In preparation for our upcoming installation Lost Synagogues of Europe: Eastern European Jewish Postcards I researched the current status and histories of the synagogues featured in František Bányai’s collection. Many of these breathtaking buildings were lost in the course of just two days during Kristallnacht, literally … Read more
by Rose Cronin-Jackman, intern Beginning this month, The Center for the Living City will present a yearlong series of lectures at the Museum honoring activist and urban ethnographer Jane Jacobs. In my urban history classes at the New School, Jacobs as been mentioned a number of … Read more
by Nancy Johnson, Museum archivist As an archivist, I look to artifacts and documents to discover the story of a person or place from an earlier time. Often I am working behind the scenes, but on January 27, 2016, I get to share some of … Read more
This Saturday, November 14, 2015, will mark the 129th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone for the Museum at Eldridge Street’s landmark home, the Eldridge Street Synagogue. On that date back in 1886, a community of Jewish immigrants gathered for a lavish celebration that included Lower … Read more
By Emma Friedlander The story of the Lower East Side is one of constant, rapid change. Although this neighborhood was once the center of Jewish American life, for the most part, the shuls and kosher stores that marked this Jewish presence have now vanished. Today, … Read more