Author Archive
American Music from Immigrant Roots
This post was written by Museum docent Maxine Simson. Irving Berlin has been called the greatest songwriter in the history of popular music. His career spanned most of the 20th century and his beloved songs are still heard all over the world. An amazing fate for a man who could only play the piano in […]
Continue Reading
What’s on Your Seder Plate Might Depend on Where You’re Eating
This post is written by Museum intern John Hanson. As spring comes, so does Passover! The oldest, continuously celebrated holiday of the Jewish calendar is fast approaching, and all of us here at Eldridge Street have been busy discussing our own Passover traditions. Surprisingly, we have discovered our Passover customs take many different forms, with […]
Continue Reading
Are We Doomed to Repeat the Triangle Shirtwaist Tragedy?
This post is written by Eva Brune. “In the panic of the fire, I recall that three girls wrapped themselves in the American flag and jumped out the window together… Among the dead, were a mother and two young sons who all worked at the Triangle Company. They suffocated from smoke while taking cover […]
Continue Reading
Shedding Literal Light on the Ten Commandments
There’s a question I frequently get when leading a tour of the historic sanctuary, and it focuses on a curious element of the historic ark on the Eastern wall. “What are those light bulbs doing there?” many people ask as they look up at a ring of exposed light bulbs at the top of the […]
Continue Reading
Step Away From the Screen on Friday, March 9th
This post was written by intern John Hanson. The Sabbath is perhaps the most visible tradition of Jewish culture. Even those who don’t know much about the religion or its many traditions probably know the basic idea behind keeping Sabbath. It’s well known that on Saturdays, observant Jews abstain from work, retreat from stress, and […]
Continue Reading
A Fond Farewell to Our Hanna Griff-Sleven
By Courtney Byrne-Michelle and Eva Brune. “Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” – Anais Nin Sixteen years ago Hanna Griff-Sleven, Director of Cultural Programs & Internships, was like a kite […]
Continue Reading
Travelling Tefillin – Warsaw, to the Wild West, to Eldridge Street
On June 18, 1904, Meyer Wagner boarded the ship Germanic in Southampton, England. He was bound for New York. So were his two younger sisters, but his young wife, Rose, remained in Warsaw. The couple’s three-year-old son, Walter, wasn’t quite ready for transatlantic travel. The trip took nine days. Upon arrival, Meyer went straight to […]
Continue Reading
Love, Year-Round at Eldridge
It doesn’t need to be Valentine’s Day for us to feel love in the air at the Museum at Eldridge Street. Our 131-year-old landmark building inspires effusive language from anyone who visits – and who could blame them? The sanctuary’s sumptuous decorative motifs are really quite romantic. After all, the interior was specifically designed to […]
Continue Reading
Over 100 Menorahs Light Up the Museum
This post was written by intern John Hanson. If you follow us on social media, you’ve probably already heard the news – The Museum at Eldridge Street has opened a sprawling new exhibition, featuring over 100 menorahs displayed in the historic main sanctuary. It’s called Let There Be Light – A Whole Lotta Light! and it […]
Continue Reading
Chanukah Shopping You Can Feel Good About
This post was written by interns John Hanson and Eliana Schechter. Each Chanukah, we remember how the Maccabees stood up for what they believed in – and today we continue that tradition of supporting our favorite causes. Our Museum has a great shop full of gifts that will not only please everyone on your list, […]
Continue Reading
