Join us for a slide presentation/lecture of Jewish Harlem, the third largest Jewish community in the world– from 1870 -1930, after New York’s Lower East Side and Warsaw, Poland. View important landmarks and legendary people of this often-forgotten segment of Jewish history, starting with its origins as a community for the very, very rich and covering its glory days as one of the three major world-centers of Judaism.

Your armchair tour will be presented by Urban Historian Justin Ferate, well known and highly respected for his professional in-depth knowledge about the myriad aspects of New York City, and selected by Time Out New York as “One of New York’s 50 Essential Secrets!”

View photos of grand homes, elegant mansions, and some of this nation’s very first Parisian-style apartment houses. Discover tenements, elevated railways, activist housewives, writers, singers, composers, entrepreneurs, a Jewish mayor, and several well-loved Yiddish writers.

You’ll learn of Harlem’s legendary Jewish institutions – many of which transformed the Judaism of today’s world, and discuss sites such as Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein’s trendsetting Institutional Synagogue, (affectionately known as the “shul with the pool”) and the magnificent Temple Israel by noted Jewish architect, Arnold Brunner. Discuss the “Commandment Keepers” – Harlem’s Ethiopian Hebrew Synagogue, Ohab Zedek, the synagogue of the world-famous cantor Yossele Rosenblatt – considered the uncrowned king of cantorial music, and Ansche Chesed, one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the United States.

Other topics included will be Mount Morris Park, the elegant square, designed by world-renowned designers Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, where numerous noted residents lived, including songwriter Richard Rodgers, actress Gertrude Berg (noted for her radio role as “Molly Goldberg”), and Lena Himmelstein Bryant – the founder of the impressively successful clothing enterprise “Lane Bryant.”

In 1995, New York State Governor George Pataki and the New York State Tourism Council honored Justin Ferate as “New York's Most Engaging Tour Guide." Awards have been given to a number of Mr. Ferate’s specialized touring programs by agencies ranging from British Broadcasting Corporation to the AAA Guide to New York City. In 2016, Mr. Ferate received honors for his educational endeavors from NYS Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and Manhattan Borough Historian Michael Miscioni. He was also elected as the author of the Official New York City Tour Guide Licensing Examination.

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend this very special lecture, by this very special guide, as it will transform your perception of the phrase “Jewish Harlem”.

There is an additional charge of $2 when tickets are purchased at the door.