Bridges of Understanding.

Cymbals clash, bells ring, and a trio of conga drums vibrates under the musician's capable hands. A classroom of children bounce and sway to the staccato beat, watching in wonder as those same hands shake a dried African bean pod, pluck at a Kenyan bow rattle, and tap Australian claves, hollow sticks used by Aboriginal peoples. An occasional "Wow!" can be heard above the din.

Eyes strain to see just what this musical magician has in store and, as bodies press forward, smiles widen, and giggles turn to laughter. The tempo grows faster. From the back-bending challenge of the Limbo danced to a calypso beat to the driving counter rhythms of Mexican maracas, children at the Mizel Museum of Judaica in Denver, Colorado are learning that the music of other cultures belongs to everyone. This is the kind of learning that takes place only when experience becomes memory; achieved when children partake physically and emotionally in an event, thereby learning something that might stay with them for a lifetime.

Bridges of Understanding is an interactive multicultural experience at the Mizel Museum of ludaica. This award-winning program has helped create the one place in Denver where children and adults can learn about cultural heritage. Two exhibits in this program, "Ceremonies and Festivals" and "Rites of Passage," highlight common themes that connect diverse people while providing ways to recognize similarities among them. The program explores Jewish, Asian-Pacific, Native-American, African-American, Latino/Hispanic, and Muslim cultures under one dynamic umbrella. Outstanding programming and exquisitely crafted exhibits display objects and artifacts to help people understand that Jewish life in America is similar, not different, from that of other minority cultures.

Programs and workshops expose participants to various aspects of specific cultures, led by highly trained educational assistants and staff who are fluent in its history. In fact, outreach to these diverse communities has brought new expertise into the museum, as inspired professionals help bring their own culture to life. Storytellers, artists, and dancers enhance and bring the exhibitions to life, enriching the museum in many ways.

The exhibit cases all provoke curiosity, create a sense of wonder, and radiate the essential about each culture. Each presentation is lit to maximum effect and appears to glow and pulse from within. Treasures and artifacts include textiles and indigenous clothing, ritual masks, folk art and musical instruments, body adornment and jewelry, fetishes and dolls, symbols, headwear, and much more. Many themes tying the cultures together address harvest and planting festivals, ancestors, sacred foods, and especially, the significance of light. One by one, each case is a unique chapter in a book full of never-ending stories, an encounter where children can get lost and find themselves, over and over again.

During hands-on workshops, the sense of smell also comes into play as children explore ceremonial objects with fragrance, such as incense or Japanese tea. The various artifacts prompt discussions, serving as teaching aids to compare and contrast ideas. After all, any child will tell you that looking through a mask held over the face is an entirely different experience than looking at one hanging on a wall. For the lucky students who are brought here, they learn quickly that what is out of reach in most museums is accessible at the Mizel Museum of Judaica.

Tours with workshops are booked year-round. A comprehensive curriculum guide prepared by Denver public school teachers along with the museum's department of education, is now available to educators. The guide covers visual arts, reading and writing, history, geography, and math. It includes a glossary, vocabulary list, bibliography, lesson plans, and multicultural resources. As a teaching tool, it offers an integrated approach to the contributions of different cultures. The curriculum is directed at levels K-5 and can be modified at the discretion of the teacher.

In today's classrooms, students from a variety of countries can help teachers teach the idea of diversity. At the Mizel Museum, Bridges of Understanding can bring this lesson to life. Common themes are the continuity of seasons and nature, courtship rituals, and family relationships. "At a simple level, `bridges' implies connections," says tour docent Jeff Levine, "a way to get from here to there, from ignorance to knowledge, and from doubt to trust." Jeff includes a mini-geography lesson each time he presents his workshop, hopefully linking a culture's countries of origin to an individual the children might actually know.

Corinne Brown is a freelance writer in Englewood, Colorado. For more information about Bridges of Understanding, contact the Mizel Museum of Judaica, Department of Education, 560 Monaco Parkway, Denver, CO, 80224. Phone: [phone].