How were the artifacts found in Egypt so well-preserved? Did you know that Egyptians “invented” bread? Could Hatshepsut have been the Pharaoh at the time of Yetziat Mitzrayim?

On Tuesday, April 5, TABC’s freshmen explored the answers to these questions and more, when they participated in a pre-Pesach virtual tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Egypt gallery. Their “docent” presenter was Elana Kaplan, esteemed museum educator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the Derfner Judaica Museum. Kaplan led an interactive virtual tour of the Met’s Ancient Egypt exhibits, which were enhanced with PowerPoint slides and Tanach sources. As she guided the students through the gallery exhibits, Kaplan encouraged them to relate the provided Tanach sources to the artifacts and art which they were viewing. The program was especially relevant during these days leading up to Pesach, as students could weave together the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim in the context of their continued study of ancient civilizations. Kaplan remarked that the TABC students “were a very spirited bunch with many good questions, observations, and comments.”