Young Israel: Past, Present and Future
"The aims and purposes of the organization shall be to foster and maintain a program of spiritual, cultural, social and communal activity towards the advancement and perpetuation of traditional Torah-true Judaism; and to instill into American Jewish youth an understanding and appreciation of the high ethical and spiritual values of Judaism and demonstrate the compatibility of the ancient faith of Israel with good Americanism.
The organization shall promote cooperation among the constituent branches now existing and which may hereafter be formed, establish a close bond of kinship to the end that their individual and common problems may more easily be solved, and act as the federated and central body for the Young Israel Movement so that its influence as a force in Jewry may be felt and recognized in America and the world over."
(from the Preamble of the National Council of Young Israel Constitution)
Young Israel was born in 1912, when the primary aspirations of most American-born Jews were economic success and acceptance in American society. Jewish education was very low on their list of priorities, and as a result, was usually rudimentary, at best. Orthodox synagogues were exclusively Yiddish-speaking and permeated by an Eastern European atmosphere. American-raised Jewish youth who wandered into these synagogues typically found themselves shut out completely. It is not surprising that the Jewish youth of that era generally avoided the synagogue, attending only when expected by family custom. Although intermarriage was relatively rare, the distance between young Jewish hearts and minds and Jewish belief and practice was almost huge. It was in this environment that Young Israel was founded by a group of 15 visionary young men and women.
Its first activities were Friday night lectures in English (which was very controversial) on a variety of topics of Jewish interest. Three years later, the group formed a "Model Synagogue" with innovations designed to attract American-raised English-speaking Jewish youth, including participatory singing and youth programs. To enable people of all means to fully participate in synagogue services, Young Israel prohibited the auctioning of synagogue honors. The National Council of Young Israel required the minimum halachic standards of a mechitza, closed parking facilities on Shabbat and Yom Tov, and that each of its synagogues officers be Shomer Shabbat. Young Israel synagogues popped up across North America.
Young Israel envisioned itself as much more than a conglomeration of synagogues. Young Israel was the first on secular college campuses, with over 20 kosher dining halls and intercollegiate programs. Young Israel created an Employment Bureau for Sabbath Observers, in an era when most employees were expected to work 6 days a week. At Young Israel’s headquarters in New York, arms were packed for the Haganah defense forces of the not-yet-born State of Israel. The Free Soviet Jewry Movement was championed by the leadership of Young Israel. Young Israel has always been fiercely Zionistic, and promoted the rights of Jews to live throughout the Land of Israel. Young Israel placed an important role in gaining broad acceptance for advocating for the commuting of Jonathan Pollard’s sentence.
Today the National Council of Young Israel provides professional advice and cost-saving initiatives to 135 Young Israel synagogues (and beyond), advocates for the interests and views of our 25,000 member families, trains aspiring rabbis, supports rabbis in the field with biweekly question and answer sessions, aides communities in rabbinic searches and relations, coordinates informative Gabbai2Gabbai conference calls, provides exciting Parsha Nation curriculum for synagogue youth groups, runs inspiring Achva Summer Teen Experiences, shares best practices through monthly e-publications Shul Solutions and The Practical Pulpit, runs a three division basketball league in the New York metropolitan area, and serves as the sponsor of four senior centers at Young Israel synagogues which feed, educate and recreate the generation that made Young Israel great.
Future plans include providing spiritual inspiration and connection for Young Professionals and training Ashkenazic rabbis how to serve their Sephardic congregants. We are committed to work to maximize the resources of the Jewish community by working with our colleagues at other Jewish organizations and Jewish institutes of higher education and to maintaining a standard of excellence in everything we do.
Counter BDS this Purim with your Mishloach Manot
This Purim Turn BDS on Its Head, Support Israeli Commerce Instead!
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- ספרים למנויים
- לפני 8 שנים
Servicing our synagogues is the National Council of Young Israel's highest priority. We understand that every penny counts and money collected from dues doesn't cover all your operating expenses. Our most recent initiatives to help synagogues save money in areas of energy, insurance, security, and joint purchasing. These areas are the most challenging for Young Israel shuls across the country. -
- ספרים למנויים
- לפני 8 שנים
The National Council of Young Israel has partnered with Reflective Energy Solutions, the nations leading energy supply company that has extensive experience with synagogues, day school, and non for profits. This program is tailored to help shuls reduce their monthly energy bill. For starters we offer the following services at low rates for all Young Israel shuls; Solar, Gas, Energy, and Water.
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Start the year on a
HIGH note!
High Holiday Services at
Chabad House in Miami Beach
Rosh Hashana 5776 – 2015 – September 13 -15
Yom Kippur – Sept 22-23
Chabad invites you to a warm, traditional, uplifting, and meaningful High Holiday experience.
