Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History

12/08/2023

As we look back at this year’s many celebratory moments, we are thinking about our education programs piloted for 2nd and 8th grade learners this past spring!

Students from Kingston and Rondout Valley explored the Reher’s family story and the changes over time in the immigrant communities which made up the Rondout. 2nd graders also shared the food traditions that connect them to their families and cultures. Through multisensory learning both on and off our historic site, we are so thankful for all of the young learners who explore local immigrant history, past and present, with us!

12/06/2023

We’re dreaming of sunnier, warmer days at the Reher Center!🌻

Check out this radiant snapshot of the Reher family in the early 1950s. Posing in the courtyard of 101 Broadway are siblings Jennie, Gertrude, Sadie, Elsie, Yetta, William, and Mollie, alongside their nephews–and posing next to them is the biggest sunflower our courtyard has seen since!

You can explore more of our digital collection by heading over to tinyurl.com/ReherCollection.

12/06/2023

We’re still buzzing from last week’s Bard Conservatory student-led recital, Visitors: Redefining American Identity!

Through a host of languages, these student artists filled the sanctuary of the Old Dutch Church with their song and poetry of immigrant experiences. Every visitor left feeling deeply moved by the evening. And thanks to you, we began raising essential funds to continue to amplify immigrant stories here in the Hudson Valley.

We wish to extend our most heartfelt thank you to Jun Yang, Abbegael Greene, Sarah Nalty, and Nomin Samdan for selecting us as their partners for this remarkable performance and event! And to the Old Dutch Church for being our generous hosts!

12/04/2023

With the first day of Hanukkah right around the corner, we invite you to celebrate with the extended Reher Center family this year - by trying this Reher family recipe for potato “lotkes”! Did you know that latkes are traditionally fried in oil as a symbolic reminder of the lamp oil which lasted for 8 days instead of 1? We hope you’ll try this recipe and tell us how it turned out!

In this season of celebrating light across cultures and traditions, won’t you consider making a donation and help us continue to shine a light on immigrant stories?

You can make your contribution today by visiting tinyurl.com/RCSupport24!

12/02/2023

Wow, what an incredible season for Historic Reher’s Bakery and the Reher Center Gallery!

With bakery tours and gallery hours finishing up for the year, we’re looking back at some of our favorite moments from the 2023 season. From explorations of a retail shop frozen in time to the multi-sensory storytelling experience of our latest exhibition, we’ve truly enjoyed every moment that we’ve spent with you, our community!
We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to every person who attended a weekend bakery tour or explored Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley in our gallery. Your support is what allows us to carry out our mission and continue to amplify immigrant voices.

Want to learn how you can support our work in 2024? Visit tinyurl.com/RCSupport24 for more!

11/29/2023

Thank you so much for supporting the Reher Center this ! With your help, we raised $3,973!

While is over, our year end campaign is just getting started! With your support, we’ll be able to spotlight immigrant stories like never before. Make your contribution today by visiting tinyurl.com/RCSupport24!

11/29/2023

Midnight is right around the corner and we are so close to reaching our $5,000 goal!

With in its final stretch, we’re almost ready to wrap up a day full of community, music, and tradition–but we’re still $1,463 away from hitting our goal. Will you help us close the gap before the day is over?

Your generosity will support another year of amplifying immigrant voices and shining a spotlight on immigrant stories, past and present. Want to learn more? Head over to tinyurl.com/RCSupport24 to find out how you can support our mission!

11/28/2023

It’s almost time for Visitors: Redefining American Identity and our performers are warming up!

Join us at the Old Dutch Church at 8 PM this evening for a vocal recital celebrating Indigenous and immigrant languages, cultures, and traditions of America through song and poetry.

Earlier this fall, a group of student vocal artists reached out to share their vision of a year-end concert that would showcase a repertoire celebrating language diversity in the United States. After a visit to Historic Reher’s Bakery, these students updated their vision: a free concert that would inspire the community to raise $5,000 in support of the Reher Center.

…and that’s where you come in! The graduate students from Bard College’s Conservatory Vocal Arts Program invite you to join us in our mission of spotlighting immigrant stories today on .

You can learn more and show your support by visiting tinyurl.com/RCSupport24!

Plus, find the full program by heading over to ReherCenter.org/events.

11/28/2023

Today is ! Will you help us meet our goal before midnight tonight?

This year, we’re reaching new heights and scaling up for something truly spotlight-worthy. So far, we’ve raised $1,500–but we need your help to reach our goal of $5,000! Won’t you support our mission of illuminating immigrant stories this ?

Learn more and find out how you can donate by visiting tinyurl.com/RCSupport24!

