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MUSEUM AT ELDRIDGE STREET
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133379555 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C99Z · Environment · Medium ($1M-$10M) · eldridgestreet.org
revenue
$1.7M
expenses
$1.8M
net assets
$3.6M
employees
13
volunteers
99
program ratio
70%
mission · from form 990

The Museum's mission is to restore and maintain the Natl. Historic Landmark Eldridge Street Synagogue and to develop and implement programming that explores Jewish culture, Lower East Side immigrant history and architectural preservation

profile · synthesized from sources

The Museum at Eldridge Street is a cultural institution based in New York City that preserves and interprets the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue, a National Historic Landmark. It produces public programs and festivals that explore Jewish heritage, Lower East Side immigrant history, and architectural preservation, with a focus on community engagement and cross-cultural exchange.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $598K
    The Museum continues to restore and maintain the National Historic Landmark 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue
named programs · 1 · from sources

What they call their work

Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival
Annual free public festival celebrating the diverse cultures of the Lower East Side and Chinatown with food, music, crafts, and performances from Chinese, Jewish, and Puerto Rican traditions
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Guided Historic Site Tours 3 activities
    • Conduct walking tours of the Lower East Side
      Offers 1- to 2-hour walking tours of the Lower East Side and surrounding neighborhoods, visiting historic synagogues, tenements, and repurposed buildings, with commentary on immigrant history, local traditions, Yiddish press, socialist movements, and food culture.
    • Deliver educational programs for K-12 students
      Offers 60-minute building and walking tours aligned with Common Core and NYC Social Studies standards. Provides free admission for chaperones and accessible tours, supporting classroom curricula and student engagement with immigration and American history.
    • Offer guided and self-guided public tours
      Provides docent-led public tours Sunday through Friday, self-guided tours via the Bloomberg Connects app, and printed materials in multiple formats including Braille and large print. Offers pay-what-you-wish admission on Mondays and Fridays and free admission to qualifying groups.
  • Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
    • Engage community in preservation efforts
      Organized volunteer-driven “Clean and Shine” days that mobilized hundreds of participants to clean and polish interior elements of the synagogue as part of ongoing preservation and community engagement.
  • Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
    • Host public events and festivals
      Organizes annual public events including the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival, which drew 13,000 attendees in 2026, and an annual gala celebrating migration, transformation, and hope.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Host temporary exhibitions
      Hosts rotating temporary exhibitions such as "Lower East Side, 1975: Portrait of a Changing Jewish Neighborhood" (Dec 2024–Nov 2025), "Memory and Inheritance: Paintings and Ceremonial Objects by Tobi Kahn" (May–Nov 2024), and "On the Lower East Side: 28 Remarkable Women... and One Scoundrel" (Dec 2023–May 2024).
  • Accessibility Services for Cultural Programs 1 activity
    • Provide accessible museum experiences
      Ensures full physical access to all four museum levels via ramp and elevator, offers sensory kits and a designated cool-down space, provides closed captioning for virtual programs and recorded content, and supplies assistive digital and printed materials. Offers tours tailored to individuals with special needs and reserved seating with hearing aid connectivity.
  • History Education Curriculum Development 1 activity
    • Provide professional development for teachers
      Offers CTLE-certified professional learning programs for educators, featuring content on immigration and American history using primary sources, guided tours, and hands-on activities to support classroom teaching and certification requirements.
  • Event Venue Rental Services 1 activity
    • Rent historic sanctuary for events
      Offers rental of the historic sanctuary for weddings, reunions, photo sessions, and film/TV production, requiring certified kosher caterers for food service and appointments for posed photography.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Commission and install major artistic installations
      Commissioned and installed a monumental stained glass window by Kiki Smith and Deborah Gans in 2010 and unveiled a new glass mosaic floor designed by Mark Podwal in 2024, fabricated by artisans from Progetto Arte Poli of Verona, Italy.
    • Operate historic synagogue as museum and cultural site
      Operates the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, a National Historic Landmark, as a museum dedicated to preserving and interpreting the Lower East Side immigrant experience. The building was fully restored and rededicated for public use in December 2007 after a 20-year, $20 million restoration project.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.66M
Contributions & grants$1.16M70%
Program service revenue$249K15%
Investment income$285K17%
Other revenue$-35K
expenses
Total expenses$1.76M
Program expenses70%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising11%
Salaries & benefits$1.10M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$6.31M
Cash$3.13M
Investments$2.87M
Liabilities$2.74M
Net assets$3.57M
Liquid reserves40.9 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -11.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
BONNIE DIMUN Exec Director 45 $191K
SOPHIE LO DEP DIR PUBL ENGAG 45 $168K
VERONICA BALL DIR OF DEVELOPMENT 45 $102K
board members · 20
  • DR AARON FEINGOLD — Director
  • ERIC REICHENBERG — Director
  • ESTER R FUCHS — Vice President
  • GIANFRANCO GRANDE — Director
  • JEFFREY R GURAL — Director
  • JEFFREY WILKS — Director
  • JONATHAN L MECHANIC — Director
  • KENNETH STEIN — Director
  • LAURENCE FRIEDMAN — Director
  • LAURI HALDERMAN — Director
  • MARK MIRSKY — Secretary
  • MAX LEIFER — Director
  • MICHAEL WEINSTEIN — Chairman
  • MICHELE COHN TOCCI — Director
  • PAUL RICH — Director
  • RAYMOND CONNORS — Director
  • RAYMOND JASEN — Director
  • RICHARD SODEN — Director
  • STEVEN WALSEY — President
  • TAI-CHIN TUNG — Treasurer
relationships · 23