Our doors are open to all; no membership fees or tickets.
Warm, friendly and non-judgmental atmosphere
No background, affiliation or prior knowledge necessary.
Hebrew-English Holiday Prayer Books
Traditional services blended with contemporary messages
Prayer instructions throughout the service
Insights and explanations into the Prayers, practices and rituals and inspirational stories
Festive Holiday Meals
Reserve Now for Amazing Rosh Hashana Dinner
All services are free of charge Donations are encouraged and warmly appreciated
No tickets required. Reservations are appreciated for Services, required for Festive Holiday Meals.
Everyone is invited, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Main thing is you come, and we are waiting to see you!
We look forward to personally greeting you!
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
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.
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
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are powerful tools for improving schools, classrooms and informal learning spaces. PLCs (and their equivalent Communities of Practice for communal workers) allow education professionals to network with their colleagues, share insights and provide support for each other. CJE convenes participants with shared expertise and experience to collaborate and ensure maximum efficiency.
CJE currently facilitates the following professional learning communities for Baltimore Jewish Day Schools:
- Guidance Counselors/Psychologists
- Facility Managers
- Information Technology Specialists
- Librarians
- Marketing Professionals
In addition, CJE facilitates a Community of Practice for Baltimore Jewish communal professionals working with families with young children.
Rabbi Gavriel Bellino
A native of Lower Manhattan, Rabbi Bellino grew up attending the Young Israel of Fifth Avenue, and after graduating from Ramaz, studied at Yeshivat Shalavim outside of Yerushalayim before getting his degree in Psychology, Philosophy and Women’s Studies from Brandeis University. He pursued his smicha at RIETS before returning to his childhood community in 2006 to lead the Sixteenth Street Synagogue (formerly the Young Israel of Fifth Avenue).
With the recent joining of the Sixth and Sixteenth Street communities, Rabbi Bellino now presides as the Rabbi of the largest downtown Modern Orthodox community, ready to enter a newly invigorated era of downtown Jewish life.
During his tenure as the spiritual leader of the Sixth and Sixteenth Street communities, Rabbi Bellino has established himself as a compelling and unconventional force in Orthodox Judaism.
He has worked hard to diversify approaches and experiences to make Judaism more accessible to the entire community through programs like his Foundations of Judaism class, his Tanakh Yomi initiative, and his inspiring musical havdallah service.
Rabbi Bellino’s intellectual approach is diverse and ecumenical, integrating classical midrash, early Kabbalah and Hassidut, philosophers such as Levinas and Heidegger, underrepresented Jewish thinkers like Yeshayahu Leibowitz and Avraham ben HaRambam, all alongside traditional commentators like Maimonides and Soloveitchik. His ability to draw from such a wide net and boil down complex ideas into easily digestible points is not often seen in the Orthodox world.
Rabbi Bellino works closely with other local rabbis to maintain the downtown eruv and serves as a part of the Downtown Rabbinical Council – a newly formed committee of community leaders dedicated to the Jewish revival of Lower Manhattan.
You may be able to find him at a nearby underground coffee or beer shop, or possibly at a local boxing gym. He splits his time between Teaneck and Manhattan with his wife Cori and children Choni and Keshet.
Zmanim
Alot Hashachar 5:11a
Earliest Tallit 5:42a
Netz (Sunrise) 6:32a
Latest Shema 9:20a
Zman Tefillah 10:17a
Chatzot (Midday) 12:09p
Mincha Gedola 12:37p
Mincha Ketana 3:25p
Plag HaMincha 4:36p
Shkiah (Sunset) 5:46p
Tzeit Hakochavim 6:27p
Rabbi Shaya Gansbourg, OBM, was many things to many people. A husband, a father, a grandfather. A teacher, a mentor, a good friend. A rabbi, a businessman, a world traveler. But most of all, he was a unique, special and exceedingly selfless soul. Genuine, pure, and brimming with life, Shaya was never satisfied with the status quo. He thrived on making the impossible, possible; on reaching the unreachable; on bringing to fruition that which others said could not be done. Shaya was a master of accomplishment, because he was a master of his essence – his soul. He was fully cognizant of his mission on earth as a Jew, a Chassid, a human being par excellence.
For those who knew him, it came as no surprise when Shaya announced — mid-life, when most people his age are thinking about the not-too-distant retirement funds and long-awaited vacations — that he, together with his dear wife Goldie and family, may they be blessed with long and good years, will be embarking on one of the most important and meaningful projects of his life. And thus, in one courageous instance of hope and faith, Chabad of Harlem was born.
As the Founding Father, Shaya spared no effort building Chabad of Harlem, cultivating and nurturing all he encountered. He embraced every human being who walked through the doors with the same love and devotion that he bestowed upon his very own family. Because Chabad of Harlem was his family. And will always continue to be his family.
