Davening Schedule
Sunday AM Daf Yomi 7:45 AM
Sunday Shacharis 8:30 AM (followed by shiur and breakfast)
Daily Daf Yomi: 6:45 AM
Daily Shacharis: 7:30 AM
Rosh Chodesh: 7:15 AM
Fast Days: 7:20 AM
Evening Night Beis Medrash: 8:00 PM
M, T, W – Gemara Shiur 8:15-9:00 PM
Evening Daf Yomi: 9:00 PM
Daily Maariv: 10:00 PM
Friday Mincha: 8 minutes after Candle Lighting
Shabbos Morning Shacharis: 9:00 AM
Mondays
Summer months:
Torah and BBQ for "College Age" Students with Rabbi Poupko, 8:45pm on his deck (weather permitting)
Rabbi Poupko uses his finely honed grilling skills to engage our young adults in topics from the parsha over sliders, wings and mini-hot-dogs.
Tuesdays
The Eve Flechner Torah Institute – beginning October 20
Given by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
10:30am – Talmud Class
11:00am – Parshat Hashavua
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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.
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.
The Jewish Community Center – Chabad of West Queens
Mission Statement
To assist the residents of West Queens, achieve their spiritual, physical and emotional goals through exemplary educational, religious, cultural and social programming and celebration.
To provide support in times of need, illness or emergency
To promote and strengthen Jewish awareness, pride and identity to all Jewish individuals and families regardless of affiliation or background
To provide a warm community home where everyone is made to feel welcome & comfortable.
About our Center
The JCC – Chabad LIC was created with one goal in mind – to offer all Jews, even those with little or no background – a home, and an education and memories that will inspire them for a lifetime. We strive to evoke a sense of history, love for the land of Israel, and a genuine understanding of what Judaism is all about, and thereby develop strong Jewish pride.
Our center is founded on the principle that, while people embrace many levels of observance in their personal lives, there should be a place for no labels, and all affiliations. A place where people can develop a sense of community and enhance their own spiritual experiences of Judaism.
We realize that when it comes to spirituality, it is NOT "one size fits all." We have therefore created a multifaceted program with various sub organizational departments to cater to the different needs of the many parts which comprise a community.
Each department is managed by an individual of our staff that is fully dedicated to the development and expansion of that division. We aim to ensure maximum efficiency and quality of its programming so that everyone's needs can be catered to with the appropriate attention.
Whatever department you are involved with, the trademark feeling of warmth and creative spiritual excitement flows through every program. We provide everyone with a taste of joyful Judaism according to their own specific interests, while at the same time being part of the larger community through its dynamic unifying energy of love, acceptance and commitment to non judgmental spiritual growth.
rabbi and wife.jpgAbout Rabbi Zev and Rivka
Rabbi Zev Wineberg was born in Vancouver. From the age of twelve, he started Yeshiva, traveling within Canada, USA, South Africa, Israel and Budapest.
Rivka was born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and from a young age began volunteering in Jewish day camps throughout the US, and Ukraine. She studied in Israel and upon completion began teaching within the Chabad community.
Both knew they wanted to work within the framework of Jewish Community Service.
In 2006, with the guidance of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory, Rabbi Zev & Rivka Winberg were given the opportunity to expand the work of Lubavitch in West Queens, by beginning to serve the spiritual needs of the Jewish population in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Long Island City. It is a fast growing suburb – attracting many Jews. There was a need to reach out to an overwhelming population which was uncommitted and under affiliated.
Zev and Rivka came with an agenda of Ahavat Yisrael, unconditional love for every Jew, to assist, help and infuse the community with the exciting programming and Jewish experience that have become synonymous with this vital organization. Through innovative programming such as public Menorah lightings, Passover Seders, lectures and cultural events, holiday workshops for children, The JCC – Chabad LIC quickly became a household name, reshaping the landscape of the Jewish experience in West Queens.
About The LIC Synagogue
Imagine worshipping in an atmosphere of total inclusion and acceptance, where you are welcome and encouraged to ask questions, where you are implored to be as non-judgmental of your neighbors as they are of you. This is the atmosphere that has been created in this Shul which we call home. Friday night services are lively Carlebach style and followed by L'Chaim and Kugel. Shabbat services are traditional and include a Dvar Torah – contemporary Torah thought from Rabbi Zev. The weekly Kiddush is focused on celebrating milestones in the community and our families.
All Jews are welcome regardless of background, knowledge, or level.
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.
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.
