ELDRIDGE STREET SYNAGOGUE

The Eldridge Street Museum/Synagogue, one of New York City's historic treasures, was once a significant part of the Lower East Side neighborhood which was settled by European Jews and other immigrants.  This synagogue, built in 1887 by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, became a daily reminder of their recently found freedom of religion in their new country.  It was also a mecca for both Jewish and Christian immigrants who could get a free meal, receive aid with finding housing, and obtain other social services for starting a new beginning.

The congregation was a diverse group of working class immigrants with occupations ranging from lawyers and merchants to laborers and street vendors.  Eighty-five percent of Eastern European Jews came to New York City and seventy-five percent settled on the Lower East Side.

Architects Franz and Peter Herter, two Catholic brothers from Germany, incorporated Moorish, Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles in the synagogue's design.  The landmark synagogue has a 70 foot ceiling, exquisite woodwork, bright frescoes, chandeliers, 67 stained-glass windows, and stars of David.  The electric lights in the sanctuary were originally gas lights.  The 12 circles in one stained glass window represent the 12 tribes of Israel.  

For many years the synagogue was in extreme disrepair and in danger of collapsing.  In 1986, the Eldridge Street Project was formed to preserve and restore the dilapidated synagogue.  In December 2007, the extensive $20 million restoration work was completed and the synagogue became a museum.  As custom in an Orthodox congregation, there are separate seating areas for men and women (men on the synagogue's ground level or gallery level and women in the balcony).

The original window above the altar was damaged in a storm during the 1940s.  In 2007, a newly restored stained-glass window designed by artists Kiki Smith and Deborah Gans, was installed.  The window consists of 1,200 pieces of colored glass and 650 stars.   

The synagogue is a beautiful monument to the history of immigration in America and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1996.  Guided tours, concerts, and many other programs, including educational ones for schools and teachers, are offered.  Digital tours are also available online.  Located at 12 Eldridge Street (between Canal and Division Streets) in what is now Chinatown, the synagogue is a short distance from Little Italy.  Combine a visit here with one to the nearby Tenement Museum on Orchard Street, lunch or dinner in Chinatown or Little Italy, and a highly recommended stop for a delicious dessert at Ferrari's Little Italy and Bakery.