To know Chabad of Harlem, to be a part of Chabad of Harlem in any way at all – is to know Shaya and to be deeply connected to him. He touched, inspired, and guided. He rejoiced in every happy occasion and wept along in tragedy. He loved his community. And his soul will continue to do so forever, illuminating and brightening every future interaction and experience. His legacy lives on in the proud and beautiful community he built. May his soul be a blessing for all of us.
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.
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.
Weekly Shiurim:
Rav Singer Chevra Mishnayos Shiur: Daily between Mincha & Maariv
Mishna Berura Yomis: Daily after Maariv
Daf Yomi by Rabbi Fishelis: Sun – Thu at 8:00 PM
Mishlei Shiur: Sunday mornings, 7:45 AM
Women's Shiur in Tehillim: Monday
Rabbi Romm's Ha'amek Davar Shiur for men and women: Wednesday at
9 PM
Torah Topics: given by Rabbi Mayer Friedman. Friday mornings, 9:15 – 10:15 AM
Shabbos Shiurim:
Rabbi Romm–1 hour before Mincha
Daf Yomi–1 hour before Mincha
The Bialystoker Synagogue was organized in 1865 on the Lower East Side of New York City. The Synagogue began on Hester Street, moved to Orchard Street, and then ultimately to its current location on Willet Street, more recently renamed Bialystoker Place.
Our congregation is housed in a fieldstone building built in 1826 in the late Federal style. The building is made of Manhattan schist from a quarry on nearby Pitt Street. The exterior is marked by three windows over three doors framed with round arches, a low flight of brownstone steps, a low pitched pedimented roof with a lunette window and a wooden cornice. It was first designed as the Willett Street Methodist Episcopal Church.
In the corner of the women’s gallery there is a small break in the wall that leads to a ladder going up to an attic, lit by two windows. Legend has it that the synagogue was a stop on the Underground Railroad and that runaway slaves found sanctuary in this attic.
In 1905, our congregation, at that time composed chiefly of Polish immigrants from the province of Bialystok, purchased the building to serve as our synagogue. During the Great Depression, a decision was made to beautify the main sanctuary, to provide a sense of hope and inspiration to the community. The synagogue was listed as a New York City landmark on April 19, 1966. It is one of only four early-19th century fieldstone religious buildings surviving from the late Federal period in Lower Manhattan. Richard McBee and Dodi-Lee Hecht have both written in-depth articles about the building.
In 1988 the Synagogue restored the interior to its original facade, and the former Hebrew school building was renovated and reopened as The Daniel Potkorony Building. It is currently used for many educational activities. Our most recent project was the refurbishing of our windows.
The Synagogue has continued to be a vibrant and reputable force in the religious world. In recent years a substantial number of new families have chosen to make it their place for prayer and study.
Shacharit Mincha/Maariv
Sunday 8:30 am
Weekday 7:00 am
Friday evening sundown
Shabbos morning 9:15 am
Montefiore Orthodox Synagogue
460 Westford Street
Lowell, MA 01851
(978) 459-9400
B"H Shalom! Montefiore Synagogue (previously known as Montefiore Society Synagogue ), the oldest synagogue in Lowell, Massachusetts was established in 1896. It relocated to Westford Street in 1971, after merging with Anshe Sfard Synagogue in 1969.
Lowell, is a great place for Orthodox Jews! We have a small close-knit Jewish community dedicated to preserving and enhancing Jewish life in the Merrimack Valley region. Lowell, Massachusetts is located off the junction of Routes 3 and 495, and is conveniently located in the high-tech region of Boston Routes 128/95 and 93. Boston is just a 45-minute drive from us and New Hampshire is just 10 minutes north of us. Lowell is home to a minor league baseball team, the Spinners , and hockey team, the Lock Monsters. Lowell has quite a number of cultural and theatrical venues, the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, the Tsongas Arena, and the Merrimack Repertory Theatre to name a few.
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
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.
Rabbi Joshua Metzger – Executive Director
Rabbi Asher N. Webb – Kollel Director
Rabbi Levi Shmotkin – Young professionals
Rabbi Noach Heber – IAT Law and Chabad Relief NYC
Rabbi Shmuel Metzger – Upper Midtown Chabad
Mrs. Raizy Metzger – Chabad Preschool
Rabbi Yehuda Rader – Program Director
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Weisz – Assistant Rabbi
509 Fifth Ave Between 42nd and 43rd
New York City
Shachris morning service: Monday-Friday 7:45 A.M.
2nd Shachris Minyan Monday-Thursday 8:45 A.M.
Sundays (and major legal holidays) 9:30 A.M.