קהילת שארית ישראל נוסדה במנהטן, ניו יורק בשנת 1654, על ידי מגורשי ספרד ופורטוגל, ונחשבת לקהילה היהודית הוותיקה בארצות הברית. בית הכנסת של הקהילה, המכונה גם "ספרדי-פורטוגזי" ("Spanish and Portuguese"), מתפקד כאורתודוקסי. ממוקם ברחוב 70 (מערב), ניו יורק.
הקהילה נוסדה ב-1654 על ידי 23 מהגרים יהודיים, שבאו מברזיל, ונחשבת לקהילה היהודית הממוסדת הראשונה בארצות הברית.[דרוש מקור] במשך השנים, השתתפו חברי הקהילה במאבק למען זכויות אזרחיות ליהודי ארצות הברית, ובהדרגה השיגו את מבוקשם. מכיוון שהקהילה הייתה הקהילה היהודית היחידה בעיר ניו יורק עד שנת 1825, שארית ישראל תפקדה בתור המרכז של החיים היהודיים, סיפקה מקום לתפילה ולימוד – הן חילוני והן תלמוד תורה, כמו גם מקום לשירותים דתיים (אוכל כשר, מקווה וכו') ומפגשים חברתיים.
Weekday Services January 31 – February 5, 2016 5776 – Mishpatim – Sunday – Friday – January 31 – February 5, 2016
SCHEDULE
Morning Services
Sunday 8:00 am
Monday – Friday 7:15 am
Sunday – Thursday 6:30 pm
Shabbat Services February 5 – 6, 2016 Mishpatim – 5776 – Friday Eve & Saturday – February 5 – February 6, 2016
SCHEDULE
Friday
Candle Lighting 5:00 pm
Services 5:00 pm
Saturday
Morning Services 8:15 – 11:45 am
Torah Reading: Mishpatim
Seuda Shelishit & Class 3:55 pm
Minhah & Arbit 4:55 pm
Sunset 5:19 pm
Habdalah 5:48 pm
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.
What is Chabad at Columbia University?
· Chabad at Columbia University is a meeting place for social, educational and cultural events; a place where students seek guidance and advice on whatever issues life presents.
· A partnership between students and faculty to help create innovative programming, plan social action projects, promote awareness activities and offer volunteer opportunities.
· A home where all are welcome no matter what background or affiliation.
· Like a home, our doors never close.
· A place where every Jew is family.
· A forum where students can question faith without fear of judgment.
· A haven to turn to when a student is stressed or lonely and needs a friend to talk to — at any time of day or night.
PHILOSOPHY
Chabad at Columbia University is based on the ideology of Chabad Chassidism, which has at its foundation the encompassing mitzvah ‘to love one’s fellow as one loves oneself’ and to permeate that love with Acts of Kindness and Mitzvahs. We tirelessly deliver a universal message:
Each person is invaluable and has a direct and powerful ability to bring wholeness and peace to the world.
Chabad at Columbia University seeks to engage students at their own pace and comfort level through innovative educational and cultural programs.
PROGRAMS & SERVICES
Chabad at Columbia University has developed a reputation as an innovator of distinctive educational and social action programming.
Additionally, creative hands-on programs on campus raise community awareness, consciousness and pride. Weekly classes are given on various topics such as Mysticism and Jewish law.
Community services and events such as an interest free small loan fund for students, lending library, food drives, elderly/infirm visitation, and more.
Of course, the Rabbi and Rebbetzin are available to meet with students individually around the clock.
FUNDING
As a student, community organization, we are committed to providing our programs and services free of charge. No one is ever turned away due to lack of funds. The support for our programs comes solely from alumni, parents and friends.
FAQ
Is what you think about Chabad MYTH or FACT? You may be surprised. Take a few minutes to browse through these FAQ and you'll have a better understanding of what Chabad is all about. Click here to read some of our FAQs
Not to be confused with Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Anshe Ungarn, "Great House of Study of the People of Hungary", a Lower East Side congregation founded in 1883 by Hungarian Jews.
Beth Hamedrash Hagodo: בֵּית הַמִּדְרָש הַגָּדוֹל, "Great Study House "is an Orthodox Jewish congregation that for over 120 years was located in a historic building at 60–64 Norfolk Street between Grand and Broome Streets in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was the first Eastern European congregation founded in New York City and the oldest Russian Jewish Orthodox congregation in the United States.
