Congregation Shearith Israel, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, was founded in 1654, the first Jewish congregation to be established in North America.
Members of Shearith Israel left their mark on history, both in terms of their contributions to the congregation and in terms of their contributions to the civic life of New York and America.
Shearith Israel's cemeteries are critical to the preservation and transmission of our congregational story. Three historic and one active cemetery are maintained by the congregation and each has a tale to tell.
Crosby Street Synagogue
In 1834 the congregation built a new synagogue on Crosby Street, between Broom and Spring Street.
1834
First Mill Street Synagogue
The little synagogue on Mill Street was the first structure designed and built to be a synagogue in continental North America.