Jewish Museum in Berlin opens kids' museum about Noah's Ark

The Jewish Museum Berlin is opening a new museum for children dedicated to the story of Noah’s Ark

BERLIN -- Torrential rain pours down, waves break and big puddles splash as visitors enter the new children's museum at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. No surprise there, because the exhibit is dedicated to the ancient story of Noah's Ark and begins in the middle of the biblical deluge. Young children are invited to actively participate in Noah's journey as soon as they set foot in the new ANOHA Children’s World, which opens Sunday. They can build little arks that they can float on a “deluge simulator” or help rescue 150 animals, created by over a dozen artists out of recycled material such as old spoons, espresso coffeemakers, pieces of carpet or bike fenders. They can even use the animals' pretend excrement — represented by brown felt balls — to fertilize plants. They can also cuddle a gigantic sloth, crawl through the serpentine body of an anaconda or take a rest on a yellow-eyed octopus. The circular, wooden Ark is the centerpiece of the museum and spans 7 meters (23 feet) tall and 28 meters (91 feet) wide. At its heart is an empty space where visitors are invited to sit down, linger and think about life's big universal questions: about God and the world, the past and the future.