What do Shemp, Moe, and Curly Howard from the Three Stooges; the violinist, Jascha Heifetz; the American, singers Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen; and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, all have in common? The answer is that all of these men have Litvak, or Lithuanian Jewish, decent. According to the World Jewish Congress, today (in…
Tag: Museum
Greenwich’s Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum
If you only had one more day to spend in London, and had already seen many of its major museums, where would you go? When I encountered this dilemma in 2010, I decided to take the Tube (the British subway system) to Greenwich, a borough of London, to see the Royal Observatory. Britain’s King Charles…
Halim Time and Glass Museum
The Halim Time & Glass Museum in Evanston, Illinois (a Chicago suburb) is one of the most beautiful museums that I have ever visited. Unfortunately, when I went, I was not writing this blog yet, so did not take photos to prove it. The museum contains approximately 1,100 timepieces in addition to a gorgeous collection…
Imperial War Museum
On November 11, 1918 at 11 AM French time, World War I officially ended (at least on paper). After that, the Allied nations commemorated November 11th as Armistice Day each year. However, after WWII, Great Britain and its Commonwealth changed the name of the holiday to Remembrance Day, in order to honor those who fought…
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Although the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was born in the state of Kentucky, Illinois is commonly called the “Land of Lincoln.” In fact, even the Illinois license plate has this phrase on it, as well as a depiction of Lincoln’s head. This is because Lincoln lived in Illinois longer than he…
The Israel Museum
The most famous museum in Israel is the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Founded in 1965, it was primarily built to display the numerous archaeological finds from throughout the country. It is located across the street from the Knesset, Israel’s government building, and houses approximately 500,000 items. Perhaps the most popular display at the Israel Museum…
9/11 Memorial and Museum
Most people visit museums to learn new information. However, memorial museums often add an emotional element to the visit. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is no exception. After visiting, the experience will probably stay in your mind for at least the rest of the day. When a country experiences a disaster, most people remember the…
Civil War Museum of Kenosha, WI
The last time I visited a museum, before COVID-19 caused the United States to shut down, was on March 1, 2020. On that day, I visited the Civil War Museum of Kenosha, WI. Located a little over an hour away from Chicago, Kenosha has certainly been receiving a lot of national attention this week due…
Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty
One of the most iconic symbols of the United States is the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Completed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and Gustave Eiffel (who, soon afterwards, built Paris’ Eiffel Tower) in 1886, France gave this statue to the United States as a gift. Her fame grew after Ellis Island opened in…
Ronald Reagan’s Birthplace and Boyhood Home
Although Illinois is known as the “Land of Lincoln,” Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, not Illinois. The motto “Land of Lincoln” came from the fact that Lincoln lived in Illinois for a significant portion of his life, and also became its senator. Barack Obama also served as senator of Illinois. However, Ronald Reagan was…
Bet Arkeh 