Lost Prison Synagogue Open for First Time in Thirty-Five Years

PHILADELPHIA, March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site's beautiful, long-abandoned Synagogue will open to the public for the first time, Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6, 2008. Preservation and rehabilitation of the Synagogue will begin later in the month, and this will be the only chance for visitors to see the space in its eerie, but surprisingly beautiful condition.

It has been more than three and half decades since the last Jewish service at Eastern State Penitentiary, but the small Synagogue, tucked into a narrow alleyway off Cellblock 7, still feels like a holy place. The Readers' Table still faces the Ark, the room is still lined with benches, and sunlight still filters through the skylights onto the red tile floor. A ghostly Star of David is just visible on the door. But very few people -- aside from a handful of historians, preservationists, and special guests -- have seen the room during the past 35 years. It has never been open to the public.

Visitors attending the Lost Synagogue Weekend, April 5-6, can meet the historians and planners, see the vision for the Synagogue's rebirth, and visit this beautiful, poignant space tucked into areas of the prison never before opened to the public. The 45-minute tours will include extensive photographs of the Synagogue throughout its history, artifacts found in the space, and sections of the penitentiary complex normally closed to the public. The Lost Synagogue Weekend tours are free with admission, but subject to availability. Reservations are strongly recommended. Call (215) 236-5111 x14. More information is available at http://www.easternstate.org/events/synagogue.php

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is open every day, year round (guided tours only from December 1 to March 30 annually). More information is available at (215) 236-3300 or www.EasternState.org.

Source: Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

CONTACT: Sean Kelley of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site,
+1-215-236-5111, ext. 13, sk@easternstate.org

Web site: http://www.easternstate.org/

2008-03-25 09:14:43 0319539 PRNEWSWIRE