On this tour, we will explore the story of the origins of the American Jewish story, from the very first 23 Jewish refugees in 1654 that started the American Jewish story to those who fought to ensure that their new home would honor religious tolerance. We'll see the oldest Jewish cemetery in the United States, complete with Jews who fought for the established of the country. New York has been one of the great centers of 2,000 years of the Jewish diaspora, but it was also the origin point of the American Jewish experience.

The tour takes place using NYC sidewalks and is accessible to participants with various levels of mobility. There may be cracks and normal wear-and-tear present on the sidewalks. Please dress appropriately for the weather, as the tour takes place, rain or shine. The length of the walking tour is approximately two and a half hours.

The meeting location for the tour will be e-mailed to all registered participants.

This program is sponsored by the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute.

About the Tour Guide
After a stint in finance in NYC, Jonathan Goldstein made Aliya in 2006 and got his hands in the dirt, earning an MA in Land of Israel Studies and Archeology at Bar Ilan University as well as the Ministry of Tourism's Guiding Certification. Since then, he has been creating Jewish heritage travel experiences around the world focused on exploring questions of identity and our place in this complex world we live in. His primary areas of expertise include Israel, Central Europe, New York City, and the last 4,000 years of Jewish history.