100 Parks Project
Baltimore National Heritage Area
The exhibit “Beyond Chicken Soup” leads me to the Jewish Museum of Maryland, nestled between two historic synagogues in Baltimore – the 1845 Lloyd Street Synagogue and the 1876 Chizuk Amuno Synagogue gated building now home to B’nai Israel congregation. This two-block area is rich with Baltimore Jewish history, from the old synagogues to the exhibits ranging from early history to present day.
While many national touring exhibits find a temporary home at the museum, this exhibit was created specifically for the Jewish Museum of Maryland, and features an interesting confluence of medical history, from antisemitism to profound advances made by Jewish medical practitioners and researchers. Some parallels medical history in general, by highlighting exercise, nutrition, and medical discoveries. Many of the Jewish discoveries are not limited to this geographic region: the Salk and Sabin vaccines, for example.
But Baltimore currently takes center stage.