קהילה קדושה יאנינה הוא בית כנסת הנמצא ברחוב ברום (Broome) 280 בין רחובות אלן (Allen) ואלדרידג' (Eldridge) בלואר איסט סייד במנהטן ניו יורק. הוא נבנה בשנים 1925-1927 ותוכנן על ידי סידני דאוב. הוא בית הכנסת היחיד בחצי הכדור המערבי שנוהגים בו בנוסח הרומניוטים השונה גם מנוסח אשכנז וגם מנוסח ספרד.
לקהילה קדושה יאנינה יש ייחוד בהיותו בית הכנסת הרומניוטי היחיד בחצי הכדור המערבי הקהילה נוסדה ב-1906 על ידי מהגרים יהודי יוונים מיואנינה, אבל בית הכנסת לא הוקם עד 1927. השנים מאז ועד מלחמת העולם השנייה היו שנים של שפע לקהילה הרומניוטית בלואר איסט סייד. כיהנו בבית הכנסת שלושה רבנים ובימים הנוראים היה בית הכנסת מלא מפה לפה. אחרי מלחמת העולם השנייה עבר חלק גדול מבני הקהילה לרבעים אחרים וחלקים אחרים של מנהטן כולל הרלם, ברונקס וברוקלין. קהילות אלה כבר אינן פעילות היום. למרות שהקהילה התמעטה באופן קבוע מאז ימי הזוהר שלה לפני המלחמה הרי עדיין מתקיימות תפילות בבית הכנסת בשבתות ובחגים. למרות שיש לבית הכנסת רשימת תפוצה של 3,000 אנשים הרי, לעתים קרובות, חסרים אנשים למניין בתפילות השבת. סיורים מודרכים מתקיימים בכל יום ראשון למבקרים. לקהילת יאנינה יש חלקה בבית העלמין בוולווד (Wellwood). שם יש גם מצבת זיכרון ליהודי יאנינה שנספו בשואה.
הבניין נוסף לרשימה הלאומית של מקומות היסטוריים ב-30 בנובמבר 1999 וצוין כנקודת ציון של העיר ניו יורק ב-11 במאי 2004 . הוא עבר שיקום נרחב ב-2006.
Congregation Kehila Kedosha Janina
A small synagogue in New York City's Lower East Side is reaching out to make people aware of its congregation's heritage through a museum that familiarizes people with its customs and history.
The synagogue is virtually unchanged since being built in 1927 by Romaniote Jews from Janina, Greece. In 2004, it was designated a landmark by the City of New York.
Both memorabilia and the museum's tour guides describe the story of the Romaniote Jews, from their entry into Greece in the first century to their current life in America.
Differences between Greek Romaniote Jews and the Greek Sephardic Jews who fled from Spain to escape the Inquisition are featured: The two groups speak different languages and have distinct customs.
The synagogue is open for Shabbat services at 9:00 a.m. and on holidays. Look for the schedule of "Holiday Services" on our sidebar menu.
The Museum is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays, or please contact us if you wish to have a special appointment.
בית כנסת היחיד בחצי כדור הארץ שמתפללים בו בנוסח רומניוטים.
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His love for his fellow man was genuine – you felt it and reciprocated in kind. Every word of Torah was precious. He would sit and think at length about any given passage. If a difficult question was posed to him, it could set off a thought process that could last hours until he responded with an answer that was breathtaking in its precision and clarity. He enjoyed people – especially young people with fresh ideas. When he reflected on his life history, you were transported back in time. You were taken to Vilna, Pinsk, Siberia, Lodz, and of course to Boston and Bnei Brak. His love for Eretz Yisrael was not based on politics or government, but was the essence of a dream to come and walk the same land tread upon by our forefathers. In fact, he was a minister without portfolio – constantly encouraging others to make Aliya. He gave respect to others, regardless of their age. In Bnei Brak, he would not move without the direction given by the illustrious Rav, Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shlita.Looking back, Rebbetzin Chava Margolis a”h, was half his life. The mutual admiration was something unique to our struggling generation. It was because of this mutual respect that they were able to build and maintain and accomplish all they did.
We here in Boston were privileged to have him with us for a large part of his life. Our vibrant shul is the result of his life's work. The Mesivta of Greater Boston is named for him and his Rebbetzin, because the donor, Mr. Yitzchak Selib a”h, was befriended and educated by him. Mr. Selib also was a major donor to the Kollel, enabling them to stand on firm financial ground. For years, Rav Margolis nurtured donors for New England Hebrew Academy. He was a strong advocate for the Bais Yaakov for many years. He and his children were instrumental in the founding of Torah Academy. He founded the N'shei Agudas Yisrael which functioned successfully for many years. Agudas Yisrael of Boston, under his leadership, was the address for many great leaders of Klal Yisrael. A fruitful and productive time in Boston was followed by his move to Eretz Yisrael. It was an act of Divine Providence that he found himself in the presence of one of the great personalities of the Jewish world – Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein Shlita, son-in-law of Rav Elyashiv Ztz”l, and one of the foremost Poskim in the world. Although much younger than Rav Margolis, their mutual respect was something to behold. He referred to Rav Margolis as “Pe’er HaShchuna” the crown of the neighborhood. Rav Margolis began to give lectures in Mussar. The Sefer of the Alter of Navordok – Madreigas HaOdom – became well known in Ramat Elchonon. He acquired many friends and students – most of them many years younger than him.
Towards the end of his life he suffered a few strokes, but always displayed signs of mussar and yiras shamayim.
On the 14 of Shevat, the light of this magnificent neshama was darkened, and we are left with the memories. He was a bridge to the past, and left us with a path to the future.
To you all, I wish a happy and healthy year.
About Beth Israel
Beth Israel Congregation was started in 1954. Two New Yorkers, purchased two storefronts on the corner of Prairie Avenue and 41st Street (currently where the Miami Beach CVS is) to begin a synagogue primarily for snow birds.
Ten years later after growing out of their storefronts, which had grown into three storefronts, the founders purchased the current location across the street, on the corner of 40th Street and Chase Avenue and began to renovate the original building to be better used as a synagogue. For decades, Beth Israel Congregation was the only Orthodox Congregation in the Miami Beach area. To this day it is the largest Orthodox congregation in Miami Beach.
In January of 2012 Beth Israel Congregation merged with the Young Israel of Miami Beach a unifying factor that speaks to the Achdut of the community. Today Beth Israel has a membership of over 230 families of all ages and different backgrounds.
Our Rabbi, Rabbi Donald Bixon, moved to Miami Beach in 1997, where he was the Young Israel of Miami Beach’s inaugural rabbi. In 2010, he was instrumental in merging the YIMB and Beth Israel Congregation, the oldest Orthodox Synagogue in Miami Beach
Rabbi Bixon’s humor and casual demeanor make him easily approachable and well liked by our congregation and community. After Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim in Israel he completed his undergraduate studies at Yeshiva College and Rabbinic ordination at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanon Theological Seminary where he was an Adina and Marcos Katz Kollel Fellow.
Rabbi Bixon has been dedicated to the Miami Beach community’s spiritual and physical growth. He has been active in all aspects of our community and its various institutions. Beth Israel Congregation is fortunate to have him and his wife Aliza, a Stern College Graduate, as our Rabbi and Rebbitzen.
בבית חב"ד תמצא בית כנסת, הכנה לנישואין, שיעורי יהדות אישיים, בדיקת תפילין ומזוזות, שיעורי תורה לגברים ונשים, סידור קידושין, שירותים/השאלת מזוזות.
Chabad House Bowery is enabling and inspiring young Jews to take responsibility for creating a bright personal and communal Jewish future.
We are building a movement to bring healing to the world.
Our vision is for Chabad House Bowery to carry out the Jewish mission with boundless love, deep inspiration, creativity and style.
