Mission & Values

The Museum at Eldridge Street is housed in the Eldridge Street Synagogue, a magnificent National Historic Landmark that has been meticulously restored. Opened in 1887, the synagogue is the first great house of worship built in America by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. Today, it is the only remaining marker of the great wave of Jewish migration to the Lower East Side that is open to a broad public who wish to visit Jewish New York.

Exhibits, tours, public programs and education tell the story of Jewish immigrant life, explore architecture and historic preservation, inspire reflection on cultural continuity, and foster collaboration and exchange between people of all faiths, heritages and interests.

The mission of the Museum at Eldridge Street is to restore and preserve the National Historic Landmark 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, and to provide cultural and educational programs that serve a broad public.

At the Museum at Eldridge Street we:

• Welcome people of all faiths and cultures
• Teach and reinforce tolerance
• Believe diversity is our strength
• Believe openness and exchange makes us stronger
• Celebrate the special role that the Eldridge Street Synagogue plays in making Jewish life and immigrant culture available to all visitors, whatever their background.

A statement on social justice:

The Museum at Eldridge Street supports the movement to end systemic racism in our country. Since its founding, the Museum has remained committed to responding to community needs and to promoting equality for all people. We continue to work together with and stand in solidarity with all marginalized communities experiencing harassment, hate, and violence.We believe all American citizens have a responsibility to uphold the virtues of justice and equity. And as a cultural institution dedicated to exploring immigration and culture in a dynamic immigrant neighborhood, the issue is even more salient. Eldridge Street recognizes the need to do everything within its power to foster diversity and inclusivity both at the Museum and in the greater cultural landscape of which we are a part. In the midst of recent tragic events, we are recommitting to our work to hear the voices and stories of those so often left out of history.