Eight other synagogue structures,
some with active congregations and some "recycled" for other religious
and cultural purposes, can be found in walking distance. They are arranged in
order of a logical one-hour stroll from, and returning to, the Eldridge Street
Synagogue.
(15 Pike Street, between East Broadway and Henry Street). Built in 1903, this
impressive Classic-Revival-style building was once home to Congregation Sons of
Israel Kalwarie and was one of the Lower East Side's preeminent religious institutions.
Eddie Cantor had his bar mitzvah here in 1905, and like Eldridge Street and the
First Roumanian-American Congregation (see below), it had an acoustical environment
ideally suited for cantorial performances. Now home to a Buddist Temple, the building
reflects the neighborhood's evolution from a predominantly Jewish community to
a largely Asian one.
(7 Willett Street, at Grand Street). Built in 1826 as a Methodist Church, this
building was purchased by the Beth Haknesseth Anshe Bialystok Congregation in
1905. This very active synagogue hosts daily, Sabbath and holiday services. Its
sanctuary, adorned with murals of zodiac signs, has been beautifully restored.
(60 Norfolk Street, between Grand and Broome Streets). Built in 1852 as a Baptist
Church, this Gothic Revival Building was purchased in 1885 by congregants who
had recently broken away from the Eldridge Street group (who were already planning
to build their own house of worship). Beth Hamedrash Hagodol is associated with
very learned rabbis, including its esteemed founder Rabbi Abraham Joseph Ash and
Rabbi Jacob Joseph. A modest minyan continues to meet for daily, Sabbath and holiday
services.
(43 Delancey Street, at Forsyth).
Once one of the wealthiest and most exclusive houses of worship on the Lower East
Side, this former synagogue now houses a Dominican Seventh Day Adventist Church.
A large Star-of-David can still be seen above the entrance, and others are visible
in the stained-glass windows.
(8 Clinton Street, between Stanton and Houston Streets). This is the second oldest
synagogue structure in New York, built in 1853 by the German-Jewish congregation
Rodeph Sholem. There is still a small community attached to the synagogue.
(172 Norfolk Street, between Stanton
and Houston Streets). Built in 1850 for a German-Jewish congregation, this is
the oldest extant synagogue building in New York and was once the largest synagogue
in the United States, seating 1200 people. The building now houses the Angel Orensanz
Foundation, a cultural center.
(89 Rivington, between Orchard and
Ludlow Streets). Built as a church in 1857 and home to successive religious groups
(both Jewish and missionary Christian), the building was acquired in 1902 by Shaarey
Shamoyim, the First-Roumanian American congregation. Yossele Rosenblatt, Moishe
Oysher and Jacob Pincus Perelmuth (Jan Peerce) were among those who sang at this
synagogue, once recognized as a cantorial center. The "Rumanische shul"
conducts daily, Sabbath and holiday services.
(280 Broome Street, between Eldridge
and Allen Streets). Built in 1927 by a congregation whose members had emigrated
from the town of Janina, Greece in 1906, this is the only Romaniote synagogue
in the Western hemisphere. As the name suggests, the history of Romaniote Jews
can be traced back to Roman times. A museum of Greek-Jewish history is open on
Sundays. Services are held on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
(East Broadway, between Clinton and Montgomery
Streets). One block long, Shtiebel Row housed dozens of small storefront congregations
at the height of Eastern European settlement on the Lower East Side. Today a handful
of functioning shuls continue to hold daily services. The Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem,
established in 1907 and the oldest yeshiva in America, is also located on this
block, at 145-147 East Broadway.
At the height of Eastern European migration
to America, the Lower East Side contained hundreds of synagogues of varying sizes
and communities. There are many other buildings in the area that once housed synagogues,
including Adath Jeshurun of Jassy (58 Rivington Street), Congregation Beth Haknesseth
Mogen Avraham (87 Attorney Street), Congregation Senier
and Wilno (203 Henry Street), and Congregation Bnai Jacob Anshe Brzezan (180 Stanton
Street). Today these buildings have been converted into Christian churches, Buddhist
and Taoist temples, stores and private residences.
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OTHER
SYNAGOGUES