1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Our class was contacted by a rabbi with a RFP for the “Museum of Matzah Balls”. My partner and I responded with a fun and educational interactive walk-through experience that covered historical monuments in Jewish history from Exodus to contemporary times.
Deliverable goals included:
Deliver a singular, entertaining experience that shares the Passover story and cultural experience in a meaningful and multi-layered way.
Achieve measurable educational objectives at each age level.
Provide access to Jewish life from those not currently served by existing Jewish infrastructure.
Promote tolerance and understanding by inspiring visitors to work towards building a better world.
Collaborate with partnering synagogues, schools, and organizations to customize the experience in ways that add value to their members.
Engage a diverse audience across socioeconomic levels, memberships, and affiliations.
Brand the client as an ‘Experience Generating’ organization similar to other places where young families spend discretionary time.
Design Solution
Guests begin the experience by entering through the facade of a traditional and familiar Jewish deli - not unlike what’s typically found on the east coast. Similar to the effect of a speakeasy, guests queue in the themed storefront until their deli number is called. From there, guests pass through the kitchen door and are transported back in time to Egypt in the era of Moses and the Exodus story. The experience winds through themed rooms that communicate historical and cultural Jewish stories through time. To conclude the experience, guests end up back in a contemporary Jewish deli where they are welcome to gather, reflect, and enjoy a classic bowl of matzah ball soup. Of course there’s also an exit through the gift shop moment.
My partner and I started with sketches and mood boards to communicate the look and feel of the experience, then designed spatial layouts and renderings to build out the space.