Sacred Spaces

For as long as people have immigrated to Manhattan, they have congregated in devotional practice. As it is written on one of the walls of the Vedanta Society, “Truth is one; sages call it variously.”

Whether consecrated in their name or acquired long after, the buildings that house congregations tell a complex history. If one were to remove the acoustical ceiling of Or Olam, he or she would see the structure of a church that predated it. The “not fully modest” design of Congregation Shaare Zedek with its immaculate stained glass alludes to its pre-depression beginnings, and the exterior of New York Zendo, accented with plant life and wood, captures the natural, meditative practices that take place within.

Regardless of where they lie on Manhattan’s grid, an emphasis on the surrounding community is also a common thread for many of these sacred spaces. The oldest continuously functioning place of worship in the city, St. Mark’s Church In-The-Bowery, is even better known as a community gathering space, thanks to the many plays, dances, poetry readings, avant-garde films, and political events that have been taking place on the premises for decades. Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, Congregation Rodeph Sholom, and Congregation B’nai Jeshurun offers housing to the homeless, and a rooftop garden at Metro Baptist Church not only services the Hell’s Kitchen community, but also sets a narrative for larger conversations on food security.

In the midst of a dynamic city, some congregations have decided to merge together or bargained with developers to stay afloat, while others have moved farther north to accommodate their growing following. Whether on the upswing or downswing, each sacred space has its own story. Share in their tremendous history of resilience, compassion and unending faith.