An historical journey to the five boroughs of New York City, including the first synagogue, Shearith Israel (Spanish & Portuguese Congregation), founded in 1654. We explore the Lower East Side with its hundreds of synagogues including the Eldridge Street Synagogue, Rodef Sholom, Ansche Chesed. The program stops at Ellis Island, site where 12 million immigrants were processed. We continue up to Harlem, which once had a Jewish population of over 175,000. We continue to The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. So much packed into one hour!!!
Oscar Israelowitz was born in Brussels, Belgium; has degrees in Geology and Architecture; is a licensed architect in Israel; has exhibited photographic shows at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Historical Society, the New York Transit Museum, and the Main Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library; is a licensed New York City Tour Guide and has given tours for Leon Uris (author of Exodus and Mila 18), tour groups from Israel, Canada, Germany, and United Nations diplomats and many yeshivas and day schools; has appeared on radio and television programs including the Joe Franklin Show, The First Estate–Religion In Review, Ruth Jacob’s Jewish Home Show and more recently, NY1’s In Transit, with Jose Martinez. Oscar Israelowitz has been a Scholar-inResidence in Mendy Vim’s Passover Holidays in Waterbury, CT, the Pocono Manor, Cape May, and the Claridge House in Atlantic City. He has appeared as special lecturer in Honor’s Haven Hotel’s Passover Program in Ellenville, NY for five years. He has given hundreds of slide presentations and lecture programs to synagogues, temples, senior centers, assisted living facilities and nursing homes, Hadassah groups, Emunah Women’s groups and at Hofstra University since 1982.