Congregation Ohab Zedek, or OZ, as it is fondly known, is more than just a synagogue. Under the leadership of Rabbi Allen Schwartz, the Shul is known for its open doors and big heart. OZ has broad ties with the surrounding Jewish community and its Upper West Side neighborhood as a whole. A random visitor could easily encounter an up and coming scholar from Israel, or members of the local fire station. It is an informal, comfortable, inclusive community.
OZ is a modern Orthodox congregation, but any individual is welcome, regardless of background or means. It is a Shul of interlocking communities–young families who find a relaxed setting on Shabbos morning to introduce their toddlers to services; singles, who famously crowd the steps on Friday night; and seniors, many of whom have been members of OZ for decades. It is home to those tentatively exploring Judaism as well as the most learned, who are stimulated by a broad array of lecturers and classes.
Rabbi Allen Schwartz became the spiritual leader of Congregation Ohab Zedek in 1988. He is an alumnus of Yeshiva College and received his Master of Arts Degree in Bible, Rabbinics and Halacha from Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School, where he continues to work on his doctoral thesis on Rashi's methodology. Rabbi Schwartz was granted Smicha from the University's affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He currently holds the Raymond J. Greenwald Chair in Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University, where he has taught since 1983.
Rabbi Schwartz and his wife Alisa moved to the Upper West Side in 1985, where he served as rabbi at Congregation Ohav Shalom before moving to the pulpit at Ohab Zedek. Rabbi Schwartz's major focus at OZ is to foster connections within and among the many different age groups and constituencies of Jews living on the Upper West Side. Seeking to make all kinds of religious opportunities available to Ohab Zedek members, he brings information to the community regarding such subjects as Chesed, Tzedakah, Torah learning, Shatnes testing, Tefillin and Mezuzah service, and assistance with Mitzvah and Shabbos observance. Rabbi Schwartz's goal for the community is to make every OZ attendee a member of the larger community family.
Rabbi Schwartz gives weekly classes on a variety of subjects at OZ and also taught fifth through eighth grades at Manhattan Day School. He has lectured extensively for the Board of Jewish Education of New York at elementary and high schools in the New York area. Rabbi Schwartz has published curricula on Biblical themes for Jewish day schools nationally and has written Bible curricula for Yeshiva day schools and high schools. He serves on the executive board of the Rabbinical Council of America and has also served as President of the Council of Orthodox Jewish Organizations of Manhattan's West Side. Rabbi Schwartz was the camp rabbi and educational director of Camp Morasha from 1996 to 2000 and then served as the educational director of Camp Mesora from 2002 to 2005 and continues to dedicate time during the summer months to serve its educational staff.
Rabbi Schwartz recently completed a scholarly edition of the Commentary of the Rokeach to the Book of Proverbs.
Rabbi and Alisa Schwartz have six children and eleven grandchildren.
We are a Modern Orthodox synagogue located in beautiful Newton Centre, Massachusetts, in the greater Boston area.
Our small, energetic shul aspires to provide an inclusive, friendly, and participatory atmosphere conducive to personal growth through tefillah, tzedakah, Torah study, serious religious expression, and building a supportive community of values and meaning.
As our Sages taught us so long ago: The world stands on three things: Torah, Avodah, Ug'milut Chasadim. At Shaarei, we too stand on — and just as importantly, we stand for — these three foundational pillars.
In January of 2014, the Orthodox Union recognized our synagogue as a Hineinu Synagogue, an exemplary national model of communal inclusivity. Our Shul’s inclusivity statement follows:
We are excited to partner with the Hineinu initiative of the Orthodox Union. At Shaarei Tefillah, we pride ourselves on our warm, welcoming Modern Orthodox community. However, we have learned over the years that creating an inclusive environment requires more than good will. A sincere call for inclusivity must be conveyed not only with greetings and invitations, but must be expressed through architecture and access, signage, wordage and programs. The strength of kehillah (community) should be measured not only in membership units and the length of weekly announcements, but also by our manifest inclusivity and our capacity as a halakhic community to learn and improve, to outreach and in-reach, to grow together through full encounter of Torah uMitzvot. When we built our new Shul building just a couple of years ago, a vision of inclusivity drove our process. We designed our Shul to communicate through structure and form that our Beit Kenesset, our home of spiritual ingathering, invites and values the participation of men and women, adults and children, abled and disabled, empty nesters and young families, frum-from-birth and newly religious seekers. We work hard to concretize this message through our programming and publicity as well. Joining the Hineinu initiative is our way of continuing to respond to this Divine call and charge of hakhel, of inclusivity. We sincerely hope that by stepping up to say “Here We Are,” we will inspire other Shuls to do likewise and invite those who have previously felt without community to join us with their own “Hineini — Here I am.”
The Young Israel of Brookline is one of the largest Orthodox congregations in New England. The congregation was founded in 1953 and our earliest services were held in a small house on Fuller Street. When we quickly outgrew the space, member families purchased a larger site a few blocks away, on Green Street. In January 1994, when an electrical fire destroyed our shul building, our services and programs moved down the block, to a re-converted office building which we used while our new shul, shown above, was under construction. With great joy, the Young Israel community dedicated the new synagogue in November, 1996. The new facility hosts a main sanctuary which seats 525 congregants, beit midrash and Judaica library, banquet hall, kosher catering facilities, bridal room, classrooms, offices, keilim mikveh, and permanent sukkah structure.
Our members are a diverse group consisting of student couples, individuals, and families. Since Brookline is within walking distance of area hospitals, and a short drive to many universities and high-tech companies, it’s a popular destination. Many of our members are trained in the sciences, including the medical, software and engineering fields, and play leadership roles within their respective organizations. Also, since Boston is home to many top hospitals, we tend to see people from around the world, including many from Israel.
History
SEPHARDIC COMMUNITY OF GREATER BOSTON
The Sephardim, the first Jewish community to reach America in 1492 together with Christopher Columbus, have been living in Boston for over 350 years. They arrived around the same time as the city of Boston was incorporated in the year 1630. Spanish Portuguese Jews escaping the inquisition and persecution, settled throughout the English Colonies, regaining their freedom of religion, and building their homes and businesses. The first documented Jew in Boston was Solomon Franco, a Sephardic Jew from Holland, who arrived in 1649.
Among the famous patriots living in Boston, was Moses Michael Hays, a Portuguese Sephardi. He and his family left Newport for Boston ahead of the British attack in 1776, at a time that Boston was devastated by the physical and financial effects of the American Revolution. For the next three decades, Moses Hays and his family would play key roles in establishing the financial and cultural institutions that would define post-Revolutionary and 19th-century Boston.
He opened a shipping office in Boston and was among the first merchants there to underwrite shipbuilding, trade and insurance to newly opened Far Eastern markets. In 1784, Hays become a founder and the first depositor of the Massachusetts Bank still doing business today as part of the Bank of America. He was an honorary member of the Boston Marine Society, and a founder of the Mass Mutual Fire Insurance Company and the Mass Marine Insurance Company.
Moses Hays was also active in a variety of civic projects. He donated to subscriptions to beautifying the Boston Common, to building bridges and turnpikes, and to Harvard College.
His son, Judah Hays, and his nephews, Abraham and Judah Touro (after whom Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI, the oldest synagogue in America is named) continued in his tradition. They helped establish Mass General Hospital (Abraham Touro’s portrait is on the wall, in the main lobby), the Boston Athenaeum and the Bunker Hill Monument (The base of the Bunker Hill Monument bears an inscription honoring Judah Touro).
Besides socializing with Paul Revere and Harrison Gray Otis, these Sephardic families were sincere to their Jewish roots. Their businesses were closed on Shabbat, kosher meat was being delivered from Newport, regular prayer services were being held at their homes, and their household library contained dozens of Hebrew books.
