The most famous Jewish neighborhood ever was probably the Lower East Side of Manhattan. From 1881 to 1924 more than a million Jews piled into this section of NYC making it historically the most crowded and most Jewish area on earth.

MANY noted people were born and lived here, but the best known are probably the actors, singers, comedians, and tummlers who started out in the tenements before achieving fame on Broadway and in Hollywood.

From 1881 - 1924, almost 1.5 million Ashkenazi Jews escaped the oppression of the Pale of Settlement and settled on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. But did you know more than 20,000 Sephardic Jews mainly from Turkey, Syria, Greece, and the Balkans ALSO settled in the neighborhood? A 1936 Columbia University study described the area “around Rivington and Allen Streets in New York City’s Lower East Side” as “the most vibrant Sephardic hub in the nation.”

Arnold Rothstein, Meir Lansky, and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel were just a few of the notorious Jewish mobsters who got their start in gangs and gambling on the Lower East Side before extending their bootlegging and other criminal activities to Atlantic City, Miami, Cuba, and Las Vegas. Explore questions of morality, power, & assimilation while touring the old haunts of Murder Inc., the Mafia, and the G-Men on their trail.

Williamsburg is a neighborhood steeped in history and tradition and is home to one of the largest communities of Haredi Jews in the world. As you walk through the streets, you'll notice the distinctive attire of the Hasidic men and woman as well as the businesses which complement the still growing population.

Join educator and urban historian Bradley Shaw as you virtually explore this fascinating neighborhood, including significant synagogues like Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, the oldest Orthodox Jewish congregation in Brooklyn, and Beth Elohim, an 1875 Gothic Synagogue built by Reform Jews and now housing a Chasidic Yeshiva.   You will also visit Lee Avenue, the main shopping area, Bais Rachel, a NYC High School turned girl’s Yeshiva and hear other stories of the fabric of Chasidic Williamsburg, with a little bit of Hipster Williamsburg mixed in. 

Nestled between Harlem to the south and Inwood to the north, Washington Heights is a distinctive Jewish enclave within the landscape of New York’s larger Jewish community. Of the 125,000 German Jewish refugees that arrived in America in the 1930’s and 40’s, the “Heights” attracted over 20,000, mostly from Southern Germany. It soon became populated with synagogues, Jewish social and cultural clubs and successful businesses serving as a “starter” community for its myriad of residents. By the 1950’s and 60’s it saw the arrival of new immigrants from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Greece, the Dominican Republic, and African Americans moving in from Harlem. This area welcomed them all and transformed into a classic multi-ethnic NYC neighborhood. The 1980’s brought more dramatic changes as many of the younger generation began moving out to the suburbs and to Riverdale for the better life that their parents initially hoped to find In the Heights.

Your guide, Urban Historian and educator Bradley Shaw, was born on the Lower East Side, has a BA in History and Education from Brooklyn College and is a licensed NYC tour guide. He shares with us his love of the neighborhood and passion for its history. He has been a docent, walking tour guide and manager at the Museum at Eldridge Street for more than six years, in addition to doing walking tours for the LESJC, Context Travel and his own company NY History Tours.

One hundred years ago, when over a million impoverished Jewish immigrants crowded the streets and tenements of the Lower East Side, it seemed like every street had at least one synagogue. Journey with urban historian and LES native Bradley Shaw to the heart of the neighborhood, where you will see the Bialystoker Synagogue and hear stories of shuls and stieblachs.

From 1880 to 1924, almost 3 million Jews left the Pale of Settlement in Eastern Europe for a better life where the streets were paved with gold, the land of opportunity; the United States. Most settled on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where the opportunity was abundant, but their salaries and living conditions were subpar at best.  The great majority were not happy, but too overwhelmed by their new homeland to complain.  But some, like Lower East Side residents Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, Morris Hillquit, Abraham Cahan and Meyer London, knew there should be a better life and were willing to do just about ANYTHING to get there. This walking tour will focus on these “radicals” - anarchists, communists and socialists all - who tried to change the structure of the American Way to improve the lives of these immigrants and improve their standard of living - whether through our democratic process or through lawless acts of violence. Some of the places we will visit: The Daily Forward Building, The first home of Emma Goldman in NYC, Locations of radical cafes, The location of the Yom Kippur riots of 1898, The still active DSA - Democratic Socialists of America, The Educational Alliance - whose benefactors were anything but radical, and The Henry Street Settlement. 

