We began our morning with a private tour of Congregation Shearith Israel’s Chatham Square Cemetery, also known to be the oldest Jewish burial ground in North America (1656-1883). Our tour of this site was led by fourth generation sexton for the Congregation, Zachary Erdinger, who taught students about the history of Jews in the American colonies in addition to showing them how to “read” tombstones as historical artifacts. It was a rare opportunity to see centuries-old tombstones, some of which had a combination of Portuguese, Hebrew, and English!

 

From the Cemetery, we then went on a Walking Tour led by Dr. Kohn of the Lower East Side, with a focus on how Jews after the Colonial Era supported subsequent waves of new immigrants who called the neighborhood home. At each stop along the way, we were able to discuss the landmark’s architecture, how it supported values and aspirations of the Jewish community, and any population or use it serves in contemporary NYC life. We saw synagogues, including one for the Greek Jewish community of Janina, benevolent aid societies, and even the country’s first municipal playground. Being a tour for NYC students, we also sampled some traditional Jewish foods those living on the Lower East Side would have encountered in their daily lives, like pickles and bialys.

 

Throughout our day together, our classes jointly reflected on the Jewish history of New York City and ways in which the community’s experience echoed those of other ethnic and religious minority groups whom they encountered on the Lower East Side, from the colonial period on through the present.

Story and photos submitted by Dalton Faculty Member Dr. Shira Kohn