The Arab World Institute (IMA) and the Museum of Art and History of Judaism (mahJ) are launching, on June 9, 2021, an innovative educational tool: The “Shared Culture (s)” digital kit.
This initiative crowns fifteen years of a partnership linking the two institutions through a common objective, namely to build bridges between Jewish and Muslim cultures to fight against prejudices. Based on a secular and sensitive approach through works of art, the case is free and can be used independently by teachers in schools, says the IMA.
Based on the contributions of more than twenty specialists brought together by the educational services of the two institutions, and bringing together more than 100 high-definition images of 20 emblematic works, the kit offers 20 worksheets, 42 thematic sheets, 60 activity sheets, a glossary, 12 animated films, 5 slide shows, an interactive map of the Indian Ocean, a game for the class to illustrate the convergences between Jewish and Muslim cultures.
Designed around pairs of works from each collection (IMA and mahJ), mirrored, around which information and activities revolve, the case addresses themes as diverse as Semitic languages, Jerusalem, sacred texts, biblical characters, figurative representation, the art of the book, women between tradition and modernity, popular beliefs, marriage, crafts, places of prayer, calendars and culinary traditions. Thus, for example, a Koran and a Torah scroll evoke the founding texts.
The case allows the teacher to approach contemporary themes of living together and education for tolerance to fight against racism and anti-Semitism. Starting from museum collections, it makes it possible to deconstruct prejudices and develop common knowledge based on clear scientific and historical references.
Intended for primary and secondary school teachers, the kit will be distributed free of charge to schools participating in the inter-museum “Sharing cultures” route. The box given to teachers contains a USB key, a practical guide and four posters. The interface, accessible from the USB key, offers two spaces, one intended for the teacher to prepare for his lesson, the other for classroom projection.
This project stems from the cross-section “Cultures in sharing”, created by the IMA and the mahJ in 2006, offering workshop visits on the convergence of Jewish and Muslim cultures, which made it possible to welcome more than 17,700 students, with remarkable educational results.
This tool is intended to evolve – by associating a third museum partner – to extend, in a secular approach, the discovery of the three monotheistic religions which coexist in the Mediterranean world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
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