PLOT
From Hassidic to Transgender youth congregations, from 19th century construction to contemporary styles, and everything in-between, this documentary will present the exterior of every synagogue in Manhattan. In capturing the facades of these storied buildings and observing their architectural characteristics, the synagogues will become a lens through which the film will peer and probe, exploring the way Jews navigate their relationships to their religious and cultural identities, and to Manhattan at large. Although the interiors of synagogues also carry great importance and have a diversity of forms, this documentary will primarily present the exteriors as a way to see how the buildings interact with their surroundings.