Founded in 1852 by Rabbi Abraham Ash as Beth Hamedrash, the congregation split in 1859, with the rabbi and most of the members renaming their congregation Beth Hamedrash Hagodol. The congregation's president and a small number of the members eventually formed the nucleus of Kahal Adath Jeshurun, also known as the Eldridge Street Synagogue. Rabbi Jacob Joseph, the first and only Chief Rabbi of New York City, led the congregation from 1888 to 1902.Rabbi Ephraim Oshry, one of the few European Jewish legal decisors to survive the Holocaust, led the congregation from 1952 to 2003.
The congregation's building, a Gothic Revival structure built in 1850 as the Norfolk Street Baptist Church and purchased in 1885, was one of the largest synagogues on the Lower East Side. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. In the late 20th century the congregation dwindled and was unable to maintain the building, which had been damaged by storms. Despite their obtaining funding and grants, the structure was critically endangered.
The synagogue was closed in 2007. The congregation, reduced to around 20 regularly attending members, was sharing facilities with a congregation on Henry Street The Lower East Side Conservancy was trying to raise an estimated $4.5 million for repairs of the building, with the intent of converting it to an educational center. In December the leadership of the synagogue under Rabbi Mendel Greenbaum filed a “hardship application” with the Landmarks Preservation Commission seeking permission to demolish the building to make way for a new residential development. This application was withdrawn in March 2013, but the group Friends of the Lower East Side described Beth Hamedrash Hagodol's status as "demolition by neglect"
Rabbi Yosie Levine joined The Jewish Center's rabbinic team in 2004. He earned a BA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia College and was awarded the university's William F. Curtis award for outstanding oratory. A Wexner Graduate Fellow, Rabbi Levine received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and was the winner of RIETS' writing prize. He holds an MPA in Public Policy from NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Modern Jewish History at Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School. Rabbi Levine served as Rabbinic Intern, Assistant Rabbi and Associate Rabbi at The Jewish Center where he received practical rabbinic training and mentoring from Rabbi Ari Berman. Before joining the Center, he served as the educational director of the Lauder Foundation's Beit Midrash in Berlin, Germany and as the visiting scholar of Congregation Knesseth Israel in Birmingham, Alabama. Rabbi Levine has taken a leadership role on the issue of day school affordability and serves as the chair of Manhattan Day School's Political Advocacy Committee. He is co-chair of the Manhattan Eruv and is active in numerous communal organizations including AIPAC and the Beth Din of America and serves on the Board of UJA-Federation of New York. Rabbi Levine's wife, Rachel, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Manhattan. They are the proud parents of Akiva, Yehoshua, Ari and Judy.
Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, joined The Jewish Center clergy in July 2012. After two years of study at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh in Israel, Dovid continued his education at Yeshiva University. There he received his undergraduate degree in Psychology, graduating from the Yeshiva Program with honors. Upon graduation, Rabbi Zirkind attended the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, studying in the Marcos and Adina Katz Kollel. In 2010, Rabbi Zirkind joined the Yeshiva University Torah MiTzion Beit Midrash of Toronto, where he studied full time in the Beit Midrash and served as Rabbinic Assistant at Shaarei Shomayim Congregation. In that role, Rabbi Zirkind taught classes throughout the Greater Toronto Area, crafted programs and curricula for adults, college students and children alike and trained under a number of the communities leading Rabbis.
In his role as Assistant Rabbi of The Jewish Center, Rabbi Zirkind services the full gamut of our membership. He is the director of our Adult Education program, Jewish Center University, leads our daily minyanim and heads our Young Leadership Minyan and programming. Internally, Rabbi Zirkind teaches a number of ongoing classes and shiurim, including Talmud, Contemporary Ethics and Jewish Law. He believes that passionate Torah Study should be text based, highly engaging and grapple with the major issues of our time. In the broader community, Rabbi Zirkind increasingly represents our shul as well. He is teacher at Manhattan Day School and a frequent lecturer in local institutions including; the JCC, West Side Sefardic Synagogue, Congregation Rodeph Shalom, the RIETS Rabbinic Training Seminar and others. In addition, as a UJA Federation Grant Recipient, Rabbi Zirkind currently leads the inaugural cohort of The Jewish Center Social Action Fellowship (JCSAF). Together with his wife, Ariella, the Zirkind’s lead sought after personalized marriage workshops, which include Chattan & Kallah classes and ongoing Taharat HaMishpacha and fertility counseling for young families.
In 2013, we celebrated the 125th anniversary of the founding of the earliest of the Boston Synagogue’s predecessor shuls — Congregation Beth Jacob, founded in 1888. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Synagogue Board formed an Archival/Historical Committee, which wrote a 260-page history book. It is the most authoritative history ever written about the synagogues of the West End. The book is available for purchase directly from the Synagogue, as well as on Amazon.com.
