Gilded Age

In the latter half of the 19th century, New York City’s wealthy German Jewish elite hosted one of the most extravagant and coveted social events of the season — the annual Purim Ball.

Castle Garden, also known as Castle Clinton National Monument, has had a varied past. Since its inception in 1808, the sandstone fortress in Manhattan’s Battery Park has been a military fortification, pleasure garden, and America’s first immigration center.