Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts
| Angel Orensanz Center | |
|---|---|
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| Basic information | |
| Location | 172 Norfolk Street (between Stanton Street and East Houston Street on the Lower East Side), Manhattan, 10002 |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°43′16″N 73°59′09″W / 40.72111°N 73.98583°WCoordinates: 40°43′16″N 73°59′09″W / 40.72111°N 73.98583°W |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| State | New York |
| Year consecrated | 1850 |
| Status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Designated an historic landmark by New York City in 1987 |
| Leadership |
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| Website | orensanz.org |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Alexander Saeltzer |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1849 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,500 |
| Length | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Width | 70 feet (21 m) |
| Materials | The tripartite front facade is brick, covered with stucco. |
The Angel Orensanz Center (originally Anshe Chesed Synagogue; also formerly known as the Norfolk Street Congregation and Anshe Slonim Synagogue) is located at 172 Norfolk Street (between Stanton Street and East Houston Street) in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York. It is housed in a Gothic Revival synagogue, built in 1849 for Congregation Ansche Chesed (People of Kindness).
It is the oldest surviving synagogue building in New York City, and the fourth-oldest surviving synagogue building in the United States. It was the largest synagogue in the United States at the time of its construction, and is one of the few built in Gothic Revival style.
The synagogue was built by Reform Congregation Ansche Chesed (People of Kindness), a congregation of primarily German Jews that was the third Jewish congregation in New York City. The building was designed by Eisenach (Germany)-born architect Alexander Saeltzer. It was sold to Congregation Shaari Rachmim (Gates of Mercy) in 1873, to The First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek (To Love Righteousness) in 1886, and to congregation Sheveth Achim Anshe Slonim in 1921, which used it until 1974. That year, the synagogue was abandoned, and it was later vandalized.
Spanish sculptor and painter Angel Orensanz purchased the property in 1986. He restored it, and converted it into an art gallery and performance space known as the Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts. The building was designated a historic landmark by New York City the following year. It has subsequently become home to the Shul of New York, a liberal Reform synagogue.
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