Content area
Full Text
Under the Eldridge Street Chuppa
Renee Newman had been warned that the Eldridge Street Synagogue was not a place where one would want to wear white. But when she accepted Jeff Bock's wedding proposal, she knew no other location would do.
"I couldn't imagine being married anywhere else," said Ms. Newman, standing with her family just minutes before the late April wedding ceremony began.
At the time of her wedding, Ms. Newman was program associate at the Eldridge Street Project, devoted to preserving the history of the synagogue, built by Eastern European Jews in 1887. As resident historian, Ms. Newman took the lead in preparing the application that made the case for the synagogue attaining its landmark status. For her, the synagogue offered an important emotional link to the past.
"It's nice to bring an authentic Jewish simcha to a place where it belongs," said Ms. Newman.
"There was no doubt Eldridge would be the location for the wedding," said the bridegroom, separated from his bride prior to the ceremony in keeping with Jewish law. "It's a really rich space with a lot of character," said Mr. Bock, "What it lacks in parking facilities and antiseptic hygienic polish, it makes up for with charm and character."
What he didn't say was that had it not been for the synagogue, he may never have fallen in...