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Landmark Exhibition Celebrates the Jewish Experience in Greenwich

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The Favorite Shoe Store opened at 92 Greenwich Avenue in 1914 during the first wave of Jewish immigration and remained open for 91 years.

A collection of historic memorabilia and first-person accounts from Jewish residents of Greenwich chronicles the untold story of Greenwich’s Jewish community dating to the turn of the last century. The Greenwich Historical Society’s landmark exhibition: “An American Odyssey: The Jewish Experience in Greenwich,” which opens on Nov. 15, examines how Jews, like other immigrants, struggled with the pull to integrate into American society and yet also remain distinct. Their significant contributions to the cultural and economic vitality of Greenwich, despite their humble start, low numbers, periods of discrimination, and restrictions on worship, employment, and housing opportunities, are explored.

Seven over-arching themes depict their journey, each supported by evocative stories, original objects, documents, and photographs, and first-person quotations and audio recordings: Jews in Colonial Greenwich; Mass Migration of Eastern European Jews; The Town the Settlers Found; Gaining an Economic Foothold 1880-1930; The Founding of Temple Sholom; Immigration Ends, Anti-Semitism Intensifies 1924-1940s; and Postwar Greenwich, Jews Suburbanize.

“This is among the most significant exhibitions in the history of the Historical Society,” says Debra Mecky, executive director. “Despite its relatively small but growing population, the Jewish community has had an outsized influence on Greenwich. Many of the stores on Greenwich Avenue were established by Jewish immigrants who came here from Eastern Europe with little or no money. From their humble beginnings as street peddlers, they helped shape our thriving retail sector. Many Jewish families have made their mark through generous philanthropy that has contributed enormously to the town’s vitality. Their story is integral to understanding Greenwich’s legacy and prominent stature in the United States.”

The exhibition runs through April 15, 2018, at the Greenwich Historical Society, 39 Strickland Rd. The exhibition’s hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m. Visit greenwichhistory.org for details.

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