The Everyday Heroes Activity Center at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage hosted students from the Joseph & Florence Mandel Jewish Day School last Friday for a celebration of their last day of school.
The theme for the event was “everyday heroes.” The students were encouraged to look the part by creating capes and masks, and find the everyday hero within themselves by painting kindness rocks and “building a better world” with building blocks.
Dahlia Fisher, the director of strategic marketing and communications for the Maltz Museum and an integral part of this event, described an everyday hero as someone who uses their power for good in everyday experiences.
“It can be as simple as holding the door for someone to saying hello or smiling at a stranger. Maybe that smile changes the trajectory of their whole day. Sitting with a friend, saying kind words, and doing terrific heroic acts,” Fisher said.
Fisher emphasized that the act does not have to be big to be great. Talia Zehavi, a fifth grader in attendance, chose her dad as her everyday hero. Zehavi aspires to be an author one day, just like her dad. (Well that, and also an astronaut.)
“Because he’s awesome. He makes really good quesadillas, and he writes books and short stories and is an artist,” Zehavi said.
The Everyday Hero Activity Center’s first priority is summer fun for all children. Fisher also hopes they will develop an appreciation for museums.
“First, I hope they have terrific fun, and wear their everyday hero capes with pride,” Fisher said. “I hope they leave wanting to come back to the museum knowing that museums are a place where you learn and grow and also explore things about ourselves.”
The Everyday Hero Activity Center is included with regular museum admission and will be open through August 12 this summer.