CultureNOW | A Celebration of Culture & Community

At the Statue of Nathan Hale in City Hall Park, historian and lawyer James Kaplan discusses Hale's life and significance, and the history of City Hall. Hale was hung by the British in 1776 after being convicted of being a spy. Before he was hung, he uttered the words, "I only regret I have but one life to give for my country." This sculpture was erected in 1890 in City Hall Park, New York, at the site where Hale is believed to have been executed.

Historian and lawyer James Kaplan discusses the controversial life of Thomas Paine: his early life, the publishing of Common Sense and The Crisis, the Silas Deane Affair, his involvement in the French Revolution, and finally, Paine's downfall and death in 1809.

Historian and lawyer James Kaplan discusses the history and significance of St. Paul's Church, the oldest private building in NYC, from Benedict Arnold to 9/11. The Church is believed to be the oldest building in Manhattan. Inside the Church, the first rendition in oil paint of the Great Seal of the United States can be found.

Historian and lawyer James Kaplan asks listeners to use their imaginations as he describes the site of Shearith Israel Synagogue that once stood near 22 William Street. The first synagogue in North America, it was built in 1730. As the surrounding neighborhood - which would become the Financial District - became more industrial, congregants left the site to build synagogues in Greenwich Village and Upper West Side.

Historian and lawyer James Kaplan explains the Jewish-founded financial group Goldman Sachs's contributions to the US government. The US Secretary of the Treasury for President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush were both former Chairmen of Goldman Sachs.

Historian and lawyer James Kaplan details the history of the now defunct Lehman Brothers financial firm. The Lehman Brothers made their fortune in cotton trading and, as such, were heavily invested on the Confederates' side of the Civil War. The Lehman Brothers purchased 1 William Street from the J & W Seligman & Company in 1928 and headquartered themselves there until 1980.

Historian and lawyer James Kaplan discusses the history of Fraunces Tavern, the former headquarters of the United States government. Now a museum, Fraunces Tavern was once the De Lancey House. Oliver De Lancey, a loyalist in the American Revolution, eloped with Phila Franks, daughter of Jacob Franks and Abigail Levy, who were leaders in the Shearith Israel Congregation.

Historian and lawyer James Kaplan retraces the footsteps of the first Jewish immigrants to arrive in the United States, 23 Portuguese Jews whose ships landed at Bowling Green in 1654.

Jonathan Kuhn, director of Arts & Antiquities for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, discusses 'Dawn of Glory', a memorial to community lives lost in WWI. This memorial, with its larger than life half-clothed allegorical male figure, was dedicated in 1928. The statue was made by Italian-American sculptor Pietro Montana. For the creation of this Highland Park memorial, local prominent citizens and veterans groups enlisted Montana in 1919. It is the physical embodiment of the spirit of those who served, and the glory in the hereafter. The sculpture's actual unveiling was witnessed by a reported 10,000 people, with a salute from the 106th Infantry.

Jonathan Kuhn, director of Arts & Antiquities for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, discusses the Gay Liberation Monument in Christopher Street Park, commemorating the Stonewall Riots of 1969.