However, with all prosperity, the early Boston Sephardic Jews were considered alien-residents. No Jewish houses of worship were allowed in Boston. Furthermore, the Hayes, Touro, Lopez and many other Boston Sephardic families had to bury their deceased in Newport, since there were no Jewish cemeteries allowed at that time. Hence, they were all tied to New York and Newport’s Spanish Portuguese congregations, where they donated regularly and were members. Not until the Massachusetts Constitutional Amendments of 1821, were the Jews granted full rights of citizenship, shortly before a group of Sephardic Algerian Jews arrived in Boston in 1830.
In 1840, the Sephardic Jews in Boston were joined by the Ashkenazim, who had just arrived from Germany, settling at first in the old South End, just South of Boston Common. German immigrants began immediately to establish the traditional institutions that characterized Jewish communities around the world, now that they were permitted in Boston. In 1842, the first Jewish congregation in Boston, calling itself Ohabei Shalom (Lovers of Peace) was formed. Their first synagogue dedicated in 1852 was strictly orthodox. It housed a Mikveh (ritual bath) and a Talmud Torah for children. Two years later, Ohabei Shalom established the first Jewish cemetery in the city. Finally, after two centuries, Boston Jews no longer had to be buried in Newport or New York City. Judah Touro included in his will a large donation to Ohabei Shalom before his death in 1854.
As Ohabei Shalom and it’s break-away, Adath Israel (today Temple Israel), eventually both became Reform Temples, the Sephardic Jews, keeping strictly to their traditional lifestyles, joined and identified with the more religious congregations, and prayed in their synagogues.
In the 1870’s through the turn of the century, there was a group of primarily North African Sephardim, who held Sephardic services in Zion’s Holy Prophets of Israel (The Alfred A. Marcus Orthodox Synagogue) in Boston’s South End. They were using a Torah Scroll dedicated by the famous Sephardic philanthropist, Sir Moses Montefiore. As the Jewish community started to migrate to the suburbs of Roxbury, Dorchester & Mattapan, so did the Sephardim. They continued praying in the synagogues on Blue Hill Ave.
Mattapan is where the history of our Sephardic Community in Brighton began. Many Sephardic Jews were fleeing Egypt, after the rise of President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1956, who subsequently expelled all the Jews and confiscated all their property. After the transition from Egypt, usually through France, where they waited a few years to receive their visas, they arrived in the USA. Approximately sixty families settled in Boston, by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
Hacham Elie Setton, born in Aleppo, Syria, was a Torah scholar and merchant in Alexandria, Egypt. He arrived in Boston in1963, and organized the first prayer services on Yom Kippur of that year. Together with his father-in-law, R’ Eliyahu Hamaoui, and his brother-in-law, the noted Hazzan of the Great Synagogue of Cairo, Shaoul (Charles) Hamaoui and his brother-in-law, Mr. Albert Habif (later elected treasurer of SCGB), they acquired space from Rabbi Moshe Gurkow, in his newly formed Shaloh House Hebrew Day School in Mattapan, and conducted the Yom Kippur services.
That year, in attendance, there were only three families with just nine men/boys that could be counted for the minyan. They invited an Ashkenazi friend to complete the minyan. The next year, as many more families arrived in Boston, they had dozens of people at the High Holiday services. Eventually, other Sephardim living in Boston from other countries of origin, (such as the Cohen families from Greece) found their home with this Syrian-Egyptian group. Hacham Setton became the spiritual leader of the entire Sephardic community, and together with the Hazzan, Shaoul Hamaoui, they lead the services, and began a new chapter in the lives of Boston’s Sephardic Jews.
In 1965, due to the deteriorating Jewish situation in Mattapan, the Sephardic community needed to move again. Many of them settled in Brookline, around Coolidge Corner. The High Holiday Sephardic services were conducted in the Social Hall of the Southern House, on Beacon Street.
The community kept on growing in Brookline, as still many more Egyptian families were arriving, and many other local Sephardim, by now, had heard of the Sephardic services, and hundreds came to join. Eventually, the High Holiday services were moved to the Chateau Garod Wedding Hall on Beacon St. Year after year, following the High Holiday services, the community yearned that one day they should merit to have a synagogue of their own.
In 1977, under the leadership of Dr. Charles Sasson, the Sephardic Community of Greater Boston filed the legal papers, becoming incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of Mass.
In 1979, under the leadership of Dr. Charles Naggar & Dr. Martin Hanopole, together with Rabbi Ezra Labaton & Dr. Baruch Mazor, the High Holiday services were extended to Shabbat services too, meeting every week in the Beit Midrash of Young Israel of Brookline.
In 1983, under the leadership of Mr. Clement (Rahmin) Kodsi, the community accepted our beloved Rabbi Aaron Hamaoui, who eventually succeeded his uncle and father, as Rabbi and Hazzan of the community. Rabbi Hamaoui instituted the daily minyan and many Torah classes, which continue till this day. Over the years, the Rabbi has reached out and has made a major impact on hundreds of Jewish families and international college students studying in Boston.
On Yom Kippur 1988, under the leadership of Mr. Moshe Rahmani & Mr. Edmond Shamsi, a successful campaign was launched to finally build our own synagogue. Major contributions were received from the Shamsi and Zafarani families, and also from the Cochab, Elmaleh, Feuerstein, Gabbay, Kodsi, Naggar & Sitt families. Also, among those who donated generously were the Aghion, Ariel, Bauer, Foonberg, Habif, Hassan, Lester, Mayo, Mosseri, Sabetfard, Sanieoff & Schinazi families.
In 1989, the community inaugurated their first synagogue building, Kol Sasson Bnei Shaoul, at our present location, on Corey Road in Brighton. Hence, after three and a half centuries, the Sephardim finally had their first Sephardic synagogue building in the city of Boston.
For over a quarter of a century, this synagogue building has not only served the needs of the Sephardic community, it has also homed and been instrumental in founding many other important institutions of Jewish Boston, such as the Kollel of Greater Boston, Bais Yaakov Girls High School, Ohr Yisrael Yeshiva High School, and others.
In 2008, shortly after a major renovation and completion of the Abraham Picciotto Beit Midrash, several dynamic young professionals reached out to form the New Ashkenaz Minyan (NAM). This Minyan, which is integral to the Sephardic Congregation of Greater Boston, started in October 2008 and has ever since attracting many young adults, families and students. It is a very popular destination for newcomers to Boston.
SpatzShulPhoto tinyWe are an independent, historic Orthodox synagogue that serves a diverse congregation and the broader community.
Our little shul is a great place for davening (prayer), learning, and spiritual growth; and a social environment where we celebrate holidays and life-cycle events together.
We are a warm, caring, welcoming community where everyone can contribute and be active in the life of the congregation, build on the traditions of our founders, and link the Jewish past to the future.
The Adams Street Shul is an orthodox synagogue located near Boston, Massachusetts. The congregation was founded in 1911 — and the shul built in 1912 — by immigrants who had been settling there since the 1890's, mostly from Hungary and the Ukraine.
The synagogue is located in the Nonantum neighborhood of Newton, less than five miles from downtown Boston. Newton is famously safe, and extremely convenient to all the Boston attractions, colleges, high-tech employment, and world-class medical centers.
The Adams Street Synagogue is also convenient to mikvaot and day schools, enjoys having an eruv, and often partners with the three other orthodox synagogues within walking distance.
In the last decade of the 20th century, the antique synagogue was physically restored, and its small, vibrant congregation has been growing ever since.
The shul's members benefit from Newton's excellent municipal services. The shul's Nonantum neighborhood has more homes for rent, more two-family homes, and lower cost houses than can be found in Brookline, Sharon, or other parts of Newton. And there is an eruv.
Individuals and young families relocating to the Boston area for its job market or educational opportunities find the Adams Street Shul to be a place where they can become active and really make a difference in a welcoming, haimish community.
The synagogue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the congregation has been housed there continuously for over a century.
For more information, explore the synagogue's website or contact to arrange a tour or Shabbat hospitality.
