On Monday, September 30th, members of the John Paul II Senior Club at the Polish-Slavic Center
participated in a unique trip to the Tenement Museum in New York City. This unique museum,
founded in 2008 and housed in a restored building on the Lower East Side, tells the story
of a person who came to the United States seeking a better life.
During the visit, the senior connected to an authentically recreated network of existing users—including
another Polish-Jewish family that came to New York in the early 20th century, and a family emigrating
from Puerto Rico, who later lived in the same building. Individual apartments tell a unique story—full
of amenities, but also the daily struggles of life in a new country.
Ms. Jude, whose passion and knowledge made the experience a profound educational and practical
experience, was on hand. The encounter with the possibility of using the cables in the tenement house
became a pretext for many reflections and conversations in our group - about identity, family, expansion,
beginnings and the role that immigrants play in building society.
After the tour, the seniors watched a documentary film presenting the history of the museum's founding
and the history of the building on Orchard Street, which has housed people of various nationalities,
cultures, and religions over the years.
We would like to thank the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union for their assistance and support of
this tour.
