Since our trip to Israel was postponed until December, we decided to head out on the road... to Cincinnati! As the "Queen of the West," Cincinnati was a major hub for Jewish life in the 1800s and has continued that tradition with a strong Jewish community today. During our trip, we will learn about Jewish community past and present, a range of non-profit organizations benefitting the region, and have fun exploring a new city!
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We
woke up to a beautiful morning in Cincinnati, ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch and
Mini Wheats for breakfast, then began our full day of activities! Our first
stop was the American-Jewish Archives at Hebrew Union College. There, we had a
tour of the facility, witnessed an old-style card catalog system, saw a signed
Beatles record, read a letter from President John Tyler, and looked at a Medal
of Honor won by a Jewish soldier during the Civil War. After the visit to the Archives,
we made a quick stop at the Skirball Museum, where we saw a Qumran jar (which
held a Dead Sea Scroll) and a Torah from Prague.
Next
was the food pantry, where we helped to make a lunch with its clients and
staff. We then played Family Feud and participated in a drum circle with the
clients. These activities focused, respectively, on nutrition/wellness and
teamwork. (Family Feud was played with Team Fuchsia and Team Orange – Team
Fuchsia won by 5 points J
) The next stop was the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which had some
excellent exhibits on the Civil War-era Underground Railroad and the modern
human trafficking issue. We were also able to see a video that compared Solomon
Northup, the historical figure in 12
Years a Slave, and Vannak Prum, a Cambodian man who was trafficked for
labor.
To take a break from that very heavy material, we had a nice dinner in
the park, and some of us chose to walk across the bridge to Kentucky. We ended
the day at a fun, relaxing Reds game (they won against the Diamondbacks, 3-0!)
The weather was perfect, and it was a fantastic end to an eventful day!
By: Amanda Jackson
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