Manhattan, NY - Restoration of Eldridge Street Synagogue Saves a Sense of History

Manhattan, NY - The Eldridge Street Synagogue, a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1887 as a symbol of Eastern European Jewish immigration to the United States. It sits in the shadows of the Manhattan Bridge, a block south of Canal Street, where Jewish bakeries, markets and clothing stores have flourished in the years to come.

Yesterday residents, worshipers and dignitaries gathered to mark the project's most important milestone so far: the restoration of the synagogue's facade to its original Moorish, Gothic and Romanesque styles.
"Not only do we return this buildings to the silhouette envisioned by the building's forefathers, but we return this building as a gift to the community that surrounds it," said Roberta Brandes Gratz, founder of the nonsectarian Eldridge Street Project, which oversees the synagogue's $20 million restoration and cultural programs.