Museums and Kohanim

amother

Wed, Jul 17 2013, 11:08 am

If you have any info regarding museums (usually of Science) that a Kohein may or may not visit (due to human remains) please share it here so we can all save each other calling each place!

(I am anon because, gee, if you know DH is a kohein, you might know who I am!)

FranticFrummie

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 6:54 am

National British Museum in London has mummies.

*overheard from a child going into that section "But, I don't WANT to see dead people!"* LOL

The Rosicrutian Museum in San Jose, Ca - more mummies.

amother

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 7:15 am

DH is a Kohein and we went to Liberty Science Center on chol hamoed pesach. It wasn't a problem then. You really have to call to check as it is the temporary exhibits that could be a problem. AFAIK none of the permanent exhibits have any human remains.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 7:18 am

amother wrote:

Good point about temporary exhibits! I hadn't even thought about that.

mamaleh

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 7:38 am

amother wrote:

Honestly, it's been a long time since we discussed it, but I do remember it being a permanent issue (given how long ago it was even a 'permanent' exhibit could have changed). Did you ask about fetuses or only human remains? Alot of times the issue is not mummies, etc but displays on conception & pregnancy that use real fetuses.

lkwdmommy

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 11:14 am

mamaleh wrote:

amother wrote:

In a children's museum?

mamaleh

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 11:51 am

lkwdmommy wrote:

mamaleh wrote:

amother wrote:

In a children's museum?

LSC is not a 'Children's Museum' it's a 'Science Museum'. (Again I'm not sure that fetuses were the issue)

Just for reference The Museum of Science & Industry (Chicago) definitely used to have a permanent exhibit with fetuses. It was a very nice exhibit about fetal developmental stages.

Tova

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 12:15 pm

My husband is a Kohen and does not go into any science museums. It's not just the temp/perm exhibits, it's the research labs, etc. In the beginning of our marriage I thought he was being machmir here (because I LOVE science centers) so I asked him to ask a shayla and the Rav agreed to avoid them. He also does not go into any natural history museums.

Nice to see other wives of Kohanim - I always felt lucky to have married a Kohen and have given birth to a Kohen son.

Mrs Bissli

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 4:04 pm

Museum of Natural History or British Museums are pretty large, and have enough sections a kohen can go through without being exposed to human remains. I thought the restriction was to be in actually the same room, as opposed to the building (which consists of different wings or many self-contained exhibition areas)?

Tova

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 4:09 pm

Mrs Bissli wrote:

It's under the same roof - tumas ohel.

Mrs Bissli

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 4:55 pm

Good point. Thanks for educating me. (No cohanim on my or DH's sides so rather rusty on this topic). Would visiting a large hospital be an issue then, considering they have mortuaries on premises?

Kumphort

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 5:07 pm

I have posted a similar topic before I wish someone would come up with a practical book for kohanin which addresses these sort of issues especially for us women who marry into kohanim and didn't grow up with all these sensitivities

Tova

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 5:10 pm

Mrs Bissli wrote:

Good point. Thanks for educating me. (No cohanim on my or DH's sides so rather rusty on this topic). Would visiting a large hospital be an issue then, considering they have mortuaries on premises?

I didn't know any of this until I got married!

So in Israel it could be a problem because of the percentage of Jewish people and Tumas Yisroel is for sure a problem. [I remember in seminary when we spent a Shabbos in Bnei Brak on Motzei Shabbos we had a tour of Mayanei Hayeshua hospital and they showed us the "kohel sign" that Kohanim can check whether it is OK to enter the hospital or not.

Here in chutz la'aretz we can rely on 2 things and thereby Kohanim can enter a hospital IF there is a need 1) majority non-Jewish population and there may be a leniency of Tumas Akum; 2) safek if there is actually a meis at that time (obviously if you know that is a different story). During my first pregnancy we asked a shayla whether my husband can come with me to ultrasounds, etc. in the hospital and we were told he could if I wanted him there.

amother

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 6:31 pm

Anon - because....

My dh works at the Museum of Natural History - there are loads of human remains as well as millions of other stolen souvenirs and ancient artifacts below the floors of the museum that the public can visit. I've visited them though Smile

No kohanim here Smile

amother

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 7:01 pm

We don't go to the science museum in Boston. The kids room has a real, live skeleton that's not even locked up so kids can play with it. The museum might have some smaller things around thatight be problems too, but we couldn't get a yes to return after we found out about the skeleton. Might have found a leniency if it was under lock and key.

When my son's class in school was going, someone asked the shaila for us to rav reuvein or rav dovid Feinstein (can't remember which one) and he said that not separating him from the group is enough of a reason to say he could go with them.

It's a pretty frum school soits not like people wouldn't get it or would mock him, so I thought it wad interesting. Obviously, he shouldn't come within 4 Amos of the actual skeleton! I have no clue if this psak applies to older kids or not my son was in lower elementary school then.

Coke Slurpee

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 9:59 pm

The CRC of chicago has a list of places Kohanim can't go to in Illinois.

If anyone is interested we did find a nice, albeit smallish, science museum in Illinois without bodyparts. It was the first and only science museum my kids ever went to and was very exciting for them. (exciting for me too as I havent been to one in years)

tizunabi

Fri, Jul 19 2013, 1:12 am

Kohanim are allowed to be around the remains of non-jews.
When I was studying anatomy we had a "bone box" and once I was able to ascertain their origin I was able to bring them home, even with 2 kohanim living there.
Out of Israel things like that aren't such a problem, in Israel there is an awareness.
We haven't had so many problems with things like that...

Tova

Fri, Jul 19 2013, 1:15 am

tizunabi wrote:

It's a shayla about Tumas Akum. It's not so clear and many are machmir.