A visit to the Museum at Eldridge Street captures the imaginations of people of all faiths, nationalities, ages and experiences.

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About the Museum at Eldridge Street
 

The Museum at Eldridge Street presents the culture, history and traditions of the great wave of Jewish immigrants to the Lower East Side drawing parallels with the diverse cultural communities that have settled in America. the Museum is based in the beautifully restored 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, a National Historic Landmark. Nearly lost over time, this magnificient Moorish-revivial structure has been meticulously restored to its original evocative grandeur and re-opened to the public in December 2007. Tours, exhibits and public and educational programs tell the story of the generations that carried religious and communal customs to a new country.

Read our 2009 online annual report or download a pdf version.

Visit

“This palatial Moorish synagogue has been under restoration for the better part of a generation, and the completion of work is genuine cause for celebration…” says Paul Goldberger in The New Yorker.

Plan a visit to the Museum at Eldridge Street. Learn more about our award-winning restoration.

Exhibits

Our digital displays, created by Potion Design, are truly magical! Explore the sites and streets of the Lower East Side of 100 years ago. Discover synagogues around the world. Design your own Yiddish newspaper and play other interactive games. The Museum’s digital displays were the recipient of the American Association of Museum’s 2008 Gold Award for Interactive Installation.

Public Programs

Concerts, lectures, festival, and more! Click on our Calendar to find out about upcoming events at Eldridge Street.

Family Programs

Calling all Detectives! Go on a hunt for history every Sunday at 1 pm as part of our Preservation Detectives family program. We provide the binoculars, magnifying glass and note pad, you uncover the art, architecture – and mystery! – of our landmark site.

Walking Tours

Gangster, Writer, Rabbi. Love, Courtship, & Marriage. Sacred Sites. These are just some of the themes of our one-of a kind walking tours exploring our Lower East Side-Chinatown neighborhood. Learn more or schedule a walking tour for your group.

School Programs

Bring your students class for an unforgettable educational experience. Use our interactive historic map of Lower Manhattan to teach about immigration history. Explore our on-line teacher’s resources. Sign up for our newest offering “Illuminating Glass” inspired by the recent commission of a new stained-glass window by artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans.

This fall the Museum will introduce a new permanent installation, a monumental stained-glass window designed by artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gans. According to Gans, “Sitting in the sanctuary dazzled by all the layers of color and ornament, Kiki and I knew that the one thing the synagogue did not need was yet another motif.” Learn more about Kiki Smith and Deborah Gans’ plan for the new window in this video excerpt.

The new design will replace a tablet-shaped glass block window, introduced in 1944 after the original stained glass was damaged. At the time, the congregation did not have funds to return it to its original grandeur. The introduction of a new window highlights a classic preservation dilemma: How do you treat an important design element that has been lost or altered? The Museum met with leading architects, preservationists, historians and curators to help decide how to treat this element. After a meticulous decision-making process, the museum decided to commission a new window. According to Robert Tierney, Chairman, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, “With the [upcoming] installation of Kiki Smith and Deborah Gans’ extraordinary window in this sacred landmark, Eldridge Street’s evolution now spans three generations – built in the 19th century, preserved in the 20th, and renewed in the 21st.”

Major support for the window has been provided, in part, by American Express, The David Berg Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The David Geffen Foundation, and the City of New York.