Jewish Tour of the Lower East Side: Immigrants, Gangsters & Noshes
The first Jewish settlers of America came to NY in 1654 and established America’s first congregation, Shearith Israel. Then German Jews arrived in the mid 19th century followed by millions of Eastern European Jews who flooded the Lower East Side to make it the largest Jewish community in America.
Jews rose to prominence in varied ways. Some, like Emma Goldman, were radicals; some, like Nathan Strauss, were reformers; and others, like Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lanksy, were gangsters. Siegel and Lansky first met
over a hot dice game on Rivington Street. Years later, they established the crime syndicate that turned bootleg liquor into a multi-million dollar enterprise
and made Las Vegas the gambling empire of America.
So nu? What Jewish tour would be complete without a nosh? From bagels and bialys to pastrami and pickles, keeping kosher in this strange new land wasn’t always
easy, but these Jewish immigrants worked hard to pass their culinary culture onto future generations.
Sites include: Jewish Daily Forward Building, Educational Alliance, Eldridge
Street Synagogue, Williamsburg Bridge, Seward Park, Essex Street Market, Streit's Matzoh Factory,
The Pickle Guys, Katz’ Deli, Economy Candy, Russ & Daughters Appetizing and more.
Noshing is $15 per person and depends on the day’s menu. Call Mark to order your noshes!
Some shops may be closed Friday to Saturday for Shabbat.
Gallery
-
Jewish Walking Tours of the Lower East Side NYC
-
Bugsy Siegel, Jewish Gangster, Lower East Side tour
-
Eating tour New York: Bialys
-
Emma Goldman, Jewish tour Lower East Side
-
Tasting tour New York: Pickles
