Israeli Officials Tour Museum

By COLlive reporter

A group of Israeli government officers recently visited the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights and left deeply moved by the story behind it.

Ran Ichay, a former advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and currently Director General of Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage of Israel, came to the museum during a trip to New York.

Joining him were his Chief of Staff Moriya Chalamish, Senior Advisor Ido Hershkovitz, and the Heritage Division’s Director Reuven Pinsky and Deputy Director Ayelet Pinsky.

Their division was established in 2010 with the mission of preservation, conservation and enhancement of Israel’s national heritage. To date, the division has managed to implement hundreds of projects nationwide with a total budget of about $250 million.

Greeting them in front of the large dreidel sculpture at the entrance on Eastern Parkway was the museum’s Director of External Affairs Devorah Halberstam, who accompanied them for the 3-hour tour and discussion.

As they viewed the various exhibits and collections about Judaism around the museum, they also met the director Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson and Rabbi Sholom Ber Baumgarten and other key staff.

Sitting in the conference room, they heard from Halberstam the story of her son Ari being killed by an Arab terrorist in the 1994 Brooklyn Bridge shooting. She spoke about her fight to classify the shooting as an act of terror and how the museum keeps his memory alive.

“They were in tears in talking about Ari, in whose name it is dedicated, and the legacy he left behind,” Halberstam told COLlive.com. “They loved the Mural outside the Museum depicting our mission of inviting all children to experience the history and culture of our people.”