In 2001, Joyce Mendelsohn's seminal study, The Lower East Side Remembered & Revisited: History and Guide to a Legendary New York Neighborhood, was released. This edition chronicled the waves of immigration to the Lower East Side and focused on the culture that left an enduring impact, the Jewish presence. 

  

Many active synagogues, and shtieblach, including the Bialystoker Synagogue, Congregation Chasam Sopher, Congregation Kehila Kedosha Janina and the Stanton Street Shul continue to serve a dynamic community in their venerable buildings. (Several synagogues have been restored with funding from private donors and government funding obtained by the LESJ Conservancy).

 

"In the original book, I focused on the history and the here and now of the Lower East Side," Ms. Mendelsohn commented. "In the updated, revised and expanded edition, I examine the changes, where in less than a decade, the influx of money, not ethnicity, has resulted in a striking transformation. With gentrification, a new group of young affluent professionals moved into the neighborhood. They flock to designer stores, gourmet restaurants, popular bars, and hip music clubs. They live in new luxury apartments and upgraded tenements."

 

Another significant change that Ms. Mendelsohn includes in the new edition is the expansion of Chinatown eastward. "This has resulted in an increase of the Chinese population of residents, building owners, and shopkeepers. This trend was evident in 2001, but it has grown since then."

 

The 2009 edition from Columbia University Press is enlivened by additional historical photographs and numerous contemporary photographs taken by acclaimed photographer Paul Margolis.

 

"There are only eight years between both editions," Ms. Mendelsohn said. "But in a neighborhood as unique as the Lower East Side, observing the continuity and change is fascinating."

Elissa Sampson loves the history of the Lower East Side and has been leading tours for approximately 20 years. She has contributed to designing Conservancy tours and is always interested in finding out what visitors and neighborhood residents would like to learn about the historic and living communities of the Lower East Side/East Village.
 
Ms. Sampson is affiliated with four synagogues in the Lower East Side area: Bialystoker Synagogue, Kehila Kedosha Janina, Community Synagogue, and the Stanton Street Shul. Her husband, Dr. Jonathan Boyarin, an anthropologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a full professor of Religious Studies. 
 
Her primary synagogue is the Stanton Street Shul, where she has served as a board member since 2001. "With the help of the Conservancy, we applied for grants from New York State. Stanton Street was listed on state and national registries of sites of historical  significance. The purpose of these grants was to repair the exterior of the building in a historically appropriate manner. Historic preservationist Holly Kaye put us in contact with the right people and helped us through the process." 
  
In 2004, the first matching grant was awarded to repair the Stanton Street Shul's roof and fire escape. Smaller matching grants were approved during the last three years. The restoration of the Mazalot (zodiac) of the Stanton Street Shul began in June. (For more about the restoration of the Mazalot read We've Got Mazel, featured in Elissa's bio on the Conservancy website). This type of Jewish folk art is rare in synagogues today. Professional conservators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art are assisting with the restoration. "Preservation is the key to the future of this neighborhood," Ms. Sampson observed.
 
"People are intrigued to learn that there is a living Jewish community here," she continued. "It is important for people to understand that these synagogues represent vital presences in our community. New people are moving into the community. When I lead groups, I emphasize the significance of not only the past, but the Lower East Side's vibrancy today."

A Brooklyn native, Ms. Sampson has been living on the Lower East Side for more than 30 years. Her father manufactured picture frames on Cherry Street in the sixties. Her mother was born across from the Essex Street Terminal Market.
 
"To me, giving tours is an avocation," Ms. Sampson commented on her more than 20 years of experience in leading tours. After graduating from Brandeis University as a history major, she began her career as a teacher. "Teaching and touring go hand in hand," she said. "Once you're used to standing up in front of a group, you learn that you have to be entertaining in order to establish rapport with your audience, and you have to do that fast."