Much of what we have uncovered is quite fascinating and not widely known. Parts of it are funny — like the story of how some disgruntled Kosher butchers and a rejected suitor poisoned all 2,000 guests at the wedding of a rabbi’s daughter. Fortunately, no one died. We also interviewed former West End resident Leonard Nimoy, who among other things told us that the famous Vulcan salute comes from the priestly blessing that he observed as a teenager at one of our predecessor synagogue’s High Holiday services.
In some ways, the story of Boston Synagogue is the story of Boston generally: substantial growth due to immigration at the turn of the 20th century; followed by a long period of urban decline; then substantial resurgence as downtown Boston has become an increasingly attractive place for people to live. As such, we celebrate not just our synagogue, but also the entire downtown Boston community of which we are a part.
A few years ago, we established guidelines for adding artwork that complements the building’s modern design. We commissioned a new ark curtain designed by Joy Chertow, an art teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School in Newton, MA. The intricate and ornate quilting was done by Elana Schreiber, a science teacher at Schechter. The curtain was donated by Mark Schonfeld in memory of his late wife, Bobbie.
After numerous compliments about our ark curtain, we decided to commission a new wall hanging for our lobby entryway, in memory of our longstanding member Florence Wasserman. The Etz Hayim (tree of life) design with a representation of the city of Jerusalem, also designed by Joy Chertow, was chosen to represent the continuing attachment of generations of Jews worldwide to the land of Israel.
wallhangingAs part of our 125th anniversary, we created a high-resolution scan of the 1909 North Russell Street Mishna Society hand-illuminated cover page, and then created a set of enlargements from this work that now grace the sanctuary. It is a beautiful blend of the traditional and modern!
Historic Shaare Zedek Synagogue
For over a century, Congregation Shaare Zedek has served the Orthodox Jewish community
of northern Hudson County in New Jersey, including West New York, Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City.
In 2012 we celebrated our Centennial. Some of our families have been with us since the beginning over a hundred years ago.
If you are part of our history, we invite you to contribute your story to our virtual book.
If you are new to Shaare Zedek we welcome you with open arms.
The synagogue is temporarily closed while we fix some building code violations and settle some fines.
When we reopen, we have services on Shabbat at 9:30 AM, and also on Jewish holidays.
We often have maariv on Friday – call us to check on the status: (201) 867-6859
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.”
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
Park East Synagogue is dedicated to providing the opportunity for spiritual growth, Jewish education and spiritual comfort for individuals, families, and our community.
Park East Synagogue is inclusive of all people seeking a meaningful Jewish life, regardless of degree of observance, knowledge of Jewish tradition, age, or affiliation.
Park East Synagogue is committed to providing inspiring Jewish and general studies education to children and to adults; its Religious School, Early Childhood, and Day School with its emphasis on cultivating a Jewish life rich in tradition and unrivalled in general studies has been, and continues to be, a source of character and vitality for its congregation.
The synagogue’s influence, strength and dynamism in the community derive from the members of our congregation. We value and honor the role our congregants fulfill in defining and shaping our future and that of the Jewish community, in New York City and beyond.
Shacharit
February 28 at 9:00 am EST
February 29 at 7:45 am EST
March 1 at 7:45 am EST
Mincha
February 28 at 5:40 pm EST
February 29 at 5:40 pm EST
March 1 at 5:40 pm EST
I'm not going to leave a synagogue less than a five star but I'm a little confused why I was kicked off the steps of the back entrance. I have never seen anyone come in or go out that way. I'm Jewish. There are cameras everywhere and a Police station a few doors down. They are not paticularly comfortable steps to sit on. The reason I like to sit on those steps is because it's a temple and also because it's close to Police. A few criminals are paying people to harass me every day and when I'm on those steps is the only time they leave me alone. Thanks guys
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.
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.
Ramath Orah has a unique legacy among Upper West Side synagogues. Founded in 1941 by Rabbi Dr. Robert Serebrenik, the synagogue’s original congregation was comprised of 61 refugees from Luxembourg who escaped the Nazi occupation under extraordinary circumstances. When they arrived in New York they immediately began the work of establishing a congregation in their new home. By 1942, they had founded Congregation Ramath Orah, naming it after the community they'd left.
We want our children to love the experience of shul so that they look forward to coming every Shabbat and holiday. We want our congregants to enjoy each others’ company, linger over Kiddush, laugh with one another, and be comfortable in our shul. For our members, we want to be the first place that they think of when it is time to celebrate a simchah, and the community they turn to in times of loss.
