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Photo: Alexisrael, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The museum, a non-sectarian cultural organization based in the restored 1887 National Historic Landmark Eldridge Street Synagogue, presents the culture, history and traditions of the great wave of Jewish immigrants to the Lower East Side drawing parallels with the diverse cultural communities that have settled in America. The museum offers guided tours of the synagogue, new exhibits and programs -- including concerts, neighborhood walking tours and film screenings.
The Eldridge Street Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue at 12–16 Eldridge Street in the Chinatown and Lower East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. Built in 1887 for Congregation Kahal Adath Jeshurun, the synagogue is one of the first erected in the U.S. by Eastern European Jews. The congregation, officially known as Kahal Adath Jeshurun with Anshe Lubz, still owns the synagogue and hosts weekly services there in the 21st century. The Museum at Eldridge Street, founded in 1986 as the Eldridge Street Project, also occupies the synagogue under a long-term lease. The building is a National Historic Landmark and a New York City designated landmark.
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At this square at the confluence of several major streets, there is a memorial archway to Chinese-Americans who died in World War II which has some interesting calligraphy. Also in the square is a statue of Lin Zexu, a Chinese scholar who opposed the opium trade in the 19th century.
Exhibits on the history and culture of Chinese-Americans.
An excellent place to relax and people-watch. Early in the mornings, people practice their tai chi there. If you're interested, some of these people might teach you a little bit of it. At times, a group of women practices traditional Chinese fan dances. Also, there are usually basketball tournaments in the summer you can either participate in or watch. In the afternoon when school is out, many adolescents hang out in this park.