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| DISCUSS THE EXHIBITION |
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| In order to promote dialogue, discourse, and discussion about the ideas and images in this exhibition, the exhibition curators invite you to participate in an on-line discussion of issues raised by the show.
Please note: Questions 8-12 are for middle and high school students.
Legal Disclaimer; Conditions of Use. |
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| 1. Word and image: discuss this topic |
| How is Jewish identity (or other ethnic/racial/religious identities) commonly pictured in the U.S. today? Which do you feel is more powerful – words or images – in describing what an individual or group of people are like? How can one judge the truthfulness of either? |
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| 2. Your own experience with Jewish identity: discuss this topic |
| How do you identify as part of any particular community, ethnic group, race or religion? What makes any person see him- or herself as part of any group or identifiable by others as belonging to that group? |
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| 3. Stereotyping: discuss this topic |
| When a group is stereotyped, certain characteristics are applied to everyone despite the uniqueness of each individual. Do you feel Jews have been stereotyped in the United States? How so? How have you been affected by stereotyping? |
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| 4. Photography: discuss this topic |
| Do you feel that photography or visual media in general are powerful tools in making people believe certain things about different individuals or groups in our society? How so? |
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| 5. Multiculturalism discuss this topic |
| Given the heterogeneity of Jews in the Diaspora, it is hardly possible to classify Jews as a religious, ethnic or national group. What do you think it means for American Jews to recognize themselves as a diverse group of people? How does Jewish diversity contribute to the representation of Jews in a multicultural society? |
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| 6. Jewishness: discuss this topic |
| What does the word Jewish mean to you? |
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| 7. The overall effectiveness of the exhibition: discuss this topic |
| If you have visited this exhibition in person do you feel that the artworks it presented effectively conveyed the social, ethnic and racial diversity of American Jews? Were the accompanying texts and organization of the exhibition helpful in raising questions about the power of visual images to both reflect and shape the multiplicity of contemporary Jewish identities? |
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| 8. Students - Multiculturalism: discuss this topic |
| The Jewish Identity Project examines the multiculturalism of being Jewish in the United States. What have you learned about the Jewish people that you did not know before? How has the exhibition encouraged you to think about living in a multicultural society? |
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| 9. Students - Photography: discuss this topic |
| How does photography or visual media in general represent individuals or groups in society? Are these depictions accurate? Why or why not? |
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| 10. Students - Identity: discuss this topic |
| What can you infer, if anything, about a person by looking at his or her photograph? How has this exhibition inspired you to think about your own identity? How might you photograph yourself |
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| 11. Students - Word and Image: discuss this topic |
| Photography and video projects, often accompanied by text or dialogue, are featured in The Jewish Identity Project. Which do you feel are more powerful--words or images--in describing what an individual or group of people are like? Why? |
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| 12. Students - Tolerance: discuss this topic |
| What have you learned about the individual people who are depicted in the exhibition? How has viewing the images in the exhibition exposed you to differing points of view? |
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| Legal Disclaimer; Conditions of Use: |
| The opinions expressed are those of the speakers and do not represent the views of The Jewish Museum or its approval of the opinions expressed therein. The speakers represent to The Jewish Museum that their words do not defame, invade the right of privacy, or infringe the copyright of any person or entity. |
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| Not all submissions will be published. The Jewish Museum reserves, in its sole discretion, the right to edit or not publish any of the submitted comments. |
