The Museum at Eldridge Street

The Museum at Eldridge Street is a Synagogue that was built in 1887 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, which you can visit with your Queens car rental. It was one of the earliest synagogue buildings built in the United States by Eastern European Jews that is still standing. This is a Moorish Revival building with 70-foot-high vaulted ceilings, with stained glass windows and brass fixtures.

Services

When the synagogue opened, thousands participated in religious services right through the 1920s. It was so popular during this period, that police would have to control the crowds on the street on High Holidays. This was not only a place to worship, but also a place that welcomed new Americans to the country. The poor could come for food or to learn about job and housing opportunities. Long before settlement houses were established, the Synagogue operated like a mutual aid society does today. During the Great Depression, the membership began to dwindle as immigration quotas were placed on new arrivals. There was less money to keep up with upgrades and by the 1950s, the main sanctuary was closed off. In 1986, a not-for-profit organization, the Eldridge Street Project, was founded to renew the synagogue. They completed the restoration in 2007, and today you can visit with your Queens rental car. The Synagogue also continues to serve as an Orthodox Jewish synagogue with weekly services on the Sabbath and Holidays.

Take a tour

When you are here with your car rental Queens, you can take a tour of the Synagogue, which is a National Historic Landmark. Located where Chinatown meets the old Jewish Lower East Side, you can feel like you are taking a step back in time when you are here. On Monday mornings, there are free tours from 10 a.m. until noon for groups of 6 or less. Or, come on Sunday at 1 p.m. to discover the story of the Eldridge Street Synagogue. The Preservation Detectives program will allow you to learn about the architecture, history, and culture of the synagogue. Each month there is a different theme to this program. There are also walking tours available of the museum available by appointment for groups of 10 or more. They have themed tours where you can learn about love and courtship, sacred sites in the city, or the history of housing on the Lower East Side.

Plan your visit

When you are here with your rental car Queens, you can make an appointment to see the museum with your group of 10 or more. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and tours take place on the half hour. Tickets are $10 per person, and $8 for students and seniors. Children ages 5-18 are $6, and children under 5 are free. You can buy tickets to the museum at the gift shop on the day of your visit. The museum is wheelchair accessible.

Explore the neighborhood

When you are here with your Queens car rental, you can learn more about the Lower East Side, which is located on the southeastern part of Manhattan. The area was traditionally an immigrant and working class neighborhood, but has undergone gentrification in recent years. The Lower East Side has neighborhoods such as the East Village, Alphabet City, Chinatown, Little Italy, and NoLIta. Aside from the Eldridge Street Synagogue, there are many other Jewish landmarks that you can visit when you are here with your Queens rental car. There is Katz's Deli, Guss' Pickles, and many other Jewish restaurants. There are also several synagogues in the area.

When you are here with your Queens car rental, you will find that the Eldridge Street Synagogue is a beautiful place to visit and to learn about the history of the Jewish people of the area.

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