Museum at Eldridge Street
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Below the Horizon: Kiki Smith at Eldridge
World-renowned artist Kiki Smith brings her distinctive vision to the Museum at Eldridge Street in this site-specific exhibition. Smith has spent decades exploring themes of mortality, spirituality, society, the body, nature and the mind. Her art became a vital element of the Museum’s historic sanctuary when the stained-glass window she designed in collaboration with architect Deborah Gans was installed in 2010. Returning now to Eldridge Street, Kiki Smith fills the building with her work in varying mediums, reacting to and…
ArtSee: Kiki Smith
Calling all artsy kids! Join a super-fun exploration of Below the Horizon, the museum’s exhibition of work by contemporary artist Kiki Smith. Take a closer look at the artist’s depictions of nature. From soaring golden birds to majestically rendered stars to cute cats, you’ll focus on pieces that reflect how Smith is inspired by nature – and transforms it in her art. Then, prepare to get messy making your own works building on those same ideas. Space is limited; reservations required.
Twilight Open House: Kiki Smith at Eldridge
We’re swinging open the grand doors of the Museum after-hours for three special evenings welcoming art lovers to our latest exhibition. Kiki Smith titled this show Below the Horizon because she felt “that’s when we have access to the stars.” Stars are a consistent theme in her work, nowhere more so than here at Eldridge, where stars fill the stunning stained glass window she designed with architect Deborah Gans. Returning to the Museum for this building-wide show, Smith has selected…
All-of-a-Kind Family walking tour
What was it like to be a kid on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century? Find out as we follow in the footsteps of Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie, the beloved sisters depicted in Sydney Taylor’s children’s classic All-of-a-Kind Family. We’ll stroll through the story and into the streets to visit the spots where the children played, prayed, and purchased their pickles and candy. This tour is presented in partnership with PJ Library.
Crime and the Kehillah: Accusation and Response
In 1906, New York City Police Commissioner Theodore Bingham asserted that half the city’s criminals were Jews. Although a widespread backlash forced Bingham to issue a retraction, Bingham’s message was loud and clear. New York’s Jewish population was considered a menace to more “polite” (aka “native”) society. In response, city residents formed the New York Kehilla, or “Community.” It was an attempt to organize communal activities under a single umbrella and present a united, productive group of Jewish New Yorkers…
A Sabbath of the Mind
What defines a Sabbath? The practice transcends any one spiritual denomination, yet it is always characterized by a commitment to peace and joy, community and closeness, good food, good company and quietness of the mind. How can we cultivate that feeling all week? And how can the sacred day’s basic tenets apply to a more secular life? Yael Shy, author and senior director of NYU Global Spiritual Life, will lead a guided meditation and discussion on mindfulness in daily life. Then,…
Activist Women walking tour
The Lower East Side of the late-19th and early-20th century was teeming with newcomers to the country. Eastern Europeans brought with them a tradition of activism and discourse, and almost immediately applied it to their new home. These new immigrants challenged the status quo and fought to improve their own lives and the lives of their countrymen. In many cases, women were the strongest voices of all. Stroll the historic streets of the old neighborhood while celebrating these fiery women,…
Jewish Medical Ethics
This four-part course explores hot-button issues of medical ethics from a Jewish perspective. With the help of instructor Rabbi Aviad Bodner, you’ll explore primary sources and follow the development of Jewish law regarding topics including determining time of death and organ donations. Aviad Bodner is the rabbi at the Stanton Street Shul. Previously, Rabbi Bodner served as rabbi for the Moishe House in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he provided halakhic advice, led Torah classes and learning groups, and helped build an inclusive,…
All-of-a-Kind Family walking tour
What was it like to be a kid on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century? Find out as we follow in the footsteps of Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie, the beloved sisters depicted in Sydney Taylor’s children’s classic All-of-a-Kind Family. We’ll stroll through the story and into the streets to visit the spots where the children played, prayed, and purchased their pickles and candy. This tour is presented in partnership with PJ Library.
Tavche Gravche in Concert
Tavche Gravche brings their unique take on Balkan music to the Museum at Eldridge Street. Merging haunting Macedonian and Mediterranean melodies with dynamic improvisation, the highly danceable band has a rhythm and energy all its own. The quartet pushes the boundaries of cultures and rhythms to create an explosive, all-encompassing adventure for the audience.
Where They Prayed
This roving exploration of the Lower East Side starts at our Museum, home of the first grand synagogue built by Eastern Europe Jews in America. Then you’ll head out into the neighborhood for visit to a dramatically different type of sacred space – a tenement synagogue established by Galician immigrants. Along the way, expert guide Barry Feldman will tell tales of immigrant life on the Lower East Side. Explore the streets of the old Jewish neighborhood and peek inside the diverse…
