Building of the Day: 792 Eastern Parkway

The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.

Address: 792 Eastern Parkway, corner of Kingston Avenue
Name: Jewish Children’s Museum
Neighborhood: Crown Heights South
Year Built: 2004
Architectural Style: Contemporary
Architects: Gwathmey Siegel
Landmarked: No

Why chosen: Crown Heights has two children’s museums, both done by two of today’s most innovative and modernistic architectural firms out there; the Brooklyn Children’s Museum by Rafael Vinoly on Brooklyn Avenue, and this one. The Jewish Children’s Museum was commissioned by Tzivos Hashem, an international non-profit children’s organization, who wanted a contemporary multifunctional building that would delight and educate. The museum has interactive exhibits, a large events hall and several floors of gallery space with exhibits celebrating Jewish life, history, holidays, heroes, and customs. There are hands on workshops where kids can make matzoh and challah bread, carve a shofar, or make a menorah. There is also a Holocaust exhibit, and exhibits on contemporary Jewish life, and plenty of places to climb, push buttons and play while learning, including an opportunity to part the Red Sea, as well as video games and miniature golf. The Museum is catered towards elementary school aged children, and its mission is to serve as a setting for children of all faiths and backgrounds to gain a positive perspective and awareness of the Jewish heritage, fostering tolerance and understanding. The museum won the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s 2006 Brooklyn Buildings Award for the Arts and Culture category, citing the museum’s architectural merit and positive impact on the borough’s commerce and quality of life.

(Photo: CrownHeights.info)