From about 1880-1920, almost 3 million Jews immigrated to the US from Eastern Europe and most settled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan - making it the most densely populated place on earth.  To escape that overcrowding, most of the more affluent Jews moved to the much more open landscape of upper Manhattan, making Harlem the third largest Jewish neighborhood in the world behind Warsaw, Poland and the Lower East Side.

Join educator and urban historian Bradley Shaw as he brings alive Jewish Harlem, before it became the center of African-American history, music and culture.  See and hear stories about the many Synagogues that still proliferate the area, many of which have become Baptist Churches.  Also hear about some of the famous Jewish people who grew up and lived in the neighborhood.

Some of the places visited:
“The Shul with the Pool”
A building that has hosted three different religions
An original Jewish Theater
Churches that still retain their original Jewish markings
An Ethiopian Synagogue
A beautiful Vaux and Olmstead designed park with a historic surprise
The homes of Jewish entertainers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and writers

Please note: this tour requires significant walking.

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.