The Yiddish Walk of Fame

At what is now a Chase Bank location in the East Village, there are a series of stars on the street with the names of people involved with New York City’s once thriving Yiddish theater scene, such as Fivyush Finkel and Molly Picon. 

When the building in front of the stars was the home of the Second Avenue Deli, which opened in 1954, owner Abe Lebewohl decided to honor those involved with  the “Yiddishe Rialto” (Yiddish Theater District) , the name for the many Yiddish theaters around Second Avenue as it became a hub for Yiddish theater in the city during the early 20th century.

Some of those who got their start or grew up in the Yiddish Theater District later went on to Broadway, such as George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin who frequently went to the theaters in the area. 

The 30+ stars were installed in the sidewalk in 1984. After Abe Lebewohl was killed in 1996, the Deli’s ownership went to his brother, Jack. Just 1 year after Abe’s death, stars were still being added, such as Fivyush Finkel. 

While the Deli closed in 2006 and is now home to a Chase Bank location, the stars are still very much present. Organizations such as Village Preservation and Friends of the Abe Lehewohl Yiddish Walk of Fame are among those advocating to preserve and maintain the stars, such as reproductions of the original stars possibly being planned for installing in the future.