Crossing Delancey - a public walking tour co-sponsored with LESPI

The LESJC and LESPI have joined forces again to provide a tour that visits sacred sites that reveal the Lower East Side of the early 20th century and how it has evolved to reflect today's changing culture north of Delancey Street.

The first stop will be Congregation B'nei Jacob Anshe Brzezan (also known as the Stanton Street Shul) – listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Sites, dating back to 1913 and in continuous use by its congregation since then. The building is a rare remaining example of the poorer tenement - style synagogues that once dotted the neighborhood. This structure is wedged into a tiny, narrow lot—only twenty feet wide and roughly 100 feet long. On it's walls is a series of 12 paintings of the months, with zodiac signs, that date back to the 1930s. Learn about the renaissance taking place in this warm, old-world space.

Next we will marvel at the Angel Orensanz Cultural Foundation (formerly Congregation Anshe Chesed), the oldest synagogue building in New York City, and one of Manhattan's most popular event spaces. (We will view the interior pending availability at the time of the tour.)

The last synagogue stop will be the remarkably restored Congregation Chasam Sopher, the oldest continually operating synagogue in New York City. Access to the site is also pending availability.

Our tour will talk about the proposed Lower East Side Historic District, and of the enduring nineteenth century tenements that the Lower East Side is known for, as well as discuss Art Deco and more recent architecture.

Walk through the Essex Street Market, created by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia,

A portion of the proceeds of the tour are returned to the sites visited.

Your guide will be Barry Feldman, our Urban Historian and architectural specialist.

The Lower East Side Preservation Initiative (LESPI) is a group of preservationists and local residents who want to save what’s left of the historic architecture and streetscapes of Manhattan’s historic Lower East Side, which includes such neighborhoods as the East Village, Lower East Side below Houston St., Chinatown, Little Italy and the Bowery, extending from East 14th Street south to Fulton and Franklin Streets, and Broadway east to the East River. They are a grass roots not-for-profit organization, formed in 2007.

The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy (LESJC) is a small non-profit, created in 1998, committed to preserving the Jewish heritage of the Lower East Side, America's oldest and most famous immigrant neighborhood. We accomplish this goal by providing private customized tours, public tours, and educational curriculum tours showcasing the Jewish history of the iconic Lower East Side and other New York City neighborhoods. We believe that our tours allow us to reveal the richness and the diversity of these historically and culturally important neighborhoods, enabling our visitors to gain a greater appreciation of the American Jewish immigrants journey.

In order to enable you to hear the guide, we will be using a free app for smart phones. Please make sure that your phone is fully charged and you bring earbuds/headphones.

The price of this tour is $30, and tickets will be an additional $3 PP when purchased the day of the tour -pending availability as registration will be capped at 25 people.

WE TOUR RAIN OR SHINE!