Join our diverse congregation, over one hundred years old and still going strong!
Shacharis (Mon-Fri) 7:15 am
Shacharis (Sunday) 8:15 am
Rosh Chodesh Shacharis 7:00 am
Daf Yomi (Mon-Fri) 6:30 am
Daf Yomi (Sunday) 7:30 am
Women’s Tehillim Group (every Wednesday) 9:00 pm
About Us
Congregation Ahavath Chesed is an Orthodox synagogue which was founded in 1944 and has remained in its original location on Manhattan’s Upper West Side since then. It was originally established by Rabbi Binyomin Halberstam זצ”ל, formerly Rabbi of Rudnik, Poland. From the outset, the intent was to recreate the ambiance and authenticity of the countless community shteibels that were essential to Jewish existence throughout Europe before World War II. Rabbi Halberstam sought to introduce this type of institution to post-war Manhattan as a refuge for worshippers who were then immigrating to America and for the benefit of the resident population.
Rabbi Halberstam was the driving force behind the Shul for the next two decades. He was succeeded in the mid-1960s by his son-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel Orenstein זצ״ל, who served as Rabbi with extraordinary distinction until his passing in 2006. Since Rabbi Orenstein’s passing, the Shul continues to draw inspiration and direction from the lessons that he taught during his lifetime. Recently, the membership of the Shul funded a very substantial endowment in memory of Rabbi Orenstein. The endowment will be utilized to finance Jewish scholarship that is consistent with his ideals.
During the past few years, there has been substantial growth in the membership and activities of the Shul. The daily Morning Prayer services have increased participation and the Shabbos morning service is particularly well attended. The Shabbos service is followed by a hot Kiddush providing time for the members to socialize and welcome new participants.
The Shul is presently embarking on a much needed renovation of its building on West 89th Street with the objective of enabling the facility to support the growing membership and the increasing number of Shul programs over the course of the next decade.
Welcome to Congregation B’nai Avraham, the Orthodox synagogue in Brooklyn Heights. As the only Orthodox synagogue in the neighborhood, we serve a unique role in accommodating people with divergent religious backgrounds and at varying levels of observance. We welcome all!
Our goal is to increase the level of Jewish awareness, knowledge and observance by providing a warm, welcoming community with activities to appeal to people at all levels and with varying interests. We provide a daily morning and evening minyan and more than ten classes a week for adult learning, as well as beginner’s services and children’s services on Shabbat. Our Mei Menacham Mikvah is perhaps the most beautiful mikvah in the City.
Our membership includes both Ashkenazim and Sephardim, and our members’ first languages include Hebrew, Russian, Yiddush, French, Spanish and Arabic, as well as English. Our spiritual leader, Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin, is a member of the Chabad movement, and during services most people use the RCA ArtScroll Siddur and the Stone Chumash, although other Siddurim and Chumashim are readily available.
Come to Saturday services and enjoy a sociable kiddush afterwards, or stop by at one of our many classes, or come to a Friday night dinner with singing, joy and a guest speaker. Whether you are a yeshivah graduate, baal teshuvah, considering conversion or totally new to matters Jewish, we welcome you, and you will find a comfortable place in our vibrant community.
Daily Classes
There’s always something happening at B’nai Avraham! Every day of the week Jewish education classes are taught for free in English.
If you want to pursue your Jewish education, there are no more excuses. See our *list of classes* for more particulars. Don’t see your topic on the list? Ask us!
History
In the Summer of 1988 Stephen and Penny Rosen, having recently become more observant, wanted to establish an orthodox Shabbat minyan. Together, they contacted Rabbi Shimon Hecht of B’nai Jacob in Park Slope, who supplied them with a Torah scroll, books, and a very young man to lead services and read from the Torah. Space was rented from a local theater group, signs posted, calls made, and the hope was that someone would show up for the scheduled Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. Initially, there were the Rosens, Drs. Walter and Brenda Molofsky, previous members with the Rosens of a local Conservative Synagogue, the young man (Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin) and Rabbi Raskin’s brother Shua, who was recruited to walk from Crown Heights with the Rabbi.
Amazingly enough, other people came so that there was a minyan, and the first and only Orthodox Synagogue in Brooklyn Heights began.
After Yom Kippur, holiday and Saturday morning services were held at the Rosen’s residence for the next nine months. The Congregation was officially founded as a religious corporation in December 1988. It was named B’nai Avraham in honor of Stephen Rosen’s grandfathers, both of whom had the Hebrew name “Avraham.” Rabbi Raskin noted that “B’nai Avraham,” literally, “children of Abraham” is the name given to converts, and the Congregation has had many converts among its members. After nine months at the Rosens’, the Congregation rented a parlor floor apartment on Clinton Street. As the landlady lived upstairs, the front door had to remain locked. Generally, Stephen Rosen waited at the front door to let people in. Latecomers tossed pebbles against a window and someone would come down to let them in.
We then moved to a commercial space at 100 Clinton Street, where at long last, we could leave the door open. Finally, in 1996, we moved to our current location at 117 Remsen Street, purchased from the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue (Reform), which acquired a larger building three doors away.
In 2000, the Mei Menachem Community Mikvah was built. It is one of the most beautiful and elegant Mikvahs in the New York area.
The Queens Jewish Center, also known as Queens Jewish Center and Talmud Torah or QJC, is a synagogue in Forest Hills, Queens, New York known for its significant contributions to the Jewish community. The synagogue was established by a dozen families in 1943 to serve the growing central Queens Jewish community.The current spiritual leader is Rabbi Simcha Hopkovitz.
The Queens Jewish Center building won honorable mention in the 1955 Queens Chamber of Commerce, Annual Building Awards. The architect was David Moed of Manhattan and the Builder was the LeFrak Organization.
The structure actually consists of two separate buildings. On October 3, 1946 an option was taken on the vacant plot where both Synagogue buildings now stand. Ground was first broken for the first building (also referred to as the Talmud Torah building or Bais Hamedrash building) during an elaborate ceremony on June 5, 1949, by Judge Paul Balsam and Center President Herman A. Levine. The ground-breaking for the Main Synagogue building took place on June 21, 1953 and was made possible by generous benefactor, Mr. Harry
Neighborhood
· Forest Hills was once the home of the US Open tennis tournament, played at the West Side Tennis Club before it moved to the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park. When the Open was played at the tennis stadium, the tournament was commonly referred to merely as Forest Hills just as the British Open was referred to as Wimbledon.
· The neighborhood boasts a beautiful aura of old English infrastructure.
· The feeling of the neighborhood is a safe one. Conclusive for a healthy lifestyle , in mind body and spirit.
· It’s pretty picturesque scenery make it perfect surrounding for simply, better living.
· Only minutes away from the Mile long Austin street Shopping strip. As well as the large array of shopping opportunities of Queens Blvd and the boutique style antique shops of Metropolitan Ave. Truly a garden , to live in.
Your most heroic acts are those of which you may not even be aware.
Like the time you could have gotten even with the guy in the next cubicle, and nobody would have known. And you really wanted to. But you didn’t, just because it’s not right.
You may not have been impressed—you may even have been disappointed with yourself. But the angels burst into song, as all your world rose up a notch. It may have been the most elevating act of a lifetime.
Heroic acts are not heroic if they’re second nature. It’s when you break out of your nature that you enter the realm of the divine.
B"H We are all heros. We are all filled with the glory of God.
The difference between "the best of us and the worst of us" is a VERY fine line and moves with time.
Redemption and return to God is just a moment and thought away. A desire.
Rv. Freeman, the lessons are from God, with your sweet expression.
Thanks to God, through you on this Thanksgiving day.
Shalom,
how great to know that not only in general we are important, but every moment of our life!! we are the main actor and HASHEM is our main audience and our "Oscar" is His approval and joy.
