10. Sixth Street Community Center
From 1905 until the ’70s, this building at 636 E. 6th Street in the East Village was a functioning synagogue for the Congregation Ahawath Yeshurun Shar’a Torah. Since then, it has served as a nonprofit health center seeking to educate and empower lower-income households in the area, Sixth Street Community Center. For instance, the center runs a Community Supported Agriculture program that supplies members with local produce.
Although the interior of the building has been renovated and the entrance painted over, most of the former shul’s exterior artistry has been preserved or restored. Check out the plaque bearing the synagogue’s name that is still in placed above the entrance.
Secrets of the LES: Tour + Tasting
Next, check out Top 10 Jewish History Sites on the Lower East Side
This article was written by Wesley Yiin with updates and additions by Nicole Saraniero