Before Harlem stood as a beacon of African American culture, it was predominantly a neighborhood for Jewish immigrants. Notable figures like the Gershwin Brothers, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Milton Berle, Lane Bryant, Sophie Tucker, and several others commenced their careers in the Jewish Harlem at the onset of the 20th century.

This neighborhood is rich with synagogues, theatres, nickelodeons, and department stores originally established by and for the Jewish community, which have been transformed into churches, cinemas, music settings, and political assembly locations that were crucial in shaping American history from the famed Broadway to the Civil Rights movement. Harlem embodies the quintessential ‘melting pot’ of contemporary America.