Kehila Kedosha Janina: The Last Greek-Jewish Romaniote Synagogue

Why is it significant?

Stand before the modest narrow brick facade of Kehila Kedosha Janina on Broome Street and discover one of the rarest cultural treasures in the Americas. Built in nineteen twenty-seven, this unassuming sanctuary is the only Romaniote synagogue in the entire Western Hemisphere.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Stand before the modest narrow brick facade of Kehila Kedosha Janina on Broome Street and discover one of the rarest cultural treasures in the Americas. Built in nineteen twenty-seven, this unassuming sanctuary is the only Romaniote synagogue in the entire Western Hemisphere. Unlike the Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi or Ladino-speaking Sephardic communities, Romaniote Jews trace their unbroken heritage back over two millennia to the ancient Hellenistic world, maintaining Greek liturgy, unique Judeo-Greek hymns, and customs that predate medieval traditions.

In the early twentieth century, hundreds of Romaniote families emigrated from the picturesque lakeside town of Ioannina in northwestern Greece to escape economic hardship and Balkan wars. Settling in a tight-knit enclave on the Lower East Side, they worked as garment pressers, weavers, and pushcart vendors. Because their ancient liturgical rituals differed distinctly from the surrounding Ashkenazi synagogues, they pooled modest savings for over two decades to construct their own bespoke house of prayer. The close-knit congregation maintained their beloved culinary traditions alongside their ancient prayers, celebrating religious festivals with handmade pastries of phyllo dough, wild honey, and crushed walnuts prepared in home kitchens along the block.

Step into the intimate interior to observe its distinctive architectural layout: in the Romaniote tradition, the bimah pulpit sits directly opposite the holy Ark along the central axis, rather than in the center, allowing the reader to chant facing the sacred Torah scrolls.

Look up at the women's gallery: the walls are lined with vintage photographs, embroidered dowry linens, and hand-beaten silver amulet cases brought across the Atlantic by Greek immigrant matriarchs. Elderly congregants still recount stories of traditional wedding processions that danced through the streets to the doorstep of the synagogue.

Walk east along Broome Street and turn onto Orchard Street to reach the renowned Tenement Museum.