24 hours as a

Photo by Brianna Spause

It was a crisp morning on October 25 as the sun peeked over the horizon turning the clouds that hung low in the sky transformed from hollow black nothingness into a tickled pink. Light climbed into

the sky at 7:16 a.m., dropping the Brooklyn skyline into silhouette. 24 hours had officially begun.

Photo by Harrison Brink

Photos by Harrison Brink

Photos by Brianna SpausePhotos by Harrison Brink

Photo by Brianna Spause

Diversity in cultural makeup is what defines New York City. In it’s heyday, Manhattan filled to the brim with immigrants who flocked to the United States, longing to exercise their rights in “The home of the free.” They were brave, picking up undesirable jobs for meager pay - all to support the cherished American Dream. Over 2 million Jewish immigrants migrated to the United States and settled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan

between 1881 and 1945 . They dominated the garment industry, and fought anti-Semitism to build synagogues and a basis of respect. The Shearith Isreal towered over Mill Street on the Lower East Side as America’s first synagogue in 1868, creating a safe place for worship and sharing ideas. Finally equipped with a central meeting place, the Jewish culture could finally thrive and take over as the dominating culture in the neighborhood at the time. Sharing the area of the Lower East side with a dense Chinese population, Jewish culture in Manhattan has adapted to the changing times by losing some of it’s distinct features. Its close proximity to Ellis Island encouraged the idea of a melting pot in the city that has only been further stirred to defeat the idea of a culture-specific neighborhood and replace that with a non-denominational label. Since, their tenement houses have been transformed to apartments and Co-op housing, their beloved synagogue transformed into a museum, and religious meeting places forced into the basements of residential homes. The now minute population of Jewish residents of Manhattan has become predominately Orthodox, and largely resides between Grand and Clinton Streets on East Broadway, the neighborhood that lines up to the Williamsburg Bridge. The Orthodox population that is left in Manhattan is a very private one. It became evident that outsiders were unwelcome into the lives of these very traditional people. It quickly became evident that a Saturday was most definitely the wrong choice to explore the Jewish culture in Manhattan, as it is reserved for reflection. According to biblical texts, God created the Earth in six days and then took a day for rest. The Sabbath, or Shabbat as it is named in Hebrew, is the Jewish observation of God’s efforts where members of the community gather in prayer and celebrate over meals. From sundown on Friday until three stars can be seen in the night sky on Saturday, the Jewish observe a tradition of refraining from any work activity, and getting lots of rest. In the Orthodox branch of Judaism, there are 39 prohibited activities on Shabbat, including baking bread, making garments or building a structure . It is encouraged on their holy day to spend time with family, attend temple, host guests and discuss the Torah. Sitting on the corner of Clinton and E. Broadway streets, two things became very evident. The first was that no one on their way home from, or to services was interested in speaking with outsiders. As later confirmed from a non-Orthodox woman, Orthodox Jewish men will not even speak to women other than their wives and family. The second was a peculiar note which seemed irrelevant at first, but grew in interest as families past. There were a noticeable amount of Orthodox men who appeared to have special needs. Several of these men were hooked arm-to-arm with their brothers and fathers, facilitating movement down the street. As the number of suspected cases grew, it was clear that research was necessary. Due to a history of consanguineous marriages in the Orthodox Jewish community, studies have emerged the community is subject to 19 genetic diseases, including Tay-Sachs Disease, Cystic Fibrosis and Caravan Syndrome, a disease that makes it impossible for the affected to walk without assistance . In making the trip to Manhattan to study Judaism in the area, it became clear that the culture does not have nearly the same foothold it did during the immigration period. As tenement and working conditions became harsh in the Industrial Era, many families migrated to the more relaxed atmosphere of Brooklyn over Manhattan. Still holding it’s title as the Jewish capital of the United States, the Borough Park area is home to a thriving population of both Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews .

- Brianna Spause

A culture, dispersedThe decaying state of the Jewish community in

Manhattan’s Lower East Side

When the Jewish Immigrants moved to Manhattan, anywhere from three to five families would take shelter in one home. The landlords of the area then tore these row homes down

to build the tenements. These apartment-style buildings were too small to appropriately fit a family, and the close perimeters for living lent itself to a dirty, and unhealthy lifestyle. Some rooms had no access to sunlight, and the entire building was without indoor plumbing. Their horrific conditions were the subject of muckraking in the Progressive Era, including Jacob Riis’s expose, “How the Other Half Lives.” To the right, clothes hangout to dry on the fire escape of an old, and refurbished tenement building. | Photo by Harrison Brink Below, a sleek, modern building can be seen towering over a refurbished tenement building that is now inhabited as apartments. | Photo by Brianna Spause

Photo by Harrison Brink

Photo by Harrison Brink

Photo by Brianna Spause

On the streetsWithout much Jewish culture to explore, we improvised. Here’s what we found:

A group of dog owners frequents Battery Urban Farm, despite regulation from the city Park department prohibiting their activities. As a consolation, the friends clean up trash in the park

once per month on Saturday mornings | Photos by Harrison Brink

On the streets

Photos by Harrison Brink

Photos by Brianna Spause

Hester Street Fair occurs every Saturday and Sunday on Essex Street in Manhattan during the warm weather season, and attracts some of Brooklyn’s finest artists and food vendors. Visitors frequent the fair from 2 p.m. until sundown, enjoying

the Hester Street Park and all of it’s activity | Photos by Brianna Spause

24 Hours As A New YorkerPhotographs by Harrison Brink and Brianna Spause

Design by Brianna SpauseCopyright © 2014. All rights reservedCover photo by Harrison Brink