About Us
The Old Broadway Synagogue is located at 15 Old Broadway, which is a small street that spans between 125th and 126th streets approximately half a block east of Broadway. Take the 1 train or M104 bus to 125th street and walk east to Old Broadway. We hold services every Friday at sunset, Shabbos mornings at 9:15 and Saturday afternoon 20 minutes before sunset. We have Sunday morning services followed by breakfast and a shiur with Daniel Fridman.
The Old Broadway Synagogue is the better known name of our congregation, the Chevra Talmud Torah Anshei Marovi. we were founded in 1911 in the West Harlem neighborhood of Manhattanville by a small group of Eastern European Jewish immigrants. The congregation originally met in storefronts and in the back of a bar until we built our own building in 1923 on Old Broadway. The congregation was active in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, but by 1950 was struggling when we hired Rabbi Jacob Kret. Together with his wife, Chana, Rabbi and Mrs. Kret brought the shul back to life by recruiting new congregants, at that point, mostly Holocaust survivors. May of these people moved on, but by this time, Rabbi Kret was a Talmud tutor at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He recruited students from JTS and later also from Columbia (he was a regular at Columbia's daily minyan and was the mashgiach in the Barnard kosher kitchen). For me Rabbi Kret embodied an ideal of Jewish authenticity: knowledgeable, observant, welcoming, warm and loving. We are doing our best to follow in his footsteps. In 2001, the shul was listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. We are slowly trying to restore the building and striving to be a beacon of Torah, Yiddishkeyt and Menschlikhkeyt in West Harlem.
Rabbi Moskowitz has focused much of his outreach efforts on the Jewish students at Columbia University. In recognition of his work there he was appointed as a "Religious Life Adviser" by the Office of the University Chaplain in partnership with Aish Hatorah New York. Rabbi Moskowitz has held several Aish co-sponsored events at Old Broadway and some of the students he has worked with through Aish have started to attend Old Broadway.
Following the tradition of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Kret, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Moskowitz regularly open their home and invite many Jews from the neighborhood to their Shabbos table every week. These efforts have resulted in more robust attendance every Shabbos and the understanding that Old Broadway is a happening place.
Another exciting development: the shul has been contacted by a group of Columbia staffers who work in the Manhattanville campus and who would like to have a regular Mincha minyan. The Columbia people, together with some of the Old Broadway regulars, have been meeting daily for Mincha since the beginning of December. This is the first daily minyan that has met at Old Broadway since the 1970s. The service takes place at 1:00pm Monday through Thursday at the shul and we invite you to join us. We look forward to seeing our new Mincha minyan grow.
מיטל וצבי וילור צידון נישאו זה לזו בניו-יורק ב-2006. לצד ההחלטה על חיים משותפים רקמו השניים החלטה נוספת: לעשות משהו טוב למען הקהילה הישראלית בניו-יורק. מיטל וצבי רצו לחבר בין הישראלים הרבים שחיים בעיר ולספק להם מקום של חוויה יהודית וישראלית אותנטית. מזה שמונה שנים שמיטל וצבי מזמינים מידי יום שישי ישראלים רבים לארוחת שבת חגיגית אצלהם בבית בקווינס, פרויקט המוכר בתור "שישי אצל צבי".
"התחלנו מיד כשהתחתנו", מספר צבי. "אנשים תמיד אומרים, 'אל תתחבר עם ישראלים! ישראלים, במיוחד כאלה שחיים בחו"ל, הם אנשים קשים'. אבל אנחנו רצינו להראות צד אחר של הישראלים, להראות שאנחנו אנשים טובים ויפים. רצינו לחבר ולאחד את הישראלים, להוציא את הצד הטוב והיפה, שיהיה ישראלי מאוד. כשהתחלנו את 'שישי אצל צבי' גרנו בבית ממש קטן, עם מטבח קטנטן, אז התחלנו בקטן. בהתחלה היו באים רק שישה אנשים ומיטל התלוננה שלא מגיעים מספיק אנשים. אבל ידענו שאם נחכה ונתמיד בסוף זה יתפוס. ובאמת, לאט לאט, חבר הביא חבר וזה התחיל לתפוס. פתאום היינו שמונה אנשים ואחרי זה עשרה. היום, כל שבת, ברוך השם, יש אצלנו בבית בערך שלושים אנשים. בחורף, זה נע בין עשרים לשלושים איש, ובקיץ יושבים גם בחצר ומגיעים בין שלושים לארבעים איש. בראש השנה יושבים אצלנו בסלון, בחדר האוכל והחצר ביחד גם חמישים-שישים איש. ובל"ג בעומר האחרון היו אצלנו שבעים איש, שחגגו על-האש בחצר".
כשהוא לא מתפקד כבית חב"ד של איש אחד ואישה אחת, צבי מנהל חברה לשיווק באינטרנט ועוסק בהקמת אתרים וקידום בחיפושים. החברה שלו גם זכתה פעמיים ברציפות בפרס לקידום אתרים מטעם גוגל. אבל נראה שהמצווה של אירוח עשרות ישראלים לחוויית שבת מיוחדת מידי שבוע היא בעלת חשיבות לא פחותה מבחינת צבי, ובהחלט לא פחות תובענית מבחינת זמן ומשאבים.
איך אתם מכינים ארוחה לשלושים איש מדי שבוע?
"זה פרויקט שאנחנו עובדים עליו כל השבוע. ביום שלישי אני עושה את הפרסומים על מנת שזה יופיע בכל מקום וכדי שאנשים ידעו שיש להם לאן לבוא לשבת. אני מפיץ את הידיעה באינטרנט ובפייסבוק, ואני שולח הודעות טקסט לרשימת תפוצה של 200 אנשים. אחרי זה אנחנו עושים קניות בימים רביעי וחמישי. ביום חמישי אנחנו מתחילים את הבישולים. אנחנו כבר כל כך מיומנים בבישולים בכמויות האלה, שבדרך כלל אנחנו גם משלימים את הבישולים עוד לפני יום שישי. את הכל מיטל ואני מבשלים, לפעמים עם קצת עזרה מחברים".
למה יכול לצפות אורח בשישי אצל צבי?
"בארוחות 'שישי אצל צבי' הכי חשוב זה האווירה. יש אווירה נעימה ונינוחה, בלי ויכוחים ורעשים. יש אצלנו אווירה ביתית של שבת, עם קידוש ושירים, חלה ונרות דולקים. יש ארוחה גדולה, שהאורחים עוזרים להגיש, כמו בבית, ואחרי הארוחה הרבה מהאורחים נשארים לשבת, שרים ומדברים. מאז שהתחלנו כבר נוצרו אצלנו הרבה קשרים וחברויות וגם כמה חתונות שהתחילו אצלי בבית. מבחינת האוכל, אנחנו מכינים את הכל בעצמנו בבית. אנחנו משתדלים שלא להגיש שום דבר קנוי או מוכן מראש. בכל ארוחה אנחנו מגישים עשרה סוגי סלטים, חצילים וטחינה וחומוס שאנחנו מכינים. אנחנו מגישים מרק צמחוני, דג מרוקאי ובשר ועופות ותוספות לצמחונים, וקינוחים. כמעט לא קונים שום דבר תעשייתי. אנחנו רוצים שהכל יהיה ביתי וטרי ואורגני וכמה שיותר בריא".
איך מכלכלים ארוחה גדולה כל כך מדי שבוע?
"בשבע שנים הראשונות עשינו הכל לבד וכלכלנו כמעט את הכל מכיסנו. השנה אמרתי שנעשה ניסיון ונבקש סכום סמלי מכל אורח. כשהתחלתי לפרסם את הארוחות בתשלום, פנו אלי כל מיני אנשים ואמרו, 'צבי, עזוב אותך, אל תיקח כסף על הארוחה ביום שישי הקרוב, אני אשלם על הכל'. וככה יצא שאנשים טובים מכסים את ההוצאות כמעט בכל הארוחות מאז, ואנחנו יכולים להמשיך ולהזמין אורחים ללא תשלום".
