Press

See PDF

PERSONAL OBJECTS FROM BERGEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY’S FIRST MUSLIM-AMERICAN MAYOR ADDED TO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF MANHATTAN’S “AMERICA TO ZANZIBAR: MUSLIM CULTURES NEAR AND FAR” EXHIBIT

New York, NY – December 10, 2016 – The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (212 West 83rd Street) today announced it has added personal objects from the first Muslim-American mayor in Bergen County – Teaneck (N.J.) Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin – to its “America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far” exhibition. The groundbreaking, family-friendly exhibit, which has been extended through 2017 due to popular demand, celebrates the diversity of Muslim cultures in New York City, the United States, and abroad.

The objects – a gavel, a salwar kameez, a Quran and golf clubs, among other things – as well as related anecdotes from the mayor, will be featured in one of the cases in the exhibit’s American Home area, a contemporary living room filled with objects donated by American Muslims.

Hameeduddin became the first Muslim-American mayor in Bergen County when he served as mayor of Teaneck from 2010 to 2014. He reprised his role earlier this year when, during a reorganization meeting of the Teaneck Town Council, he was elected mayor from among his fellow councilmembers.

The 3,000-square-foot exhibit is the fourth in the museum’s Global Cultural Exhibition Series, following exhibits about the cultures of Ancient Greece, China, and Japan. The series celebrates the diversity of cultural expression across our interdependent world. An important part of the museum’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the next generation of global citizens, the series offers family-friendly, hands-on experiences designed to engage the senses and appeal to a wide variety of learning styles.

###

About Children’s Museum of Manhattan

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan – a citywide resource for children, families, and educators – works to ensure children thrive at home, at school and in the community. Based on West 83rd Street, with over 350,000 visitors annually, the Museum creates hands-on learning environments, programs, and curricula through an alchemy of fun, research and museum science. In addition to its commitment to delight and educate visitors, the Museum offers resources and strategies for parents, caregivers, and educators to help children become lifelong learners. Thousands more New Yorkers also benefit from the Museum’s offering through its outreach programs at schools, Head Start centers, shelters, libraries, and hospitals. For more information, please visit www.cmom.org