Lighting the Way of the Diaspora – A Conversation with Eldridge’s Exhibition Curator
This post was written by museum intern Parker Vaughn. On Thursday, December 6th, the museum is opening a brand new exhibit entitled Lighting the World – one that explores the diversity of menorahs from all around the world. This exhibit truly offers a window into the past and allows museum visitors a glimpse into the global Jewish […]
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Judith: Female Strength in Myth and Menorahs
This post was written by Museum intern Leena Zelman. As we are getting ready for our upcoming exhibition Lighting the World: Menorahs Around the Globe, we cannot help but notice the depiction of a female heroine on so many of these menorahs. As we pour over research on international Hanukah customs, and sort through the […]
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Griff Family Recipes for a Sweet New Year
This post was adapted from a piece originally published in 2011. The Museum’s former Program Director, Hanna Griff-Sleven, not only cooked up great programs (including our signature Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival!) but is a wonderful chef, too. In this post from 2011, she shares some delicious dessert recipes that will make your […]
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This Day in History: STRIKE!
This post was written by Eva Brune. On September 4 in 1894, more than 12,000 New York area tailors – 4,000 from New York City alone — went on strike to protest the sweatshop conditions in which they had to work. Many of them Jewish from the Lower East Side, the workers struck to demand […]
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Chop Suey’s Un-birthday
We like to use this blog as a place to mark moments in time that are important to our collective past and present. But it can also be important to take stock of what is not, along with what is. What moments are missing from our collective memory? Or, what histories are impossible to pin […]
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Once Home to Soldiers, Immigrants, and a Beluga Whale: The Remarkable Story of Battery Park’s Castle Clinton
If you’ve ever had a picnic in Battery Park or taken a trip to the Statue of Liberty you’ve probably walked through Castle Clinton, a medieval-looking fortress dating back to 1808 that sits by the water’s edge. This structure, now used as a ticket office and information center for tourists heading to Liberty Island, has […]
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Comparing the Restoration of Two Lower Manhattan Historic Sites
There are many things that make the Museum at Eldridge Street unique: the building’s remarkable history and distinctive location, breathtaking interior, and extraordinary restoration story. However, it is not the only impressive example of architectural restoration in Lower Manhattan. Another example, Trinity Church, has been part of New York’s history for more than 300 years; […]
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A Look into Jewish Mindfulness and Meditation
Today, many Jews who grapple with incorporating liturgical worship (also called davening) into their lives have turned instead to wordless, mindful meditation. With this practice, one can choose to reflect on God, on their place in the universe, or on something else entirely. These Jews, many in their early 20s or 30s, often grew up in […]
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A Window to the Soul: Architect Deborah Gans Discusses her Enduring Contribution to the Museum at Eldridge Street
Upon entering the beautifully restored sanctuary at the Museum at Eldridge Street, visitors are transported back to the height of the synagogue’s glory. Built in 1887 during the rise of Jewish immigration to the Lower East Side and restored in the 1980’s after a period of neglect and disrepair, the building is a perfect reflection […]
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Over 50 Years Later, This Timeless Story Still Delights
At the Museum at Eldridge Street, we tell the stories of the immigrants who settled on the Lower East Side through the lens of our historic building. And on July 8th, we will focus on a particular story that has been beloved by families since it’s conception – the All-of-a-Kind-Family story. Sydney Taylor (born Sarah […]
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