Traverse the history of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, the first purpose-built Eastern European synagogue in America, and excavate the many meanings of sacred in the Jewish tradition and in connection with other cultures.
To Build and Belong: Sacred Space, Sacred Time, Sacred Community is shaped by three interwoven sacred themes:
-
Sacred Space: where people go to find meaning and sanctuary.
-
Sacred Time: the rhythms and rituals that mark people’s lives.
-
Sacred Community: what forms when people are bound to each other and to something greater than themselves.
Through interpretation, installations, and interactive experiences, the newly designed core exhibition encourages visitors to reflect on the people, spaces, and moments they feel to be sacred. Featuring original photographs, ritual objects, congregational records, neighborhood artifacts, and restoration materials, To Build and Belong traces interlacing themes of migration, identity, belonging, and preservation through the founding, decay, and restoration of the Museum at Eldridge Street’s National Historic Landmark home, the Eldridge Street Synagogue.
In addition to congregational records, personal objects, ritual items, neighborhood ephemera, and architectural artifacts, the exhibition features an illuminated glass model of the synagogue and immersive design, including a one-of-a-kind ceiling replica of the synagogue’s 1887 rose window, and a projection featuring visitor reflections on sacred space, sacred time, and sacred community. An interactive quiz table allows visitors to dive deeper in exploring Jewish holidays and life cycles, synagogue architecture, Lower East Side history, and more.
The Museum at Eldridge Street will offer a series of related public programs and will provide interactive audio/visual companions through Bloomberg Connects.
To Build and Belong: Sacred Space, Sacred Time, Sacred Community is made possible by Lilly Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. Additional exhibition support is provided by The Estate of Roger Jacques Herz.
