Manhattan

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Manhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City in New York State, United States. It is the most populated borough in the city, with approximately 1.7 million residents in a land area of 59 square kilometers. There is a strong Chabad presence in the city through Chabad Houses and Mivtzoim activities.

Geography

The borough primarily consists of Manhattan Island along with several smaller islands, including Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, Ward's Island, Liberty Island, Ellis Island, U Thant Island, Mill Rock Island, and Governors Island, as well as a small area called "Marble Hill" adjacent to the Bronx. The borough is bordered by the East River to the east, the Hudson River to the west, and the Harlem River to the north.

The borough is the central hub of New York City and is known as one of the world's largest centers of business, culture, and entertainment. The United Nations headquarters is also located here.

Currently, tens of thousands of Jews live throughout Manhattan, with many large and famous shuls. Throughout the year, thousands of Jews from around the world come to visit the city.

History

Before European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Lenape tribe. In 1524, the first European explorer, Giovanni da Verrazzano, arrived in the area. However, it was Henry Hudson who first mapped the area for the Dutch East India Company on September 11, 1609.

The first settlement on the island began in 1624, when the area was called "New Holland," with the establishment of a Dutch fur trading post on Governors Island, where 30 families from Holland settled. In 1625, construction began on Fort New Amsterdam (in Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam) in the south of the island for the protection of residents, and its completion marks the founding of New York City. In 1626, a Dutch merchant named Peter Minuit purchased the island from its Native American inhabitants in exchange for goods worth 60 guilders (later valued at 24 dollars), an amount estimated to be worth around 1,000 dollars today.

Chabad Houses

Throughout Manhattan, there are many Chabad Houses, including:

• Chabad at Diamond District 47ST
• Torah Center - directed by Rabbi Sholom Dovber Shapiro
• Chabad House for the Sephardic community in Upper East Side Manhattan (Manhattan Sephardic Congregation) - directed by Rabbi Raphael Benchimol

Additionally, hundreds of Tmimim and Anash go out weekly for Mivtzoim - to prepare Manhattan for the reception of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

Chabad Chassidus

During the Frierdiker Rebbe's first journey to America in 1930, he stayed during his visit to New York at the Newton Hotel on Broadway corner of 94th Street in Manhattan. The Frierdiker Rebbe stayed there for about a week, from 5 Shevat until Sunday 11 Shevat, when he continued his journey to Chicago.

In the midst of World War II, after successfully escaping from occupied European soil, the Frierdiker Rebbe arrived on Monday, 8 Adar II 1940, at the port on West 57th Street in New York, pier 97. Since American law at that time did not allow passengers who arrived after 4 PM to disembark, the passengers had to wait until the next morning to leave the ship.

The next day, after a brief reception in the port hall, the Frierdiker Rebbe went to the Greystone Hotel in Manhattan, where he stayed during his first period in America. At the hotel, another reception was held, this time in a more limited format, during which the Frierdiker Rebbe suddenly announced the establishment of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim on American soil, and coined his famous saying: "America iz nit anders" (America is not different).

United Nations

The United Nations (abbreviated as UN) is an international organization whose goals are to establish world peace. The UN was founded after World War II (in 1945). The UN building is located in Manhattan, New York City. As of 2020, there are 193 member states in the organization.

See Also

• New York
• Brooklyn
  • Crown Heights
  • Boro Park
• Queens