בעמוד הפייסבוק של "שישי אצל צבי", חולקים צבי ומיטל בוידאו את המתכונים שלהם בעת ההכנה של הארוחות. אפשר למצוא שם בין היתר מתכונים מצולמים של עוגת תמרים פרווה ללא אפייה, חלות ארבעה דגנים או דג סלמון כבוש. הם גם חולקים עשרות מכתבי תודה והערכה משלל האורחים שביקרו בביתם.
איזה מין אנשים מגיעים לארוחות "שישי אצל צבי"?
"אני אוהב להגיד, 'בשישי אצל צבי, כל אורח הוא VIP'. מגיעים ישראלים מכל הבא ליד – סטודנטים, רופאים, בנקאים ואנשי נדל"ן. לפעמים מגיעים תיירים ישראלים שנמצאים בסביבה, או דיילות של אל-על. כל מי שרוצה לבוא מוזמן. אני רוצה להפיץ את הידיעה על 'שישי אצל צבי' כדי שעוד אנשים ידעו על זה שיש להם מקום לבוא בסוף השבוע לארוחת שבת ישראלית ולהיחשף לצד היפה של הישראלים כאן".
Temple Beth Shalom, also known as the Tremont Street Shul, is a warm, friendly, traditional Jewish synagogue located near the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts. We embrace a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and styles of worship. On Shabbat evening and morning we have two styles of services. Shabbat morning services are followed by a sit down Kiddush lunch to which everyone is welcome.
HISTORY
Temple Beth Shalom was formed when Temple Ashkenaz and Congregation Beth Israel merged in 1962. The merged Shul chose to use the Temple Ashkenaz building at 8 Tremont Street because it was newer. The name was changed to Temple Beth Shalom, in part to mark a new spirit of community cooperation.
As members of the original Cambridge Jewish community migrated to the suburbs, the synagogues in Cambridge consolidated in stages. The Tremont Street Shul was the last of original Shuls to remain in operation. In the 1970’s, all the local colleges decided to have a joint Simchat Torah celebration at TBS. Helped by the success of this annual event, the Shul began to attract new members from the young professionals in the greater Cambridge area and has grown steadily since then.
Our Shul underwent a major renovation in 1987. The basement vestry was made suitable for the Alef Bet child care center, which was founded at that time. A second renovation in 1994 transformed our balcony into a convertible classroom. A new office was added in 2004. Meticulous care was taken during each renovation to conserve our building’s historic character. We think our main sanctuary is one of the Jewish architectural jewels of the greater Boston area. Come and see for yourself!
The ancestors of Temple Beth Shalom include:
Congregation Anshai Sfard, organized 1896, chartered 1898, building at 83 Webster Ave., Somerville, merged into Beth Israel 1957
Congregation Beth Israel, organized 1900, building at 238 Columbia St.
Temple Ashkenaz, split off from Beth Israel over the issue of Ashkenazic vs. Sephardic ritual 1908, building at 8 Tremont St.– originally the home of Joshua Kaplan, house torn down and a new building erected 1924
Congregation Yavneh, chartered 1918, building at 8 Howard St. erected 1920, closed 1934.
For more information on our history and the history of Jews in Cambridge, see our on-line exhibit Centennial of the Jewish Community in Cambridge, an event we celebrated in 1996.
Temple Beth Shalom is a member of the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts.
ABOUT US
Reflecting the diverse population of Cambridge, Temple Beth Shalom represents a unique, creatively traditional approach to Judaism. Our goal is to make Jews of every affiliation feel at home. Impossible? Try us.
We have three styles of worship every Shabbat and two styles of weekday services. See the worship services page for more information on the styles available. Our minyanim come together later Saturday morning for a sit-down Kiddush. Our Kiddush includes a light lunch, singing, and much fellowship. All holidays are celebrated with services and appropriate observances.
We have an active 20s and 30s group that runs several social events every month.
The Temple hosts a number of educational activities, including the Alef-Bet Child Care, a Talmud class, and other adult education programs. Along with two other local congregations we support the Kesher after-school Hebrew School program.
A unique event at Beth Shalom is our famous erev Simchat Torah celebration which draws as many as 500 or more people. Part of the fun-filled service is the Hakafot, which takes the congregation out onto Tremont St. for singing and dancing well into the night. This service attracts a wide cross-section of the Greater Boston community, including special participation of local college Hillels.
The Kehilla – A Brief Historical Review
K'hal Adath Jeshurun ("KAJ") was the name of the famed Kehilla in Frankfurt-am-Main, in pre-war Germany. It was established by Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch who was brought to Frankfurt in 1851 to lead the small remnant of the Orthodox community which had been decimated by the Reform. Disassociating ("Austritt" – Independent Orthodoxy) from the Reform and under the banner of his "Torah im Derech Eretz" approach, Rav Hirsch founded a school (the "Realschule") and rebuilt the Orthodox Frankfurt Kehilla to great success.
In the late 1930's, driven out of Europe by Hitler and his followers, a small number of German refugees who had settled in the Washington Heights section of New York joined together to establish a Minyan of their own where they could maintain their accustomed Minhagim and cherished tradition.
When Rav Dr. Joseph Breuer arrived in New York in February 1939, he was asked to become Rav of this Minyan which, at the time, was held only on Shabbos. Upon accepting this position, Rav Breuer immediately offered his home so that there could be regular weekday services. At the suggestion of the Rav, the minyan assumed the name of the famous Frankfurt Kehilla “K'hal Adath Jeshurun”. Like the Frankfurt Kehilla, this congregation was to become a full-fledged Kehilla to serve as a bastion of Independent Orthodoxy and a bearer of the "Torah im Derech Eretz" banner.
Rav Breuer was the grandson of Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch and the son of Rav Dr. Salomon Breuer, who had succeeded Rav Hirsch in his position as Rav of the Frankfurt Kehilla. Rav Dr. Joseph Breuer had served as the Rav of the "Klaus" synagogue in Frankfurt and as the Rosh HaYeshiva of the Frankfurt Yeshiva.
Rav Breuer saw the opportunity to rebuild the Frankfurt Kehilla of old, but at the same time making it a center that attracted not only people from Frankfurt and Germany at large but from many neighboring Kehillos of Europe. While in general the Kehilla continued the Minhagim of Frankfurt, some changes were introduced by Rav Breuer to accommodate members who came from other communities.
After the modest beginning, the Kehilla rented space in the Republican Club of Washington Heights. Soon the space proved too small and, in time for Pesach 1939, the hall of 90 Bennett Avenue was rented. During that year, a fire destroyed a large part of the hall and it became necessary once again to move to other quarters. The premises at 187th Street and Fort Washington Avenue were then rented until 1941, when the Kehilla purchased the building at 90 Bennett to serve as the Shul and, later, as the Yeshiva. The current Shul building at 85-93 Bennett Avenue was built in 1952 (and extensively renovated in 2001); the facility at 90 Bennett Avenue then began serving as a social hall. Originally called the Schuster Hall, it is now known at the Dr. Raphael Moller Auditorium.
In spite of great difficulties and enormous obstacles, Rav Breuer set out to establish the institutions required for an all-encompassing Kehilla. His initial effort called for the establishment and building of a Mikveh. Although he was advised by many that it was unrealistic to try to build a Mikveh at that time of war and economic uncertainty, Rav Breuer characteristically persevered and a building on 187th Street and Audubon Avenue was purchased and the Mikveh opened in 1943. The Mikveh was moved to its current location at 186 Street and Broadway in 1982 and extensively renovated in 2002.
Ever concerned with the welfare of the Kehilla, Rav Breuer asked Rav Shimon Schwab, then Rav of Congregation She’arith Israel in Baltimore, to join him in the Rabbinate in 1958. With his command of the English language, Rav Schwab was a special influence on the younger members. Under his guidance, the Yeshiva added a S’micha program. His erudition and oratorical ability gained for him and the Kehilla world-wide renown. For 22 years, Rav Breuer and Rav Schwab worked together to develop the Kehilla in all its aspects. Rav Breuer was niftar in 1980; Rav Schwab was niftar in 1995.
