Eldridge Street Synagogue

Eldridge Street Synagogue is a late 19th-century synagogue on Manhattan’s Lower East Side that now functions as both a restored house of worship and a museum. It was originally built to serve a growing immigrant Jewish congregation and is noted for its ornate interior.

The sanctuary features richly painted surfaces, stained-glass windows and a reconstructed women’s gallery and bimah area; the building underwent a long conservation and restoration project that was completed with a public reopening in 2007. The complex also houses exhibitions on the area’s immigrant and religious history.

Constructed in 1887, the synagogue served generations of the neighborhood before decline and partial disuse in the 20th century; the restoration preserved much of the interior decoration while adapting spaces for museum interpretation and community use.

The building is located on Eldridge Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, within walking distance of several subway lines and other historic immigrant-era sites in the neighborhood.

• Construction and restoration date: built in 1887 and extensively restored, with the conservation project completed and the site reopened to the public as a museum and active synagogue in 2007.
• Heritage status: designated a National Historic Landmark, notable for its late 19th-century interior decoration, stained-glass and mosaic work.

What to See #

• Sanctuary: the main sanctuary and sanctuary interior, including the restored decorated interior and women's gallery that show original late 19th-century design and liturgical layout.
• Museum and exhibition spaces: the museum and visitor spaces within the restored complex that interpret the history of the Lower East Side Jewish community and the synagogue's restoration.