11/24/2023

Throughout Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley, we invite you to leave your mark on the exhibition in a multitude of ways. Haven’t shared your story yet? Make sure to stop by this weekend before the season ends!

Either in words or through art, you are encouraged throughout the exhibition to reflect on and share your family’s story. Check out these recent works of art that were shared with us by some of Taking Root’s visitors!

You can visit Taking Root in the Reher Center Gallery this Friday from 1PM to 4PM or Sunday from 1PM to 6PM to explore local immigrant stories and contribute your own!

11/22/2023

🦃 Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Looking for something delicious to bring to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow? Sadie Reher’s got you covered!

Check out this handwritten chocolate cake recipe by our very own Sadie. We’re not quite sure why this recipe is written on the back of a ripped calendar from the 1970s - maybe Sadie was in a rush to get it to one of her siblings! This recipe is just one of the many handwritten recipes we have in our collection by Sadie Reher. Plus–did you know that this Sunday is National Cake Day?

You can discover more of Sadie’s recipes by visiting our digital collection at tinyurl.com/ReherCollection!

11/22/2023

This , we are thrilled to partner with students from Bard Conservatory to invite you to Visitors: Redefining American Identity! This vocal recital will celebrate immigrant and Indigenous languages, cultures, and traditions of America through song and poetry.

Join us on November 28th at 8 PM in the sanctuary of the historic Old Dutch Church for a remarkable recital and help us to launch our end of year appeal! Watch this space for more details to come!

To learn more and how you can donate today, visit: rehercenter.org/events

11/21/2023

🌱Do you have a Hudson Valley immigration story to share? We'd love to hear it!

In our latest exhibition, Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley, visitors are invited to contribute their experiences of adaptation, identity, and culture. By writing their stories on 'leaves' in the gallery, each is growing the reach of our project. Through these reflections, we're reminded of the unique and universal elements of creating a home someplace new.

Visit Taking Root in the Reher Center Gallery this Friday from 1PM to 4PM or Sunday from 1PM to 6PM to explore local immigrant stories and share your own story!

11/19/2023

Last Sunday, we partnered with the Kingston Midtown Arts District’s Pop-Up Gallery Group in preparation to transform 708 Broadway into a temporary window exhibition with the handprints of our community!🖐️

Neighbors and community members each brought an item of significance with them to be photographed in their hands. From jewelry of loved ones passed, to freshly opened milkweed seeds, each person also brought a story that went along with their treasured object. Reflecting on the objects and stories that deeply impact us in the home of our current exhibition Taking Root was the perfect pairing!

In the next phase of the project, these photographs will be turned into blue cyanotypes, creating a communal tapestry of stories.

Keep your eyes on 708 Broadway in the coming weeks to see this project come to life!

11/15/2023

🍞Did you know that this Friday is National Homemade Bread Day?

As you might know, the Rehers knew a thing or two about homemade bread! This “Permit to Operate a Service Food Establishment” document from the New York State Department of Health is what allowed the Rehers to continue serving their delicious variety of breads to the Kingston community. This particular permit certified that Hyman “Hymie” Reher owned and operated Reher's Bakey in the year 1981 and only allowed for the sale of bakery breads and rolls. Good thing those were the Rehers’ specialty!

You can explore more Reher and Kingston history by heading over to our digital collection at tinyurl.com/ReherCollection!

11/15/2023

Storytellers Lorraine Hartin-Gelardi and Karen Pillsworth invite you to join them in a Story Concert for Grown-Ups!

Join us at the Reher Center on Sunday, November 19th at 2PM as our storytellers share personal stories and traditional tales about the search for a place to call one’s own and what happens when you get there.

Visit tinyurl.com/HomeAndHearthRC to RSVP to this free event!

11/14/2023

On Saturday November 4th, we heralded the return of our beloved Deli Dinner, and what an evening it was!
We joined forces with new friends and old to expand our table(s) and create an evening that won’t soon be forgotten.
With meals shared by over 145 (!) neighbors, all left with full bellies and full hearts as we broke bread over themes of multiculturalism & community togetherness, all in support of our educational and public programs!

Our deepest thanks goes out to:
🥪 our unmatched committee members Pat Brakman, Barb Cohen, Lew Kirschner, Barb Blas, Jill Ammerata, Mary Tuma, Anthony Tampone & Les Lombardi
🥪 our community of tireless volunteers, though we couldn’t possibly name them all
🥪 our friends at Ulster County Italian American Foundation UCIAF for partnering with us on this inaugural collaboration
🥪 The Children's Home of Kingston for hosting us and sharing about their incredible work!

