Address
15 W. 16th Sstreet, New York NY 10011
Phone Number
(212) 294 - 8330
Date Visited
06/17/2016
Website
Center for Jewish History at Yeshiva University Museum
Description
The Center for Jewish History is located at 15 W. 16th Street, NY, NY.Parking must be at a nearby garage or on the street (if you are very lucky!).A street-level, single door leads to a vestibule and another single door to the lobby area.
There are benches in the lobby area.
There is an elevator to all three floors of the museum. The second floor is carpeted, but easy to navigate. There is not much seating in the galleries.There are no food services.
Multi-stall, handicapped-accessible restrooms with baby-changing stations are located on the second and third floors. A unisex restroom (no baby-changing station) is located on the main floor.
- Doors: double doors
Number of floors: 3
Elevators: 1
Ramps: none
Steps and staircases: to all levels
Width of aisles: spacious
Places to sit: benches in lobby area, sparse in other areas
Location of restrooms: **
Type of restroom: ***
Ease of entry and exit: OK
Baby changing station: yes
Available food services: none
Friendliness of staff: pleasant
Notes: * Parking must be found at a nearby garage or on the street if you are very lucky.** Multi-stall, handicapped-accessible restrooms with baby-changing stations are located on the second and third floors.*** Unisex, handicapped-accessible restroom (no baby-changing station) is located on the main floor.
The Center for Jewish History is part of the Yeshiva University Museum. It is yet another venue I had never visited. The five organizations that make up the Center ( American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Black Institute, Yeshiva University Museum and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research) “…comprise the world’s largest and most comprehensive archive of the modern Jewish experience outside of Israel…The Collections span a thousand years, more than 500,000 volumes and thousands of artworks, recording, photographs, etc.” (website)
As you might expect from its address, it does not have a parking garage. Unless you are very lucky and find a spot on the street, parking must be found at a nearby garage.
The street level single door entry leads to a vestibule and another single door to the lobby area. Admissions are to the left. Several benches can be found in this area.
After admissions I made my way to a small room with benches where a short video about the Center is shown. It was a nice introduction to the Center and the things it encompasses.
After the video introduction I took the elevator to the third floor where the Senior Reading Room, YIVO Institute and a small exhibit area are located. There is some seating outside of the Reading Room.
Next I visited the second floor where I found a number of interesting exhibits. Although this floor is carpeted, it is easy to navigate.
Back down to the main floor and more exhibits to see. Of particular interest to me was “Nourishing Tradition:Jewish Cookbooks and the Stories They Tell,” a fascinating look at how food and history are intertwined. “They illustrate the diverse, rich traditions of Jewish Culture and cooking worldwide.” (website)
There is not much seating in the galleries.
Multi-stall, handicapped-accessible restrooms with baby-changing stations are located on the second and third floors. Unisex, single-occupancy, handicapped-accessible restrooms are located on the main floor. This restroom does not have a baby-changing station.
I found “The Center for Jewish History” to be a place for serious contemplation of Judaism. All of the people I saw there seemed to be very involved in studying the artifacts on display.
As always, we at Destination Accessible advise you to check a venue’s website, www.cjh.org , when planning a visit, to “know before you go.”
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