Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exploring the Jewish Lower East Side
Though its Jewish population has dwindled, the Lower East Side retains a rich legacy of
Jewish food, stores and, especially, Jewish buildings. Several synagogues are well main-
tained and most accept visitors Sun-Thurs. Perhaps the best preserved is the Museum at
Eldridge St , but you can also visit the 1927 Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and
Museum ( 212 431 1619, www.kkjsm.org . Sun 11am-4pm; free; MAP ) at 280
Broome St (at Allen St), home of the Romaniote Jews from Greece, an obscure branch
of Judaism with roots in the Roman era. Enthusiastic volunteers introduce Jewish art and
various exhibits. Further south at 54-58 Canal St is the ornate facade of the Sender Jar-
mulowsky Bank (now a boutique hotel). Founded in 1873 by a Russian peddler who
made his fortune reselling ship tickets, the bank catered to the financial needs of the
area's non-English-speaking immigrants (the building dates from 1912). In 1914, the
bank collapsed; on its closure, thousands lost what little savings they had accumulated.
At the corner of Canal and Ludlow streets, the Kletzker Brotherly Aid Association
building at no. 41 (now a Chinese funeral home) is a relic of a time when Jewish towns
set up their own lodges (in this case, the town was Kletzk, in modern-day Belarus) to
provide services such as community healthcare and burials. For more in-depth tours con-
tact the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy (
212 374 4100,
www.esjc.org ) .
ORCHARD STREET
Subway F, J, M, Z to Delancey St/Essex St; B, D to Grand St. MAP
The centre of the Lower East Side's so-called Bargain District, Orchard is best visited on
weekends, when filled with stalls and storefronts hawking discounted designer clothes and
bags, though note that many Jewish-owned stores are closed on Saturdays. The rooms above
the stores used to house sweatshops, so named because whatever the weather, a stove had to
be kept warm for pressing the clothes made there. Much of the garment industry moved up-
town ages ago, and the rooms are a bit more salubrious now - often home to pricey apart-
ments.
LOWER EAST SIDE TENEMENT MUSEUM
97 Orchard St between Broome and Delancey sts. Subway B, D to Grand St; F, J, M, Z to Delancey St/Essex
St. 212 982 8420, www.tenement.org . $25; for tickets go to the visitor centre at 103 Orchard St (Fri-Wed
10am-6.30pm, Thurs 10am-8.30pm). MAP
This illuminating museum offers a glimpse into the crumbling and claustrophobic interior of
an 1863 tenement, with its deceptively elegant entry hall and two communal toilets for
every four families. Museum guides expertly bring to life the building's past and present,
aided by documents, photographs and artefacts found on-site, and concentrating on the
area's multiple ethnic heritages.
 
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