Kadima Travels: Day 3 and the Trip Keeps Getting Better

This morning, 6th and 7th graders started with a bus tour of the upper side of Manhattan. We learned about the re-gentrification of Harlem, the establishment of Lincoln Center, the Ivy League College, Colombia University, and about many impressive and important landmarks. As we drove uptown, our tour guide also pointed out the former home of John Lennon (where his wife Yoko Ono still resides), directly across from Central Park. We learned that after John Lennon was killed, Yoko Ono donated funds in his name and memory to upgrade a portion of the park which is now named Strawberry Fields. After stopping at the "imagine" mosaic, also dedicated to John Lennon, we took a quick stroll through the park and strawberry fields before heading to Grant's Tomb. Grant's Tomb is the informal name for the General Grant National Memorial, the final resting place of Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885), the 18th President of the US, and his wife, Julia Grant (1826–1902). Completed in 1897, the tomb is located in Riverside Park in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.

Following Grant's Tomb, the group headed the the Jewish Theological Seminary. The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS or JTSA) is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.

Following JTS, we headed to The American Museum of Natural History, which is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world. Located in park-like grounds across the street from Central Park, the museum complex contains 27 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls, in addition to a planetarium and a library. The museum is known for being the setting of the movie, Night at the Museum, and many students were interested in seeing those exhibits showcased in the movie. The afternoon drew to an end with time spent in the museum's planetarium.

The highlight of our day however was Pre-Theatre dinner at Abigael's followed by the Broadway Show, Cinderalla, starring Fran Dresher.

The students had a jam packed day! They learned quite a bit about New York and Judaism while enjoying some very unique Manhattan experiences!

Strawberry Fields and Imagine