On October 6, our Jewish History students explored the historic Lower East Side, visiting three remarkable synagogues: the Bialystoker Synagogue, the Eldridge Street Synagogue Museum, and the Romaniote Greek Synagogue. Students had a hands-on experience, rubbing their thumbs on the same lectern once nervously touched by bar mitzvah boys during the Gilded Age, and at the Greek Synagogue, they examined Torah scrolls up close and met a congregant, Marvin, who shared insights into the community’s traditions.
The tour also included landmarks like Katz’s Delicatessen, the old Yiddish Forward building, and the Henry Street Settlement, learning about figures such as Lillian Wald and Emma Goldman, the complex legacy of Jewish gangsters like Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel, and capped with a visit to a Greek Jewish candy store from the Depression era.
Many thanks to parent chaperone, Marni Aaron and all her amazing photos viewable here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pp7TdOk9Zbm6s5jKoA6gTGAQprcqZHED
