutions, and among the leading cultural venues in Los Angeles. Its mission is to explore the connections between four thousand years of Jewish heritage and the vitality of American democratic ideals. It seeks to welcome and inspire people of every ethnic and cultural identity in American life. Guided by our respective memories and experiences, together we aim to build a society in which all of us can feel at home. – SCC

 

While we have visited this museum on a number of occasions, a new exhibit prompted our visit yesterday… Exodus Steps.

Exodus Steps is unlike any exhibit we have experienced before. There we were able to, “Follow a colorful trail of vinyl footprints, handprints, text bubbles, and artwork across campus in order to re-enact the journey of the biblical Jews from slavery in Egypt towards freedom in the Promised Land…. Riffing off teach-yourself-to-dance floor mats, Exodus Steps is a theater piece entirely performed by you—a fresh, family friendly way to retell the gripping and time-honored Passover story.”

A portion of the “Visions and Values…” core exhibit. Here we are able to learn more about Jewish culture and history.

A reproduction of the priest’s podium in the synagogue.

Several copies of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible).

A portion of the Torah, with the instrument used for reading the Word of God. It also taught us how the priests made ink for the writing of the Word.

Hebrew school; our children were able to sit at a table and spend some time learning as Jewish children might.

My little man trying on traditional clothing of Jewish young men.

The Exodus Steps begin at the front entrance of the Skirball and walk you through almost every exhibit. Let’s begin!

These word bubbles lead you throughout the center, telling you the story of Exodus and Passover; engaging you in the fun.

A portion of the Exodus Steps takes you out-of-doors to the Rainbow Garden. So far, we were having a blast and met a few new people along the way.

Part of the Exodus Steps leads you to archeological dig (reproduction) sites. Here you learn about ancient Persia and Mesopotamia.

Here we were able to learn the alphabet in four different ancient languages. Lots of fun!

Learning how to weave fabric, as women of old would have done.

Creating works of art, using recycled materials and plants, in the Craft Room. This hands-on area helped the kids learn a little more about spring and the many ways we can reuse the materials around us to create something beautiful.

Unfortunately, we were unable to see the final exhibit at the Skirball, Noah’s Art. It seems that because it is vacation time around this neck of the woods, tickets for the exhibit were gone.

(This was especially frustrating for mommy, since I had been on the phone for several days with the museum attempting to get tickets. Oh, well!)

We have seen Noah’s Ark before though. It is an outstanding hands-on exhibit for children, which helps them gain a better understand of the flood experience. Every time we visit this museum we make a point of stopping in. I suppose missing it one time isn’t that big a deal.

All-in-all, the afternoon was an enjoyable one. We visited some favorite spots and learned some new things. Most of all, we walked away with a greater appreciation for what the upcoming holiday is all about.