2. The First Locations of the Eldridge Street Synagogue Were in Makeshift Spaces

Eldridge Street Synagogue-Museum at Eldridge Street-Tour-Lower East Side-Chinatown-NYC

As grand as today’s Eldridge Street Synagogue is, the first locations of worship for the congregation, established in 1852, were in makeshift spaces that included an attic, below a carpenter shop, above a saloon, and even a former church. It was not until 1887 when the doors were opened to the the building on 12 Eldridge Street. According to the Museum at Eldridge Street, this was the first grand synagogue to be built by the Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. Today, an interactive exhibit in the downstairs sanctuary showcases the history of the congregation, the architecture of the building and its renovation.