School Group Tours

Due to the mature content of some exhibitions, we generally limit tours to groups in sixth grade and above. For questions regarding age-appropriateness, please contact education@ojmche.org.

Schedule a Tour

School Groups Sizes

School group visits to the Museum vary by size.

• Groups fewer than 50 students that arrange for a standard museum tour can expect an hour and a half program. If you would like to enhance your visit to OJMCHE, you can choose to engage with a member of our Speakers’ Bureau or participate in an available workshop. This would extend your visit by another hour and a half to make it a three hour program. *See available workshops below.
• Groups of 50 – 100 students can look forward to a 3 hour program. This includes a brief welcome, a tour of three exhibitions, and a workshop or speaker presentation. Groups of this size will be divided into two smaller groups. While one half is in the gallery spaces, the other is in the auditorium participating in a workshop or engaging with a speaker. Halfway through the groups switch. Time for lunch or a snack is built into the program.
• Groups larger than 100 students please contact education@ojmche.org for more information.

Chaperones

Thank you for bringing one chaperone for every seven students in grade eight or below, and one chaperone for every 10 students in grades nine through twelve. Chaperones should be prepared to model appropriate museum behavior and attention and to remind their students to be actively engaged when the volunteer educator is speaking. We ask that chaperones and teachers remain with the class throughout the tour.

Admission

OJMCHE has adopted a sliding scale admission model. 

• $10 Pay It Forward
• $5 Standard Group Rate
• $2 Partial Admission
• Full Scholarship for for Title 1 school and schools who have 40% or more students receiving free or reduced lunch 

Exhibitions

Depending on the size of your group and tour length, student groups can tour anywhere between one to three exhibitions. Descriptions of our core exhibitions are listed below.

• The Holocaust: An Oregon Perspective
  Students learn about the causes and effects of the Holocaust through the experiences of Oregon’s survivors. This exhibition is an effective learning experience for students at any stage in their learning about the Holocaust.
• Oregon Jewish Stories
  Students explore the history of Oregon through the lens of the economic, religious, political, and cultural contributions of Oregon’s Jewish community. This exhibition provides an exceptional counterpoint to the Holocaust as it invites students to think about the vibrant and diverse Jewish identities thriving in our state.
• Discrimination and Resistance: An Oregon Primer
  Students learn about the history of marginalized identity groups in Oregon through a framework of six distinct tools of discrimination and resistance. This exhibition provides students new insights into the multiple ways that discrimination occurs, and the empowering methods used by people to resist.
• Human Rights after the Holocaust
  Students examine different themes related to human rights: first, how the Holocaust shaped global dialogue about genocide prevention and protection of human rights; second, the on-going struggles with human rights abuses and genocide in the world; third, the role activism plays in promoting and advocating for human rights protections. Due to complex contemporary issues and events covered in this exhibition, tours are reserved for students in 8th grade and above.

Current Available Workshops

• Understanding Judaism through Artifacts
  This hands-on, highly interactive workshop gives students a chance to learn about the rich diversity of Jewish culture. Using small group work and discussion, students will learn about objects used to observe Jewish holidays and rituals.
• Analyzing Antisemitic Stereotypes and Scapegoating
  Through whole-class and small group discussions, students learn about the origins and evolution of antisemitism, analyze specific examples of Nazi propaganda, and discuss how stereotypes and scapegoating operate within communities and escalate to acts of discrimination, prejudice, and violence.
• Law and Order: Legalizing Discrimination During the Holocaust
  Students examine over 40 discriminatory and dehumanizing anti-Jewish laws implemented by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. They consider the impact of discriminatory laws during the Holocaust as well as how legal systems have the power to either perpetuate or prevent discrimination, persecution, and genocide.
• Life in the Lodz Ghetto
  Henryk Ross, a Jewish photographer, took thousands of pictures during his imprisonment in the Lodz ghetto. His photographs provide extraordinary insight into ghetto-life and challenge popular narratives of Jews as victims. Through a gallery walk and whole-class discussion, students analyze Ross’s photographs to learn how photography can be used as an act of resistance.
• Resistance and Rescue During the Holocaust
  This workshop begins with students learning about an example of resistance in small expert groups. Next, students return to a full-class discussion to share and build on their knowledge by analyzing the power and forms of resistance during the Holocaust.