Many Brooklyn churches hold hidden Jewish past

A new exhibit at the Brooklyn Historical Society explores the hidden past of many churches in East New York and East Flatbush. Brooklyn is known as the borough of churches. However, some churches used

News 12 Staff

Nov 25, 2006, 5:51 PM

Updated 6,506 days ago

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A new exhibit at the Brooklyn Historical Society explores the hidden past of many churches in East New York and East Flatbush.
Brooklyn is known as the borough of churches. However, some churches used to be synagogues. Curator of an exhibit at the Brooklyn Historical Society, Ellen Levitt says in the 60s and 70s Jewish people moved out of many Brooklyn neighborhoods. Synagogues in those areas were either sold or abandoned. Levitt says African-Americans and Latinos took over the buildings, but many did not remove the Jewish symbols.
The exhibit shows how the past is being remembered and discovers how buildings are recycled as neighborhood demographics change over time. The exhibit will be open until February 11.
Related Information Brooklyn Historical Society