In 1987, the Kehilla asked Rav Zachariah Gelley to join the Rabbinate and assume the position of Morah D'Asrah and Av Bais Din. Rav Gelley had been the Rosh Yeshiva in Sunderland, England for 22 years. In 2006 the Kehilla invited Rav Yisroel Mantel of Lucerne, Switzerland, to join the Rabbinate.
"The Kehilla needs a Yeshiva" was a repeated appeal by Rav Breuer. In 1944 the Yeshiva, named Yeshiva Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, was established and classes were held in the Shul building at 90 Bennett Avenue. Mr. Jacob Breuer was the elementary school Principal until he retired to Eretz Yisrael in 1986. Subsequent Principals were Rabbi Baruch Lichtenstein, Rabbi Reuven Drucker and Rabbi Nosson Adler; the present Principal, Rabbi Yehudah Moller, is a grandson of long-time president of the Kehilla, Dr. Raphael Moller. For decades Rabbi Emanuel Weldler served as secular studies principal of Junior High and High Schools. The Broadway Building was rebuilt as a school building in 1958 and the High School building next to the Shul was built in 1961. The Rika Breuer Teachers Seminary was established in 1963 under the leadership of Rabbi Joseph Elias. In 1973, the Mesivta and the Beth Medrash were relocated to a new building at 220 Bennett Avenue, named Beth Medrash al shem HoRav Shlomo Breuer.
The Beth Medrash was founded in 1958 by Rav Naftoli Friedler (the senior maggid shiur in the Yeshiva since 1948), who became the first Rosh Yeshiva. He was assisted by Rabbi Eliyohu Krieger who served the Yeshiva in various roles for over five decades. Rav Friedler was succeeded by, YB”L, Rav Yaakov Perlow, who in 1976 also assumed the position of the Novominsker Rebbe. During his tenure as Rosh Yeshiva the Kollel was started. In 1981, Rav Pinchos Kahn became Rosh Yeshiva; he was succeeded in 1986 by Rav Meir Levi, who is also the current rav of K’hal Adath Jeshurun of Monsey. Since 2009, Rav Yehoshua Rubanowitz has also held the title of Rosh Yeshiva. He has re-established a post-high school beis medrash program which has grown to over 70 bachurim.
Rav Breuer also oversaw the establishment of a Kashrus network, known for its integrity, as well as the gradual development of gemilus chessed institutions such as Chevros Kaddisho for men and women.
In 1947 Rav Breuer invited Rav Moshe Jacobovits to join him as Dayan of the Kehilla. Rav Jacobovits, a native of Lakenbach, Austria and a talmid of the Pressburg Yeshiva, assisted the Rav in the expanding Kashrus network and gave regular Shiurim. After his untimely passing in 1950, he was succeeded by Rav Eleazar Tarsis, a talmid of Rav Dr. Salomon Breuer and of Lithuanian yeshivos. In 1967, Rav Jacob Posen, a member of the Gateshead Kollel for many years, became the Dayan and in 1989 Rav Chaim Kohn became an additional Dayan of the Kehilla. Rav Eliyahu Glucksman joined the Kehilla in 1970 to serve the Rabbinate with particular involvement with the youth of the community and later became a Dayan of the Kehilla.
The burden of the administrative work of the Kehilla has been carried over the years by the Board of Trustees, headed first by Mr. Walter Joseph, followed by Dr. Raphael Moller, who served as president for 38 years. Rabbi Edwin Katzenstein succeeded Dr. Moller in 1980 and presided over the Kehilla at a crucial time after the petiros of Rav Breuer and Dr. Moller. Rabbi Katzenstein was succeeded in 1986 by Dr. Erich Erlbach, who served in that position until 2008. He was succeeded by Mr. Avram Cahn, who served for four years. Currently, Mr. Samson R. Bechhofer serves as president of the Kehilla.
Under Rav Breuer and his successors, the Rabbinate continues to adhere to the philosophy of "Independent Orthodoxy" which rejects both the legitimacy of other branches of Judaism and any dealings with organizations associated with them. KAJ also bases its approach and structure on Rav Hirsch's philosophy of "Torah im Derech Eretz", which encourages involvement in the modern world under the dominion of Torah without any compromise of loyalty to Torah and its precepts. Learning Torah is a core value of the Kehilla and there are many intensive shiurim and learning programs at various levels for men and women of all ages.
Unlike most Ashkenazic synagogues in the United States, which follow the Nusach Askhenaz ("Polish") liturgical rite, KAJ follows Minhag Ashkenaz ("German") in its liturgical text, practices, and melodies. Its first official Chazon was Mr. Abe Wertheim who was joined in 1949 by Mr. Robert R. Frankel (who officially “retired” in 1989 but continued davening at the Omud on many occasions through Shabbas Shuvah 2008 just days before he became ill and subsequently thereafter was niftar). In 1962, Mr. Frankel was joined by Rabbi David Kenner; after Chazen Frankel’s retirement, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kenner served as Chazon together with his father for a period of 10 years. In 2001, Mr. Ezra Hes and Rabbi Ezra Lasdun were appointed Chazonim. Chazan Lasdun continues to serve as the Kehilla’s official chazon. The Chazonim, Baale Tefillo and the men and boys of the choir take great pride in perpetuating the familiar Niggunim of the Kehilla.
True to the concept of a full service kehilla, KAJ comprises a synagogue offering shiurim and lectures, a yeshiva, a beth medrash and a social hall. The Kehilla also provides its members with a Mikveh, the services of a Chevra Kadisha and a renowned Kashrus supervision.
LSS is a diverse and vibrant Modern Orthodox Congregation that provides religious, social, and educational services and outreach to the unique Jewish community of the Upper West Side. The synagogue strives to be a model in the integration of Halachic Judaism and contemporary life to the broader Jewish community.
In 1964, in the living room of an apartment in Lincoln Towers, a part-time rabbi from Yeshiva University named Steven Riskin took the budding Lincoln Square Conservative Synagogue by storm. His originality, charm and boundless energy captivated members and moved them to a more traditionally observant Judaism, in turn sparking a growing Jewish renaissance on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Before long, a new synagogue-in-theround made its debut at 200 Amsterdam Avenue, and the excitement at the renamed Lincoln Square Synagogue brought hundreds of young single professionals to the neighborhood, creating a vibrant scene for mixing and matching. Young families were also drawn to LSS, attracted by the dazzling teachings of Rabbi Riskin, assisted by Rabbi Herschel Cohen z”l and Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, and the gorgeous melodies of Cantor Sherwood Goffin. “The New Orthodox” they called it on the cover of New York Magazine. Who knew? But as members struggled to navigate between the laws of Jewish tradition and the secular values of the surrounding society, Lincoln Square Synagogue began to see its destiny.
Just down the street from the temples of high culture at Lincoln Center, Lincoln Square Synagogue quickly established itself as a temple of an innovative kind, showcasing the classical and the contemporary, history and modernity. With joy and pride, the challenges of present-day living were brought into harmony with the ancient traditions passed down through the generations. The sacred liturgical texts of tefillah were infused with a new vitality as haunting, time-honored melodies shared the stage with the music of Shlomo Carlebach and The Rabbi’s Sons. The thirst for wisdom was quenched with the scholarship of Rashi and Rambam blended with the insights of 20th-century thinkers like Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook and Rabbi Joseph Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik. Everything old was new again.
