Congregation B'nai Jeshurun Synagogue and Community House
Also known as: Henry Lindenbaum Center
Why it's listed
Two linked buildings on Manhattan's Upper West Side make up this complex: a synagogue on West 88th Street and a community house behind it on West 89th Street. The synagogue, built 1916-18 for New York State's oldest Ashkenazic congregation, has an austere buff granite front with a richly carved compound-arch portal and a rose window with a star of David. Inside, an square auditorium seating 1,150 rises to an octagonal dome with Islamic-style muqarnas ceilings, stained glass and a Moorish-style ark. The six-story community house, designed in 1926 by Henry Herts and Louis Allen Abramson, uses gold brick with stone and terra-cotta ornament, including lions, eagles and a vase-and-vine emblem. Architects Walter S. Schneider and Henry B. Herts drew on museum research to create an abstracted Semitic style that many later New York synagogues imitated. The complex also reflects the congregation's move northward through Manhattan and the growth of Ashkenazic Judaism in America.
Significance in brief: The synagogue is argued to be an intact, representative example of early twentieth-century synagogue design in New York City. Architects Walter S. Schneider and Henry B. Herts created an abstracted 'Semitic' style drawn from Middle Eastern and Moorish sources, which inspired many 1920s synagogues. It is also significant in religion as home to New York State's oldest Ashkenazic congregation, founded in 1825.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89000474, listed June 2, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 257 W. 88th St. and 270 W. 89th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | June 2, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000474 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1916-1928 |
| Architect / builder | Schneider, Walter S. and Herts, Henry B.; Abramson, Louis Allen, Herts, Henry B. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revival: Other: Semitic |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The synagogue remains a house of worship. The community house is no longer owned by the congregation; its upper floors house a Jewish day school, and the congregation keeps an office there. Leaks have damaged some plasterwork in the synagogue. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.79021, -73.97600 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89000474.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4833631
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.