Your guide, Urban Historian and educator Bradley Shaw, was born on the Lower East Side, has a BA in History and Education from Brooklyn College and is a licensed NYC tour guide. He shares with us his love of the neighborhood and passion for its history. He has been a docent, walking tour guide and manager at the Museum at Eldridge Street for more than six years, in addition to doing walking tours for the LESJC, Context Travel and his own company NY History Tours.

Walk from the Plaza to the Met on Fifth Avenue looking at the mansions and talk about the Jewish influence in the neighborhood. The Harmonie Club, Guggenheim’s, Adler’s, Strauss’, Goldman, Berkman and Frick, as well as Temple Emanu-El.

When you speak of Harlem, the most famous African-American community in the world comes to mind.  But did you know Harlem was once the third largest Jewish neighborhood in the world from 1870 -1930, after New York's Lower East Side and Warsaw, Poland?  

Join Bradley Shaw as he talks about this often forgotten segment of Jewish history, starting with its origins as a community for the very rich and covering its glory days as one of the three major world centers of Judaism.

You will learn about 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"), the magnificent Temple Israel, 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 congregations in the United States.

Other topics included will be Mount Morris Park, designed by world renowned designers Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, where numerous noted residents lived, including songwriters Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Lorenz Hart.

The Lower East Side of Manhattan has one of the most diverse and amazing histories in the world. Starting out as an affluent suburb of NYC, it became the quintessential tenement filled home of new immigrants from the German enclave of Kleindeutschland to the largest Jewish Ghetto in the world. The changes continued with the neighborhood welcoming the Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities and then housing an expanding Chinatown. It is now hosting trendy clubs and young professionals while still embracing some of its grittier past. 

Brad Shaw was born on the Lower East Side as were his parents and has been an active visitor for all of his life. Experience the stories and see the sites of the neighborhood and its changing past and present from the perspective of a one time resident and lifelong observer.  Some of the things you will see and hear about:

>Historic places of worship

>Historic ethnic eateries of the past and present

>Hangouts and stories of Jewish Gangsters

>The neighborhood of Kleindeutchland

>Historic institutions which helped and influenced the inhabitants

When you speak of Harlem, the most famous African-American community in the world comes to mind. But did you know Harlem was once the third largest Jewish neighborhood in the world from 1870 -1930, after New York's Lower East Side and Warsaw, Poland? 

Your guide, Urban Historian and educator Bradley Shaw, was born on the Lower East Side, has a BA in History and Education from Brooklyn College and is a licensed NYC tour guide. He shares with us his love of the neighborhood and passion for its history. 

Arnold Rothstein, Meir Lansky, and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel were just a few of the notorious Jewish mobsters who got their start in gangs and gambling on the Lower East Side before extending their bootlegging and other criminal activities to Atlantic City, Miami, Cuba, and Las Vegas. Explore questions of morality, power, & assimilation while touring the old haunts of Murder Inc., the Mafia, and the G-Men on their trail.

From 1881 - 1924, almost 1.5 million Ashkenazi Jews escaped the oppression of the Pale of Settlement and settled on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. But did you know more than 20,000 Sephardic Jews mainly from Turkey, Syria, Greece, and the Balkans ALSO settled in the neighborhood? A 1936 Columbia University study described the area “around Rivington and Allen Streets in New York City’s Lower East Side” as “the most vibrant Sephardic hub in the nation.”

In 1654, 23 Jews escaping the newly instituted Portuguese Inquisition in Brazil, landed in New Amsterdam (New York City) and were almost immediately expelled by Peter Stuyvesant.  They persevered and there has been a Jewish and notably a Sephardic presence in this country for over 370 years, or 120 before the founding of the United States.

Join us on a captivating walking tour that unveils the rich and often untold history of the Sephardic Jewish community in New York City.  Some of the sites visited will include colonial era cemeteries, famous homes and religious sites - all with stories of history, heritage and culture.

The walking tour concludes with a visit to the Center for Jewish History on East 16th Street, where guests will receive an exclusive, behind-the-science tour of treasures from American Sephardi Federation, offering a fascinating glimpse into the rich cultural legacy of the Sephardic Jews in America.