11/11/2023

🌱Join us in the Reher Center Gallery every Friday from 1 PM to 4 PM and Sunday from 1 PM to 6 PM to explore our newest exhibition, Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley!

This exhibition shares the stories of our immigrant neighbors like never before. You’ll engage your senses as our storytellers guide you through their immigration experiences and share what it truly means to take root.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. We can’t wait to see you here!

11/10/2023

🍞Historic Reher’s Bakery tours are ending for the season!

Join us Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 AM throughout November and step back to Kingston in the 1950s. You’ll explore original bakery artifacts, hear stories of the Sunday morning rush, and discover how Frank Reher and his six children built a business that fostered community for generations. You’ll leave with a taste of local Kingston fresh-baked rolls just as the Rehers would have wanted.

Visit tinyurl.com/RCBakeryTours to reserve your spot before the season ends on Sunday, November 26th!

11/10/2023

11/08/2023

With the clocks turning back and the holidays quickly approaching, it’s just about time to break out your winter coat!

This photo of Hyman, Sadie, Elsie, and Mollie Reher sporting their warmest (and most stylish!) winter coats on the steps of 101 Broadway dates back to the 1930s. Maybe the Reher siblings will inspire you to find something a little fancier to keep warm this season!

Want to explore more Kingston and Reher history? Head over to our digital collection at tinyurl.com/ReherCollection for more!

11/07/2023

Are you ready to leave your mark on Kingston's canvas?🖐️

We invite you to participate in this Cyanotype Project, where your handprints will become a part of a unique art exhibition. Join us in transforming 708 Broadway into a Pop-Up Gallery, and let your creativity shine! The project aims to celebrate individuality and creativity through the art of cyanotype printing, which result in beautiful, striking blue images. In this project, your handprints will serve as the canvas for your artistic expression!

This display will be open to the public throughout the project's duration, allowing your work to be seen and appreciated by the entire community.

How to Participate:

• Sign up for free and drop in for this hands-on workshop!

• Bring a significant object that fits in your hand, or a piece of writing

• Your hands will be photographed holding your object!

RSVP today by visiting tinyurl.com/HoldingSpaceRC

11/07/2023

Last month, founding director Sarah Litvin, welcomed someone very special back to the Reher Center!

Randy Myerson, one of the Reher Center’s original founders, came all the way from Arizona to visit for the first time since 2016. He was amazed by how far we’ve come in 7 years!

During the visit, Sarah conducted an oral history with Randy where he shared a memory of donning a pair of galoshes to muck out the mud that was in our basement. What a journey we’ve been on! We are so grateful to Randy and each of our founders for their continued support and for setting us on a path for something truly marvelous to take form from the foundation up.

11/03/2023

Did you know families can attend Historic Reher’s Bakery tours for free?🥖

Families of up to four can check out a free pass from the Kingston Library or Saugerties Library that will allow them to step back in time to 1959 and experience history as never before! Guests will explore local history, immigrant stories, and even leave with a taste of Rondout-baked bread - thanks to our friends at Rosie General.

These passes are made possible through support from the Ferriday Fund and in partnership with Kingston and Saugerties Libraries.

11/01/2023

Last week, we held our Community Cultural Food Workshop with Mini Dhingra of and had a fun and flavorful time in the kitchen together! Everyone got involved, and our younger participants even became “sous chefs” for the evening. Mini generously shared her culinary wisdom and cultural knowledge, making the meal and its history the perfect bite-size for almost any age. The Aloo Tikki (potato pancakes) everyone made are sure to make it onto the table for a future family meal!

Thank you to Mini and the Andy Murphy Center for hosting this Family-Friendly Friday!

10/31/2023

👻 Happy Halloween from one of the more unusual items in our collection!

You might expect to find bones like these at a natural history museum, but perhaps not so much at the Reher Center. So, why do we have these in our collection alongside objects and photos from the Hudson Valley’s past?

During the 2013 archaeological dig at the Reher Center, these large mammal bones were discovered. Marks found on the bones indicate that they were cut by a butcher. Perhaps these bones were discarded by the Rehers or earlier residents after cooking a meal, but we’ll never know for certain!

You can explore more objects from our collection by visiting tinyurl.com/ReherCollection!

10/30/2023

Join us THIS SATURDAY for the return of a Reher Center classic!🥪

This year’s Deli Dinner has been cooked up in partnership with our friends at the Ulster County Italian American Foundation. Featuring Italian and Jewish delicacies, this mouth-watering event will benefit the Reher Center's rich educational and public programs. Guests will have the option to join us in-person to break bread in community, or to place their orders for pick up!

