The Lower East Side is known for its Jewish history. This is thanks to the influx of Jewish immigrants to the area in the 19th and 20th century. Many poor Jewish people lived there in tenement houses, working jobs in the garment industry, construction, and more. These factors contributed to a rich Jewish culture in the area, with as many as 500 synagogues in 1900.
With this rise in Jewish culture in the Lower East Side came the rise of Yiddish, with Yiddish theaters and newspapers becoming extremely popular. Yiddish and Hebrew were also used in signage, especially for businesses and communities advertising religious items or practices. The photos below, taken in 1975 by Richard Marc Sakols, feature various signs around the Lower East Side, ranging from the signs for long-lasting businesses like Zion Talits to simple signs indicating that a restaurant is kosher.
Signs and Translations:
257 East Broadway
(Signs from left to right)
The Children of Israel. The Hebrew League.
The Psalm Society & People. Anshei Vishkove. Organized by Nash Harver in 1863.
The Congregation of Joshua Jacob. Anshei Horodet.
School/Yeshiva of Belz Hasidim
235 East Broadway
(Signs from left to right)
Ezra’s Torah
The rabbinical house (in honor of Rabbi Israel Rosenburg).
United Jewish Community of the East Side.
233: The Temple of Hasidim in Poland.
201-203 East Broadway
Adath Israel/Jewish Community of New York.
Founded in the year of the rat.
143 Division Street
Torah Scrolls
Zelig Blumenthal
Writer
135 Essex Street
Kosher
48 Eldridge Street
(from left to right) Torah Scrolls – Parochets- Menorahs – Zion Talits- Sacred Objects
45 Essex Street
Mendel Weisburg
Tallit – Tefillin for the hands – mezuzahs – and other holy objects.
Torah Scrolls
33 Canal Street
S. Goldman Book Depository.
Bibliography:
Photos by Richard Marc Sakols, 1975. Courtesy of the Museum at Eldridge Street.
Manhattan Jewish Historical Initiative