New York City has long been home to the largest Jewish community in the United States, but did you know it was the first? This tour traces the remarkable journey of the very first American Jewish community: a small group of Jewish refugees from Brazil who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, established the first synagogue, and fought for the rights and freedoms of future generations.

We’ll begin at the mouth of New York Harbor, where we’ll explore the broader story of Jewish life in the Caribbean before following the refugees’ path to New Amsterdam. At the monument honoring these first arrivals, we’ll uncover the struggles they endured to remain in the Dutch colony. From there, we’ll walk the old streets of New Amsterdam, tracing the lives of these early pioneers and their impact on the city’s and country’s development. Along the way, we’ll stop at the site of New York’s first synagogue, Shearith Israel, and learn about its enduring legacy. Our journey concludes at the oldest Jewish cemetery in the United States—now tucked within the bustling heart of Chinatown.

The most famous Jewish neighborhood ever was probably the Lower East Side of Manhattan. From 1881 to 1924 more than a million Jews piled into this section of NYC making it historically the most crowded and most Jewish area on earth.

MANY noted people were born and lived here, but the best known are probably the actors, singers, comedians, and tummlers who started out in the tenements before achieving fame on Broadway and in Hollywood.

Chasidic Williamsburg is a neighborhood steeped in history and tradition and is home to one of the largest concentrations of Haredi Jews in the world. As you walk through the streets, you'll notice the distinctive attire of the Chasidic men and woman as well as the businesses which complement the still growing population. Join educator and urban historian Bradley Shaw as you explore this fascinating neighborhood, including significant synagogues like Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, the oldest Orthodox Jewish congregation in Brooklyn, and Beth Elohim, an 1875 Gothic Synagogue built by Reform Jews and now housing a Chasidic Yeshiva.   You will also visit Lee Avenue, the main shopping area, Bais Rachel, a NYC High School turned girl’s Yeshiva and hear other stories of the fabric of Chasidic Williamsburg, with a little bit of Hipster Williamsburg mixed in.

Your guide, Urban Historian and educator Bradley Shaw, was born on the Lower East Side, has a BA in History and Education from Brooklyn College and is a licensed NYC tour guide. He shares with us his love of the neighborhood and passion for its history. He has been a docent, walking tour guide and manager at the Museum at Eldridge Street for more than six years, in addition to doing walking tours for the LESJC, Context Travel and his own company NY History Tours.

Brighton Beach was always famous as a simple residential neighborhood attracting people with its wide sandy beaches, ocean breeze and tons of attractions on neighboring Coney Island. But did you know that it started as an upper middle class resort with several luxury hotels, largest bathing Pavilion, race track and famous outdoor concert venues. In early 1920s resorts were replaced with the residential neighborhoods and a lot of Jewish immigrants, mostly young families, moved here escaping overcrowded LES and some other areas of the city. They built a number of synagogues and opened many Jewish business. After short period of prosperity the Great Depression hit, and Brighton Beach changed significantly filled with tens of thousands of jobless homeless Jewish families who overcrowded once luxurious spacious apartments. In the following years there were additional waves of Jewish immigrants from Europe escaping the Nazis, Holocaust survivors after the WWII. The influx of Soviet Jewish refugees in 1970s changed the face of Brighton Beach completely, filled it with young people, exotic food and culture, made it “Little Odessa (Ukraine) by the Sea.” In our tour we’ll visit some of the still functioning old synagogues, see the once luxury Art Deco houses where Jewish immigrants of 1920s lived, walk the famous Brighton Beach Ave while talking about Russian-speaking Jewish emigration, and see the spot where the original Brighton Beach resort hotels once stood.

Your guide for this tour is Svetlana Kershtein, a professional tour guide who has worked on three continents and holds a Masters Degree in History, specializing in the history of the ancient world. Born in the Soviet Union, she emigrated to Israel where she worked as a licensed tour guide for 11 years. Svetlana’s passion for Jewish history, art, music, and cuisine is reflected in her popular tours for the Conservancy. She is fluent in three languages (English, Hebrew, and Russian). 

The most famous Jewish neighborhood ever was probably the Lower East Side of Manhattan. From 1881 to 1924 more than a million Jews piled into this section of NYC making it historically the most crowded and most Jewish area on earth.

MANY noted people were born and lived here, but the best known are probably the actors, singers, comedians, and tummlers who started out in the tenements before achieving fame on Broadway and in Hollywood.

