Congregation Shearith Israel, New York, New York
Posted by: 
KoosKoos
N 40° 46.488 W 073° 58.629
18T E 586316 N 4514261
Known as the Spanish-Portuguese synagogue, this congregation was founded in 1654 by the earliest Jewish settlers in North America.
Waymark Code: WM5N9T
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 01/25/2009
Views: 26
From the New York City landmark plaque:
This building is a striking example of the monumental neo-American Classic style popular for public and ecclesiastical architecture at the turn of the century. Designed by Brunner & Tryon, it is the fifth synagogue erected by the congregation since 1730.
From (
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Since the mid-1600's, the Jewish community has been part of the fabric of New York. In September of 1654, twenty-three Jews arrived in New Amsterdam having fled from Recife, Brazil and the Portuguese Inquisition. Jews were given official permission to settle in the colony in 1655, thus making Congregation Shearith Israel (Remnant of Israel) the oldest Jewish congregation in North America.
Due to discrimination, the Jewish community was not permitted to build a synagogue and was therefore, required to rent spaces for religious services. We will view these sites on the tour.
Finally, in 1730, Shearith Israel (the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue) built its first synagogue on Mill Street. Many of the furnishings of that building are preserved in The Little Synagogue in today's Congregation Shearith Israel on Central Park West.