Join FRIENDS for a unique journey through two of the most spectacular synagogues in New York City.  This two-part tour begins on May 1st with a special behind-the-scenes look at the Eldridge Street Synagogue, one of the earliest surviving houses of worship erected by Eastern European Jews in the United States.  Built in 1887, this exuberantly designed Moorish Revival building proudly declared the religious freedom and economic aspirations of a thriving immigrant community.  This visit will explore the synagogue’s role as one of the epicenters of Jewish life on the Lower East Side, as well as the story of its award-winning architectural restoration.

The journey continues on May 15th with a private tour of the Upper East Side’s Temple Emanu-El.  Built in 1929, the temple is an elegant Art Deco masterpiece and the largest Jewish house of worship in the world.  Designed by the era’s leading craftspeople, employing some of the world’s finest materials, the temple boasts shimmering Hildreth Meière mosaics which merge Jewish iconography with an Art Deco flair.  The tour will lead us through the captivating history of the congregation’s rise to prominence from a humble space (mere blocks away from the Eldridge Street Synagogue), while also exploring the lavishly appointed interiors.

Don’t miss this special opportunity to discover both of these beautiful buildings, and unearth the surprising details that tie their histories together!

 

From LES to UES

Two Tours, Non-Member $25.00 Two Tours, Member $15.00 One Tour, Non-Member $15.00 One Tour, Member $10.00

 

Thomas Jayne, a preeminent scholar and practitioner of interior design, will discuss his new book The Finest Rooms in America: 50 Influential Interiors from the 18th Century to the Present.  With luxurious photographs and engaging writing, Jayne has captured a definitive record of the finest in American interiors, from the Tea Room at Jefferson’s Monticello to Albert Hadley’s modernist Upper East Side sitting room.  In his lecture Mr. Jayne will present his favorite spaces, analyzing each room in their context and identifying the elements that contribute to the design’s visual success.

The Finest Rooms in America

Non-Member $20.00 Member $15.00 Student $15.00

 

Celebrate the one year anniversary of the Upper East Side Historic District Expansion with a walking tour of one of New York City’s great main streets! Franny Eberhart, Chair of the Preservation Committee at FRIENDS, will guide us through the new and improved district which now includes a delightful mix of quirky carriage houses, humble rowhouses, grand townhouses and stately apartment buildings. We will share Lexington Avenue’s fascinating history of development, as well as the triumphs and travails of this decade-long preservation battle. Come see what FRIENDS has fought so hard to protect!

2011 Annual Awards

Tuesday, March 15^th

• Renaissance Award
  Central Park Conservancy: Ancient Playground & the Osborn Gates
• Archi-teacher Award
  Jane Cowan
• Sustainability Award
  Regis High School: Green Roof
• Advocacy Award
  Council Member Dan Garodnick
• Restoration Award
  Roosevelt Island Historical Society: Roosevelt Island Visitor Center Kiosk
• Technology Award
  Museum of the City of New York: Collections Portal

RSVP 212.535.2526 or info@friends-ues.org