Stroll down Second Avenue and discover legends and landmarks of the “Yiddish Rialto” – once home to such notable performers as Fannie Brice, Molly Picon, Boris Thomashefsky, Paul Muni, and the woman who transformed American popular theatre, Sophie Tucker. An English language tour with a lot of shmaltz. For a bit of nostalgia, maybe even stop for a chocolate egg creme!

From flaky, golden old-world classic knishes to chewy old-school candies, this tasty tour will introduce you to the delicious traditions of New York City’s most iconic immigrant neighborhood. As you walk the bustling streets of the Lower East Side, you’ll pop into legendary bakeries, candy shops, and hidden gems, sampling treats that have delighted locals for generations and discover modern twists that keep the neighborhood a vibrant foodie paradise today. Come hungry, leave happy (and maybe a little nostalgic).

Brighton Beach was always famous as a simple residential neighborhood attracting people with its wide sandy beaches, ocean breeze and tons of attractions on neighboring Coney Island. But did you know that it started as an upper middle class resort with several luxury hotels, largest bathing Pavilion, race track and famous outdoor concert venues. In early 1920s resorts were replaced with the residential neighborhoods and a lot of Jewish immigrants, mostly young families, moved here escaping overcrowded LES and some other areas of the city. They built a number of synagogues and opened many Jewish business. After short period of prosperity the Great Depression hit, and Brighton Beach changed significantly filled with tens of thousands of jobless homeless Jewish families who overcrowded once luxurious spacious apartments. In the following years there were additional waves of Jewish immigrants from Europe escaping the Nazis, Holocaust survivors after the WWII. The influx of Soviet Jewish refugees in 1970s changed the face of Brighton Beach completely, filled it with young people, exotic food and culture, made it “Little Odessa (Ukraine) by the Sea.” In our tour we’ll visit some of the still functioning old synagogues, see the once luxury Art Deco houses where Jewish immigrants of 1920s lived, walk the famous Brighton Beach Ave while talking about Russian-speaking Jewish emigration, and see the spot where the original Brighton Beach resort hotels once stood.

Your guide for this tour is Svetlana Kershtein, a professional tour guide who has worked on three continents and holds a Masters Degree in History, specializing in the history of the ancient world. Born in the Soviet Union, she emigrated to Israel where she worked as a licensed tour guide for 11 years. Svetlana’s passion for Jewish history, art, music, and cuisine is reflected in her popular tours for the Conservancy. She is fluent in three languages (English, Hebrew, and Russian). 

As one of the most iconic neighborhoods in NYC, it is no surprise Greenwich Village is also one of its most historic and politically charged. From NYU and Washington Square Park, to its legendary music venues, to the famous people who lived there, to its cultural impact, the Village is as popular today as when Dylan, Springsteen, Hendrix, Ginsberg and others roamed the streets looking for gigs. But did you know the Jewish History of Greenwich Village goes back well over 200 years? Congregation Darech Amuno, now housed in a 150 year old converted townhouse, has existed in the Village since 1838. One of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the country is hidden in plain sight on West 11th Street. One of the first homes of Temple Emanu-El was in a converted Baptist Church on East 12th Street from 1854-1868. Add this and other sites to the great list of Jewish musicians, artists and activists who lived in the Village and you have many interesting things to appreciate. 

Join the Hon. Julie Menin, Allen Lewis Rickman, Larissa and Ami Nahari for a special Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy event honoring the Bialystoker Synagogue and inaugurating the Herz Heritage Trail. After two years of work scouring archives, conducting interviews, documenting and even digitally reconstructing sites, we are ready to reveal the first virtual and augmented reality experience, part of our efforts to keep Jewish history alive on the Lower East Side!

Your guide, Urban Historian and educator Bradley Shaw, was born on the Lower East Side, has a BA in History and Education from Brooklyn College and is a licensed NYC tour guide. He shares with us his love of the neighborhood and passion for its history. He has been a docent, walking tour guide and manager at the Museum at Eldridge Street for more than six years, in addition to doing walking tours for the LESJC, Context Travel and his own company NY History Tours.

New York City has long been home to the largest Jewish community in the United States, but did you know it was the first? This tour traces the remarkable journey of the very first American Jewish community: a small group of Jewish refugees from Brazil who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, established the first synagogue, and fought for the rights and freedoms of future generations.