Who they work with

  • Bloomberg Connects Partner — Collaborates with Bloomberg Connects to deliver a digital self-guided tour accessible via assistive technologies.
  • Bloomberg Connects Partner — Provides self-guided tours through the Bloomberg Connects app.
  • Bryant Park Grill Partner — Venue host for the 2025 Annual Gala.
  • CM Christopher Marte Government — Supported the 2026 Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival.
  • City of New York Government — Recognized the Museum at Eldridge Street for its architectural and cultural significance.
  • Common Core Learning Standards Network — Aligns educational programs with national Common Core Learning Standards.
  • Jewish Community Youth Foundation Funder — Supported the 2026 Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival.
  • Jewish Deaf Resource Center Partner — Supported the 2026 Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival.
  • MTA Access-A-Ride Government — Provides information for visitors using MTA Access-A-Ride paratransit service to reach the museum.
  • Mark Podwal Partner — Commissioned artist who designed the Jewish zodiac mosaic floor
  • Museum Travel Alliance Partner — Supported the 2026 Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival.
  • My Jewish Learning Coalition — Recognized by My Jewish Learning as one of the most Instagrammable synagogues in the world.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Supported the 2026 Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival.
  • New York Magazine Coalition — Named in "Architecture’s Ten Best" by New York Magazine.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Supported the 2026 Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival.
  • New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Government — Recognized the Museum at Eldridge Street for its architectural and cultural significance.
  • Progetto Arte Poli Partner — Artisans from Progetto Arte Poli in Verona, Italy fabricated and installed the 2024 mosaic floor at the Museum at Eldridge Street.
  • Social Studies Scope and Sequence Network — Aligns educational programs with the Social Studies Scope and Sequence.
  • The NY Landmarks Conservancy Partner — Collaborates with the Museum, as evidenced by leadership participation in public programming.
  • The New York Times Coalition — Cited by The New York Times for the awe-inspiring nature of the restored sanctuary.
  • The New Yorker Coalition — Named in "Architecture’s Ten Best" by The New Yorker.
  • U.S. Department of the Interior Government — Recognized the Museum at Eldridge Street for its architectural and cultural significance.
  • UserWay Partner — Partners with UserWay to ensure website compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Cultural Immersion Through Historic Preservation
    methodology: cultural_immersion
    By restoring and maintaining a historic synagogue as a living, accessible space, we foster deep cultural and architectural appreciation, because immersive experiences rooted in authentic place-based storytelling produce stronger engagement and learning than abstract or digital-only formats.
  • Inclusive Access Through Multimodal Engagement
    methodology: universal_access
    By offering both physical and digital access—through accessible design, app-based tours, and adaptive programming—we broaden participation, because equitable engagement requires removing barriers across ability, geography, and learning style.
  • Story-Driven Cross-Cultural Education
    methodology: story_driven_education
    By using local stories, guided interpretation, and inquiry-based learning to connect historical immigrant experiences with contemporary issues, we promote cross-cultural understanding, because narrative engagement and relevance to lived experience drive deeper learning and empathy.