Hosted by Hull Minster, in partnership with Hull Standing Advisory Council on RE (SACRE), the Jewish Living Experience Exhibition recently visited the city as part of a national tour that aims to deliver an insight into Judaism as a living faith.

The exhibition, which supports the teaching of Judaism in line with agreed religious education and citizenship curriculums, provided an opportunity for attendees to experience the Jewish faith through illustrated displays, authentic artefacts and hands-on educational activities.

From exploring clothing and food, to the wider challenges of living a Kosher life, the exhibition offered an interesting overview of Judaism. Meanwhile, a treasure hunt provided an opportunity for pupils to explore the city’s historic Minster and examine the links between the Jewish and Christian faiths. 

Among those taking advantage of the unique opportunity to further explore their classroom learning in an experiential way were a group of fifty Year 8 students from Withernsea High School who visited the exhibition as part of their Key Stage 3 learning in Religious Studies (RS).    

Leading the trip was Andrea Monaghan, Teacher of RS, who said: “The exhibition demonstrated different aspects of Judaism – concentrating on what it’s like to be a Jewish person living in the UK today.

We were really fortunate that there were volunteers from the local Jewish community present who guided our students through the exhibition and were happy to answer questions about their lives and faith.”

Reflecting on the importance of educational visits, Andrea added: “Such experiences are crucial as they enrich students’ knowledge and understanding. In this instance, it helped to give our students a real sense of religion as a lived experience, not just something that they learn about from a textbook in a classroom.

The opportunity to engage with faith members, and enhance their learning about different worldviews, helps to make them more aware of their own wider community.

It was an absolute delight to take the students to Hull Minster for this fantastic experience. Their conduct was superb and they were a credit to the school. They were polite, interested and asked some brilliant questions. I think what they enjoyed the most was the hands-on nature of the exhibits and speaking to people from the local Jewish community which helped to turn their learning into a live experience.”

Year 8 student Harry Fletcher said: “I learned lots about the Jewish religion, including about Kosher foods and the special rules that some Jews follow around food preparation. I really enjoyed the Christian element too and the best part of the trip was when I dressed up in the robes that the vicar might wear. I was interested to learn that everything worn has a symbolic or historical meaning.”

The Jewish Living Experience Exhibition has been coordinated by the Board of Deputies for over 30 years. As the voice of the British Jewish community, and the first point of call for the Government, media and others seeking to understand Jewish interests and concerns, the board comprises over 300 Deputies directly elected by Synagogues and the communal organisations they represent.

ABOVE: Year 8 students outside the Minster’s main entrance. 
 

ABOVE: Year 8 students Poppy, Ethan and Harry enjoyed the hands-on experience of trying on religious clothing as they explored both the Christian and Jewish faiths.