We’ll begin at the mouth of New York Harbor, where we’ll explore the broader story of Jewish life in the Caribbean before following the refugees’ path to New Amsterdam. At the monument honoring these first arrivals, we’ll uncover the struggles they endured to remain in the Dutch colony. From there, we’ll walk the old streets of New Amsterdam, tracing the lives of these early pioneers and their impact on the city’s and country’s development. Along the way, we’ll stop at the site of New York’s first synagogue, Shearith Israel, and learn about its enduring legacy. Our journey concludes at the oldest Jewish cemetery in the United States—now tucked within the bustling heart of Chinatown.

Williamsburg is a neighborhood steeped in history and tradition and is home to one of the largest communities of Haredi Jews in the world. As you walk through the streets, you'll notice the distinctive attire of the Hasidic men and woman as well as the businesses which complement the still growing population.

Join educator and urban historian Bradley Shaw as you virtually explore this fascinating neighborhood, including significant synagogues like Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, the oldest Orthodox Jewish congregation in Brooklyn, and Beth Elohim, an 1875 Gothic Synagogue built by Reform Jews and now housing a Chasidic Yeshiva.   You will also visit Lee Avenue, the main shopping area, Bais Rachel, a NYC High School turned girl’s Yeshiva and hear other stories of the fabric of Chasidic Williamsburg, with a little bit of Hipster Williamsburg mixed in. 

Chasidic Williamsburg is a neighborhood steeped in history and tradition and is home to one of the largest concentrations of Haredi Jews in the world. As you walk through the streets, you'll notice the distinctive attire of the Chasidic men and woman as well as the businesses which complement the still growing population. Join educator and urban historian Bradley Shaw as you explore this fascinating neighborhood, including significant synagogues like Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, the oldest Orthodox Jewish congregation in Brooklyn, and Beth Elohim, an 1875 Gothic Synagogue built by Reform Jews and now housing a Chasidic Yeshiva.   You will also visit Lee Avenue, the main shopping area, Bais Rachel, a NYC High School turned girl’s Yeshiva and hear other stories of the fabric of Chasidic Williamsburg, with a little bit of Hipster Williamsburg mixed in.

Your guide, Urban Historian and educator Bradley Shaw, was born on the Lower East Side, has a BA in History and Education from Brooklyn College and is a licensed NYC tour guide. He shares with us his love of the neighborhood and passion for its history. He has been a docent, walking tour guide and manager at the Museum at Eldridge Street for more than six years, in addition to doing walking tours for the LESJC, Context Travel and his own company NY History Tours.

New York City has long been home to the largest Jewish community in the United States, but did you know it was the first? This tour traces the remarkable journey of the very first American Jewish community: a small group of Jewish refugees from Brazil who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, established the first synagogue, and fought for the rights and freedoms of future generations.

We’ll begin at the mouth of New York Harbor, where we’ll explore the broader story of Jewish life in the Caribbean before following the refugees’ path to New Amsterdam. At the monument honoring these first arrivals, we’ll uncover the struggles they endured to remain in the Dutch colony. From there, we’ll walk the old streets of New Amsterdam, tracing the lives of these early pioneers and their impact on the city’s and country’s development. Along the way, we’ll stop at the site of New York’s first synagogue, Shearith Israel, and learn about its enduring legacy. Our journey concludes at the oldest Jewish cemetery in the United States—now tucked within the bustling heart of Chinatown.

Arnold Rothstein, Meir Lansky, and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel were just a few of the notorious Jewish mobsters who got their start in gangs and gambling on the Lower East Side before extending their bootlegging and other criminal activities to Atlantic City, Miami, Cuba, and Las Vegas. Explore questions of morality, power, & assimilation while touring the old haunts of Murder Inc., the Mafia, and the G-Men on their trail.

From flaky, golden old-world classic knishes to chewy old-school candies, this tasty tour will introduce you to the delicious traditions of New York City’s most iconic immigrant neighborhood. As you walk the bustling streets of the Lower East Side, you’ll pop into legendary bakeries, candy shops, and hidden gems, sampling treats that have delighted locals for generations and discover modern twists that keep the neighborhood a vibrant foodie paradise today. Come hungry, leave happy (and maybe a little nostalgic).