Angel Orensanz Center

The building you are approaching at 172 Norfolk Street stands as the oldest surviving synagogue structure in New York City. Built in 1849 for the congregation Ansche Chesed, the structure was once the largest synagogue in the United States, capable of seating fifteen hundred worshippers. Its striking Gothic Revival architecture was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, featuring lancet windows and a deep blue, star-studded ceiling that once mimicked the night sky.