Visit ReherCenter.org/DeliDinner or call 845-481-3738 to dine in with us or pick up a meal to go!

10/26/2023

In our current exhibition, Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley, we ask visitors to participate in a sensory experience that evokes memory. After smelling a variety of spices found in the cultural dishes of our immigrant neighbors, we invite you to share your thoughts and memories with us in this notebook. Check out what one guest had to say below!

Original Spanish: La comida es una de las formas en que te puedes transportar inmediatamente sin siquiera viajar una milla o kilómetro, son la puerta al alma y al corazón ya. Que muchas veces el amor llega a entrar por el estómago. Espero que todos tengamos la oportunidad de probar los diferentes comidas de cada uno de nosotros y asi poder enamorarnos de la cultura, tradiciones, y constumbes todo otravez de la comida.

English Translation: Food is one of the ways you can immediately transport yourself without having to travel a mile or kilometer, it is the door to the soul and heart. Often times, love enters through the stomach. I hope that we all have the opportunity to try different foods and be able to fall in love with the culture, traditions, and customs all over again through food.

You can visit our newest, multisensory exhibition and join the conversation at the Reher Center Gallery every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1PM to 6PM! Please note that our November gallery hours will be Fridays from 1PM to 4PM and Saturdays from 1PM to 6PM.

10/25/2023

Going to a Halloween party this weekend and don’t know what to bring? We have the perfect fall recipe for you!

This Golden Delicious Apple Cake was handwritten by our very own Sadie Reher and is part of a special collection of recipes that we have here at the Reher Center. Try this one out and let us know what you think!

10/24/2023

Take a look back at our Fiesta of the Arts fundraising event at Opus 40 with us!

We truly had a blast celebrating immigrant contributions of the Hudson Valley both past and present with so many members of our community. Check out some more recently uploaded photos from the event on our page by heading over to tinyurl.com/RCFiestaPhotos!

Photo credit: Barry Mayo

10/24/2023

10/23/2023

Food traditions are a staple of every culture around the globe; it is a way to connect people across generations and geography.

Join us on October 27th at 6pm at the Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center to explore the importance of food traditions to culture and personal connection!

Expand your knowledge and treat your appetite as you create your own Chutney and Gluten-Free Spiced Potato Cake under the expert guidance of Mini Dhingra, owner and founder of Samosa Shack here in Kingston. Participants will leave with new skills, cultural knowledge, and of course, the food they create throughout the workshop.

Reserve your spot by visiting tinyurl.com/RCFoodWorkshop!

10/23/2023

10/19/2023

More than ever, we need to listen to each other. Do you have a Hudson Valley immigration story to share? We'd love to hear it!

In our latest exhibition, Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley, visitors are invited to contribute their experiences of adaptation, identity, and culture. By writing their stories on 'leaves' in the gallery, each is growing the reach of our project. Through these reflections, we're reminded of the unique and universal elements of creating a home someplace new.

You can visit Taking Root in the Reher Center Gallery every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1PM to 6PM! Please note that our November gallery hours will be Fridays from 1PM to 4PM and Saturdays from 1PM to 6PM.

10/18/2023

Do you have your Halloween costume planned yet? If not, maybe we can provide some inspiration!

Taken some time between 1910s and the 1920s, this little ballerina is dressed to the nines and ready for her debut. Despite being part of the Reher Center collection, however, we don’t actually know who this unknown child is–but perhaps the mystery is what makes this the perfect Halloween costume inspiration!

Want to explore more photos like this? Visit our digital collection at tinyurl.com/ReherCollection!

10/16/2023

Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting our friends from the Kingston YMCA Farm Project at the Reher Center Gallery!

Together, we toured our exhibition, Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley, and explored the incredible experiences of our immigrant neighbors. Next, participants used their senses to experience the cultural foods that connect each of our storytellers to their home country.

And get this–everyone who visited recognized at least one of the storytellers featured in the exhibition. When we say these are the stories of our neighbors, we really mean it!

Thanks to the YMCA Farm Project for stopping by!

10/15/2023

Experience the stories of our immigrant neighbors firsthand though these audio recordings from the Kingston Immigrant Oral History Project!

Visit tinyurl.com/OralHistoryHV to listen to over a dozen oral histories shared by those who have chosen the Hudson Valley as their home. Did you know that our newest exhibition, Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley, is based on these audio recordings?

Special thanks to Judit German-Heins for taking these incredible tintype photos and to Jennifer Palmentiero, Digital Services Manager at Southeastern New York Library Resources Council.
Photo credit: Judit German-Heins. Learn more at: juditgermanheins.com