Jewish Museum in Berlin opens kids’ museum about Noah’s Ark

The ANOHA museum was built inside a former flower market, across the street from the Jewish Museum’s main building on a 2,700 square-meter (29,000 square-foot) space. It was meant to open in May 2020 but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

While the main Jewish Museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions primarily cater to adults and teenagers, the children’s museum targets the youngest visitors, children between 3 and 10.

“We tried to always listen to the children when we created this world,” Ane Kleine-Engel, the head of the children’s museum, told The Associated Press. “From the beginning of the museum’s development, children were involved in the process and we plan to keep them on board as co-curators in the future as well.”

Beyond giving the kids ample space for play and creativity, the museum also tries to teach them about the importance of protecting the planet and biodiversity and fighting climate change.

“We want the children to start thinking about big themes, too, when they come here,” Kleine-Engel said. “When the animals get on board of the ark, they can’t choose who they like or dislike — everybody has to come along in order to survive, nobody should be excluded.”

The museum also educates children about equality and diversity and tries to make them understand that racism, antisemitism and inequality should have no place on the Ark or in real life, Kleine-Engel added.