What emerged was a synagogue with its own, unique, invigorating rhythm: home to meaningful and enthusiastic worship, to be sure, but also a place to establish lifelong friendships, build businesses and organizations, find soul mates and nourish the next generation through education and religious instruction. Thousands of Jews of all ages and backgrounds had come together to create a true makom kadosh, providing support for each other in times of sorrow and sharing joy in times of simcha. LSS was now a unified community whose commitment to Judaism and love of humankind extended beyond self and family to the world at large. You could walk in off the street for the first time, as so many did, and feel you’d been here before.
As the years flew by, the stunning success of Lincoln Square Synagogue brought with it newfound responsibility: to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse membership, an ever-expanding neighborhood and a 21st-century world. New solutions for new realities were required that would acknowledge the changing landscape, while staying true to the synagogue’s core principles and personality. Recognizing the difficulties faced by those forced to care for their children and their parents at the same time, and those older members in need of help, LSS became the first local Orthodox synagogue to add a part-time social worker to its core staff, guiding those needing support and companionship through the complicated maze of social service programs.
Identifying a resurgent thirst for Torah study on an individual, one-on-one level, LSS members founded the first full-time Modern Orthodox/Religious Zionist Kollel in the New York metropolitan area, offering the learned and the uninitiated new and exciting educational opportunities that reflected a love of Torah as well as eretz yisrael and am yisrael – the land and the nation of Israel.
And always mindful of the needs of the greater Jewish community, LSS members created the Lea Segre Tomchei Shabbos Fund providing free meals to those recovering from illness and childbirth or sitting shiva, as well as the Louis Lazar Benevolent Fund providing free religious articles like siddurim, mezuzot, and tefillin to those in need. All of this and weekly Bikur Cholim visits to Roosevelt Hospital every Shabbat afternoon, annual clothing drives, and a dedicated Chesed Fund that supports a variety of charitable causes in New York and across the country. As our sages teach, “olam chesed yibaneh” – acts of kindness build the world – and Lincoln Square Synagogue always does its part.
In 2013, LSS continued the next phase of its history and moved 100 yards south to 180 Amsterdam Avenue.
When I visited the synagogue I was treated as if I was a member of the community, it was great to feel at home and not like a stranger. I recommend it to everyone whether orthodox, conservative or reform. The next time I visit miami this synagogue will definitely be my first choice.
Very kind, nice and welcoming. Make one feel right at home…whether welcoming Shabbat, conducting Mincha or down for the holidays.
Best Sephardic shul in Miami Beach !!!!
"I recommend it to everyone whether orthodox, conservative or reform."
We are so excited to be a part of The Shabbos Project this coming Shabbat. Jews all over the world are committing to keeping Shabbat together, and there are events taking place all over the world, including at Shaare Ezra.
This Friday night we will be hosting a community dinner and invite everyone to attend. Each adult is only $18 and children under 10 are free. Please encourage your friends to join you in keeping Shabbat this week as we participate in this powerful project.
Please contact the Shul office at 305-674-6690 to make your reservations for Friday night. We will also be having lunch on Saturday, so plan on joining us for a most meaningful Shabbat experience. If anyone is able to host guest in their house this Shabbat, please let us know so we can make arrangements for those coming in to keep Shabbat.
Women and girls over 10 years old, do not forget that Thursday night is the The Great Big Challah Bake, where thousands of women will be gathering to bake challah together at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Doors open at 6:00. Thanks to the generosity of a donor, this event is free.
Welcome to the website of Young Israel of New Hyde Park. Located on the Queens/Nassau border we offer the best of suburban and city life, in a heimishe atmosphere. A vibrant membership of all generations contributes to the feeling of family for new arrivals and visitors alike. It's a shul where everybody knows your name. Being an Orthodox Shul in northeast Queens, YINHP plays a central role in increasing the presence and awareness of Orthodoxy in our community. Our Mikveh is our largest undertaking towards this goal and was completed in April 2013.
For more than half a century, the Young Israel of New Hyde Park has provided, and continues to provide, members and visitors with many of the things that an Orthodox family looks for and needs – daily minyanim, classes, and a newly renovated sanctuary that has received rave reviews from members and visitors alike. There is a community-wide eruv that has recently expanded into Lake Success.
We are most proud of our local school, Yeshiva Har Torah which is an outstanding modern orthodox day school with a new state-of-the-art facility, serving pre-K through 8th grade. Busing to all of the familiar yeshiva high schools is available as well.
The saying goes "location, location, location" and frankly you can't beat ours. The area features one fare bus and subway access and/or, express bus service to Manhattan, is a short hop to the LIRR and if you travel by car, is literally seconds away from the Northern State, Grand Central and Cross Island Parkways as well as the Long Island Expressway.
Shopping is a pleasure as within a couple of mile radius you have your pick of three major supermarkets, all of which feature a wide range of kosher products. For a more specialized kosher shopping experience we are moments away from Mazurs Glatt Kosher Butcher and Marketplace. Tired from all that shopping? Stop off for a bite at our local kosher pizza place, Green Olive, a delicious oasis right in the heart of our community.
Located around the corner from Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Zucker Hillside Hospital and Cohen Children's Medical Center as well as Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation (all of which are within our eruv ), the Young Israel of New Hyde Park has long been known as a place where the family and friends of patients can find the religious support they need and Shabbat and Yom Tov hospitality.
Davening Times
Weekday Times 2/7-2/13
Shacharit-Su 8:10 am
Shacharit-MTh 6:10 am
Shacharit-TuW 6:05 am
Shacharit-F 6:15 am
Latest Shema 8:55/9:31 am
Mincha/Maariv 5:05 pm
Shabbat Times Teruma
Friday Mincha 5:10 pm
Candle Lighting 5:07 pm
Shacharit 8:45 am
Mincha 5:00 pm
Shabbat Ends 6:11 pm
Rabbi Ben Skydell has been the rabbi at Congregation Orach Chaim since January 2013. He follows an illustrious tradition of major American Rabbis to have served as the Congregation’s Rabbi, including Rabbis Michael D. Shmidman, Kenneth Hain and Simon Langer.
A native of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Rabbi Skydell is a graduate of Yeshiva College and the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He is a long-time faculty member of the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, and the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education, and taught for several years at Yeshivat Hadar. Rabbi Skydell also served on the rabbinic staff of Congregation Beth Sholom of Lawrence, New York for nine years.
Rabbi Skydell’s areas of interest include the intersection of Halacha and history, the spiritual worlds of mussar and hasidut, and the historical world of the Rabbis of the Talmud. Rabbi Skydell’s dynamic and engaging presentation has made him a sought-out speaker on college campuses throughout the United States.
Rabbi Skydell is married to Shani, a dedicated social worker and teacher. They are the proud parents of Hannah, Emmie and Zacky.
Cantor Yaakov Y. Stark has been described as possessing “a voice of great beauty, clear and true…breathtaking, radiant, as though from another world.” A child prodigy, at the mere age of seven Yaakov Yoseph Stark was already thrilling congregations with his heartrending solos on the High Holidays. His talent and ability were nurtured by the distinguished cantors in his family, and through continuously listening to the master cantors of the golden age: Rosenblatt, Hershman, Kwartin, Pinchik, Glantz and Koussevitzky. Huge crowds of people regularly attend to savor the stirring songs and timeless tefillos eloquently enhanced and warmly delivered by their beloved cantor. Cantor Stark was privileged to perform at numerous sold-out concerts with the most prestigious philharmonic orchestras and finest choirs throughout the world. His lyric tenor voice has put him in constant demand as a guest cantor in synagogues worldwide. Cantor Stark resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with his wife and children.
Rabbi Shmidman has served the Orach Chaim congregation and Upper East Side community since 1988. In addition to Rabbinic ordination, he holds a Ph.D. degree in Public Law and Government from Columbia University. He has served as Professor and Chairman of Political and Social Science at City University of New York and most recently as Dean of Undergraduate Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University. A widely recognized scholar, he is acclaimed as an outstanding teacher and inspiring preacher. An ardent Zionist, he has been honored by religious, social and cultural institutions in Israel and the United States.