THE CHELSEA GATEWAY PROJECT
Building Chelsea Historical Connections.
Building Chelsea Community.
What is The Chelsea Gateway Project ?
The Chelsea Gateway Project is a community-based initiative exploring Chelsea’s historic Jewish past and Chelsea's vibrant, multi-cultural immigrant present. Working to bridge social and cultural divides, the Chelsea Gateway Project collaborates with community members to conduct experiential learning through Chelsea Jewish Tours, speaking engagements, and volunteering with local organizations. Watch for the upcoming documentary, Chelsea, The Jewish Years, and more partnerships with community activists, educators, and artists. The Chelsea Gateway Project promotes Chelsea’s rich history, diversity, and inclusive community engagement.
To engage members of the Chelsea community and interested parties with Chelsea’s Jewish immigrant history. The Chelsea Gateway Project illuminates the city’s 20th century Jewish experience as an essential link to Chelsea’s present-day, multicultural, immigrant communities.
Our Mission
Discover the Jewish Chelsea Experience
Since 2015, the Chelsea Gateway Project has offered Chelsea Jewish Tours in the spring and the fall. The popular walking tours are open to public and to private groups who are interested in Chelsea's history as "Little Jerusalem,” the city with the largest concentration of Jewish people per square mile outside of New York City in the early 20th century.
Chelsea Jewish Tours
Chelsea, The Jewish Years is a short documentary recounting rich immigrant stories told by people who know that there is no place like Chelsea. Through moving interviews and vivid archival images, Chelsea, The Jewish Years, sketches Chelsea’s history as a Jewish hub throughout the twentieth century, and honors Chelsea’s unique role in American history as an influential immigrant haven. For more information about the film and bringing it to your community, click below.
Chelsea, The Jewish Years
The Jewish Chelsea Museum is an online archive of Chelsea’s rich Jewish history. Presently housed at Temple Emmanuel in Chelsea, the Jewish Chelsea Museum was incorporated in 2024 to honor and preserve Chelsea’s Jewish memories as a significant part of local, regional, and national Jewish history. The Jewish Chelsea Museum holds a collection of archival photographs and oral histories from Chelsea’s flourishing 20th century Jewish community.
The Jewish Chelsea Museum
Chelsea Gateway Project News
Sharing some tasty Jewish history
In late June, The Chelsea GreenRoots community kitchen was filled with sweet aromas of the city's Jewish history as Ellen demonstrated the making of Lokshen Kugel, Noodle Pudding, with a multi-generational group of happy Chelsea residents. More details here.
New museum opens doors to Chelsea’s vibrant Jewish history
Ellen was recently interviewed for this article in the Jewish Journal of Greater Boston about the new Chelsea Jewish Museum. Read now.
CJP Arts and Culture Grant
For her work on the upcoming film, Chelsea, the Jewish Years, Ellen is honored to be one of ten Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) Arts & Cuture Community Impact honorees. CJP spotlights local Jewish artists with its Arts and Culture Community Impact Grant Fund, to create change through the arts.
The Museum of Fine Arts pays Tribute to Chelsea Torah Ark Maker, Sam Katz
Historic Torah Ark maker Sam Katz made many beautiful Arks for synagogues throughout New England in the early 20th century. Chelsea’s Congregation Shaare Zion, known locally as the Orange St. Shul, was the home of a Sam Katz Ark for many decades before the synagogue closed. Watch Ellen talk about Chelsea’s Jewish community on Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts website at the 3:26 minute mark.
Who is behind The Chelsea Gateway Project
Ellen Rovner, PhD - Activist, advocate, and educator
Ellen is the fourth generation of a Jewish immigrant family who fled from Eastern European, anti-Semitic oppression to build families, businesses, and communities in Chelsea.
After decades of community involvement in Chelsea, Ellen has formed a network of activists, community leaders, and artists who are deeply involved with experiential, collaborative methods of activism for social justice.
Our Partners
The Chelsea Gateway Project/Chelsea Jewish Tours has been partially supported by the Chelsea Cultural Council, a local program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Chelsea Cultural Heritage Grant, Chelsea Community Fund and Combined Jewish Philanthropies.
Contact Us
Get more information about Ellen and the Chelsea Gateway Project including our walking tours, upcoming documentary, other events and more.