Chelsea
This post has been adapted from one originally written in 2020. This Saturday, September 5th, is perhaps the biggest day of the year at 12 Eldridge Street. On that day in 1887, the Eldridge Street Synagogue officially opened to the public. That makes us 134 … Read more
This post is written by Summer 2021 intern Emma Thibodeaux-Thompson. Working this summer in the Museum’s sanctuary, one of the most common reactions I hear when visitors first enter the space is: “Huh, it looks like a church?” I always tell visitors that they’re right … Read more
This 1909 photograph shows Jewish women praying on the Lower East Side’s then-new marvel: the Williamsburg Bridge! Opened in 1903, the bridge was the longest suspension bridge at the time, and was designed for both trolley and horse and carriage traffic. It also included a … Read more
This picture was taken in 1908, probably just before the Jewish holiday of Passover. What’s the clue? Did you notice how many people in the picture are carrying rectangular, white-wrapped parcels? Inside are matzot – which are typically eaten during Passover when Jewish people refrain … Read more
This photograph shows a group of well-dressed men and women standing in front of several kneeling children. The woman in the center of the photo wearing a dark dress is pulling up the hem of her skirt. And that’s because she and the others are … Read more