The Morris & Sally Justein Heritage Museum (generously supported by the Austin family) provides an enjoyable and accessible cultural experience for families and clients at Baycrest. Our museum is a place for people of all ages to discover and enjoy the history and beauty of Jewish heritage. Exhibits are designed especially for residents and members of the community.

At Baycrest, we believe heritage programs are essential for residents, as they create an enriched, stimulating environment and help maintain a connection to life-long traditions and learnings. The museum’s permanent Judaica collection (numbering more than 1000 items) preserves Jewish treasures, to be enjoyed and admired by future generations.

The Kalifer Family Heritage and Legacy Project

The Heritage and Legacy Project is an initiative of the Department of Culture and Arts to record and share the stories of our community. By recording the wisdom of older adults for younger generations, the project aims to promote a sense of community through shared history.

We invited members of the Baycrest community, including staff, residents, clients, caregivers, family members, to take part in a video interview and share stories of significant events in their lives. These events range from their experiences in World War II, memories of growing up in Toronto, stories of Baycrest, and much more. Click here to view the video interviews.

Museum on Wheels

The Museum on Wheels program brings artifacts from the Museum’s permanent Judaica collection directly to individuals and groups of clients in the hospital, nursing home and day programs. The selection of artifacts is carefully curated to be multi-sensory, compelling, and thematic. Engaging with multisensory artifacts helps to evoke long-term memories and encourages the sharing of stories and knowledge. 

Thanks to a generous gift from Bernyce and Marvin Kalifer and Family, the Museum on Wheels program has been updated with a custom-built cart. This specially designed cart protects the artifacts in transport and allows the program to reach more clients than ever before.

Museum Immersed

This participatory program is based on mindful movements inspired by museum artifacts. We focus on just one object in conversation, and then encourage clients to move through a series of gentle chair-based movements inspired by that object and set to music. The goal of the session is to engage physical sensations alongside emotional and mental responses for a completely immersive museum experience. The goal is to inspire feelings of overall wellbeing and encourage new connections with the world around us.

For more information about the Museum on Wheels program please contact our Museum Coordinator, Jessica Winter at 416-785-2500, ext. 6591 or email JWinter2@baycrest.org