Worship – We are a place where Jews may worship together in an atmosphere that maximizes our ability to forge a relationship with G-d. Our community embraces spiritual, melodic prayer, from a Carlebach-style Kabbalat Shabbat, to festive holiday celebrations, and daily prayer.
Learning – We are deeply committed to study and education, and there are opportunities every week to learn with our rabbis and visiting scholars.
Chesed – We are dedicated to the ideals of bikur cholim (visiting the sick) and g’milut chasadim (doing good deeds), and the Ramath Orah Team of Chesed (ROTC) can often be seen visiting sick or elderly members of the community. We seek to integrate Chesed programs into the life of our community and to involve as many of our congregants as we possibly can in our Chesed programs.
Zionism – As a Jewish community, we are strongly committed to the State of Israel and encourage advocacy and activism. We believe that the creation of the State of Israel marks the beginning of the fulfillment of G-d’s promise to the Jewish people and foreshadows our ultimate redemption. Accordingly, the preservation of the Jewish State and the ability of its citizens to live in peace, safety and prosperity is a goal of our congregation, one which we not only pray for, but contribute our time and resources to help achieve.
Engagement – All members of our community are active participants, . While everyone is welcome to attend davening in our main sanctuary on holidays, we also host a monthly women’s prayer group and weekly Children’s Shabbat programs.
We are not judgmental of our fellow Jews, and we welcome all to our synagogue and accord honors in our services without regard to affiliation or non-affiliation of our members and guests. Ramath Orah seeks to be at the forefront of mutual tolerance and respect for Klal Yisrael. Ramath Orah, moreover, does not turn away anyone, either from participation in shul activities or from receiving honors, because of an inability to pay dues or make contributions.
We aspire to be a synagogue that makes every visitor, from the moment he or she enters our Shul, feel welcome and appreciated. We want every congregant to feel a personal obligation to reach out not only to visitors and new members, but to their fellow congregants. Click here to learn more about our hospitality program.
Our Rich History
Eastern European Jewish immigrants arrived to the city of Boston in large numbers beginning in the 1880s. With little or no income, they looked to rebuild their old communities anew in the United States. Many Jews decided to settle in crowded, undesirable tenement neighborhoods like the North and West Ends of Boston where cheaper housing was available. There Jews often formed a landsmanschaft – an organization of re-settled people originally from the same area in Europe.
This was the case for a group of Jewish immigrants from Vilna Guberniya – the county outside of present-day Vilnius, Lithuania – who formed a landsmanschaft in 1893 on the north slope of Beacon Hill in Boston's West End. They prayed together, gathering a minyan – ten men needed to hold a complete Jewish prayer service – in the homes of their members. As their membership increased and they formed a traditional Jewish congregation, they needed a permanent synagogue. They called themselves Anshei Vilner or “the People of Vilnius" and sought a new home for their group.
As the number of immigrants moving to Beacon Hill increased and landowners built tenements to house them, the 150 year-old African American community living there began to move away. Buildings emerged on the market and in 1909, Anshei Vilner purchased the former 12th Baptist Church (est. 1848) at 45 Phillips Street and turned it into their synagogue. After ten years of worship at 45 Phillips Street, the city of Boston purchased the synagogue from Anshei Vilner for $20,000 and demolished the building to make way for the expansion of the Wendell Phillips School.
On December 11, 1919, Anshei Vilner laid the cornerstone for its new building at 18 Phillips Street. The congregation employed the only Jewish architect in the city, Max Kalman, and young men in the community helped with the construction. Vilner congregants painted the walls and ceiling of their new synagogue with decorative murals, a long-standing tradition of Eastern European Jews. Three distinct sets of murals covered the walls of the Vilna Shul, although these paintings were later covered over with beige paint. Today they are some of the only examples of pre-war Jewish mural art in the United States.
For 65 years, the congregation prayed at 18 Phillips Street, but in 1950 life rapidly changed in the West End. The city destroyed the West End in an urban renew project, leaving places like the Vilna as one of the only synagogues in the area. As most of the Jewish community had long since left Beacon Hill for more desirable neighborhoods and open space, the Vilner became a synagogue for those "left" on the Hill. The last remaining member of Anshei Vilner, Mendel Miller, held a Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) service in the synagogue for the last time in 1985.
Today the Shul is a little different. We are a cultural center, a place where the history of Boston's Jews can be shared and enjoyed by everyone and where Boston Jewish life thrives once again.
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".