Tashlich prayer on the Brooklyn Bridge, 1909. The New Year prayer is traditionally said at a body of water where the worshipper “casts” his/her sins

Normally, we focus on pictures of the Holy Land found in the Library of Congress archives’ American Colony collection.  

In honor of the High Holy Days, we present vintage pictures of the holidays in New York City, taken in the early 1900s by George Bain and also housed in the Library of Congress archives.  Our thanks to the librarians and archivists at the Library of Congress.



Jewish boy in prayer shawl on Rosh Hashanna (1911)

Tashlich prayer on the Brooklyn bridge (1919)

Jews praying on the Jewish New Year (circa 1905)



Worshippers (1907)

Tashlich on the Brooklyn Bridge (1909)

Going to prayers (circa 1910). Note the pipe in the elderly man’s hand

Selling New Year’s cards, East Side, New York City (1910)

Going to synagogue (circa 1910)

“New Year’s Parade” (1912)

Jewish New Year’s nap, East Side (1912)