West Nyack, New York; Des Plaines, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Rancho Palos Verdes, California The Salvation Army is arguably the most famous of all Protestant missionary organizations. Founded by William Booth in London in the 1860s, it made its way across the Atlantic in 1880, where it has since become the largest charitable institution in the United States. Hundreds of … [Read more...]
AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY & MUSEUM OF BIBLICAL ART
New York, New York The American Bible Society is a non-denominational organization with the mission to publish and distribute Bibles and related materials in the United States. For nearly two centuries they have maintained their headquarters in New York City. For years they also ran a gallery of religious artwork and artifacts in the headquarters building. In 2005 the large … [Read more...]
GANESHA TEMPLE
Flushing, New York The Ganesha Temple in Flushing was the first traditional Hindu temple to be established in the United States. Built to accommodate the growing number of Indian immigrants arriving in New York City in the postwar period, it features classic Indian religious architecture, a first in America. It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Ganesh, although there are … [Read more...]
FERNCLIFF MEMORIAL PARK
Hartsdale, New York Malcolm Little, more commonly known as Malcolm X, is the most famous American-born Muslim. He is also one of the most controversial figures in American history. A champion both of Islam as well as African rights, he was seen by many westerners at the time as a threat to civilization; but history’s judgement on him has softened with time, and he is now … [Read more...]
JEWISH HERITAGE SITES OF BROOKLYN
Brooklyn, New York The Jewish community of New York City is the largest anywhere outside of Israel, and it represents the full diversity of the Jewish religious and cultural experience. While all five boroughs have large Jewish populations, the most prominent are in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Manhattan boasts many of the city’s most famous Jewish sites and its strong tradition … [Read more...]
HISTORIC SYNAGOGUES OF NEW YORK
New York, New York While Temple Emanuel and the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue are New York’s marquee Jewish institutions, the city boasts many other synagogues, some much older and of great historic importance. Many of these are concentrated in Manhattan, particularly Lower Manhattan, where countless Jewish immigrants settled in the second half of the 19th century. … [Read more...]
TEMPLE EMANUEL
New York, New York While congregations of Sephardic Jews had been around New York since the 17th century, it was the arrival of huge numbers of Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe that would ultimately come to define Jewish life and culture in America. At the turn of the last century, New York was the premier destination for Jewish immigrants arriving from Eastern … [Read more...]
SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE SYNAGOGUE
New York, New York In many ways, the history of the Jews in America is synonymous with the history of the Jews in New York City. Although not technically the first nor the most important Jewish congregation in America in the early years, the Congregation Shearith Israel was nevertheless the foundation stone of Judaism in New York City, and therefore played a pivotal role in … [Read more...]
ARCHDIOCESAN CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY TRINITY
New York, New York Like every major religious institution, the Greek Orthodox Church has an immense presence in New York City. Most importantly, New York is home to the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, which serves as the national cathedral of the Orthodox church in the United States. It is also distinguished as the largest Orthdox church in the Americas. It is … [Read more...]
SHRINE OF ST. FRANCES CABRINI
New York City, New York New York City was the primary destination for immigrants from Catholic countries to the United States for the better part of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is therefore not surprising that the first American saint of the Roman Catholic Church was a New Yorker. Although Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in Italy, she had become an American citizen … [Read more...]