Mincha afternoon service: 1:45 P.M. Sunday-Friday (year- round)
Mincha/Maariv service: 4:15/4:30P.M. Sunday-Thursday
Maariv Evening Service: 5:45 p.m. Monday-Thursday
Shabbat Schedule at Chabad of Midtown Manhattan:
For Shabbat candle lighting times click here
Friday Night Service: Kabbalat Shabbat/Arvit 6:00 pm
Dinner: Following service
Shabbat Morning Service: 10:00 am
Kiddush Buffet: 12:30 pm
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.
Chabad of the Upper East Side is part of a world-wide organazation of Chabad-Lubavitch, under the leadership and guidance of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
There is no mystery about our philosophy: Love every Jew; educate every Jew; reach out to help every Jew. We open our arms and hearts to all, regardless of education or affiliation. That is a commitment that we have honored on the Upper East Side since 1993
Synagogue
Friday Evening
Mincha & Maariv:
5 minutes after candle lighting
Shabbat
9:00 AM: Chassidic Philosophy
9:30 AM: Morning Services
10:30 AM: Reading of the Torah accompanied by penetrating Chassidic insights into the Torah and it's relevance to our personal lives
Kids Shul: 10:15 AM -12:15 PM
with Mrs. Rivkah Dayan
Followed by Kiddush
Mincha, Seuda Shlishit followed by
Evening services, Havdallah and The Living Torah.
Call for exact times.
Sunday & Legal Holidays
The Upper East Side Kollel
Learning: 8:30 AM
Morning Services: 9:00 AM
followed by breakfast and 1:1* learning until 1:30 PM
Monday-Friday
The Upper East Side Kollel
6:45 1:1 Learning
7:30 AM – Morning Services
followed by breakfast and 1:1* learning until 12:30 PM
Jewish Identity Grows On Manhattan's Upper East Side
Marlene Rosenberg, a successful senior business management consultant has been living around the corner from Chabad of the Upper East Side for as long as she can remember. But it was only in the past year that she took courage and ventured in gingerly, despite her fears that the experience would be too intimidating.
“Both my parents were Jewish, but we grew up with no real knowledge or Jewish traditions,” she said. “I didn’t read Hebrew, and knew nothing about how to participate at services.” When her sister died a year ago, the loss triggered a hunger, and Marlene was on a quest for something that would bring comfort and meaning to her life.
Of the estimated 56,000 Jews who live on Manhattan’s Upper East Side—the area bounded by the East River to Central Park and 59th Street to 96th Street—only 15,000 affiliate in some way.
“The UES has one of the wealthiest, most assimilated Jewish populations anywhere,” Rabbi Benzion Krasinianski, director with his wife Chanie, of Chabad of the UES, said. “But with this many Jews who don’t affiliate at all, the need and the possibilities are tremendous.” He recalls that when he moved to the area 21 years ago to establish Chabad of the UES, many thought he’d come to the wrong neighborhood.
“People told us frankly that they didn’t see how Chabad would be relevant to Jews here who have reached the summit of success in their careers; that they would have no interest in anything spiritual.” But some like Marlene, sensitive to an existential void that begs a different kind of answer, eventually find their way to Chabad of the UES on East 77th Street and First Avenue.
Others connect when they send their children to Chabad’s popular preschool which has grown to 75 children; or to its Hebrew School where at any given time, 50 adolescents are being prepared for their bar-bat mitzvahs.
Chabad facilities here include the $13 million Schneerson Center for Jewish Life sponsored by George Rohr & Family and the Jacques & Hanna Schwalbe Mikvah sponsored by Peter Schwalbe. The building, featuring a sanctuary, classrooms, commercial kitchen and social hall bookended by a beautiful, spa-like mikvah on its below-ground level that is used by 400 women a month, and an open-air playground on the roof, is bursting at the seams.
Peter Schwalbe recalls that when “we first started building about 12 years ago, I used to say to the rabbi: ‘What if we build this spectacular building and no one shows up?’” But they now have children on a waiting list for admission to the preschool because, he says, “there’s simply no room.”
The Krasinianskis, parents of a large family, deliver a standard of programming and services that often exceeds the expectations of Upper East Siders. “The Upper East Side is a trend setting community and has repercussions around the world. If mikvah is good enough for Park Avenue women, it must be good enough for everyone,” says Chanie.
Nicknamed 7:11 for opening its doors every morning shortly before 7 and closing at 11, the Chabad center sees hundreds of Jews on an average week and more than that participating in its varied and dispersed programs and services: besides the preschool and Hebrew school, it offers well attended adult education classes, a Kollel, daily prayer services, a Friendship Circle. Under the Krasinianski’s leadership, Chabad on the UES has opened Chabad of Hunter College, Chabad Israel Center of the UES, Chabad Young Professionals, and most recently, Chabad’s Medical Outreach program.
Owing to the largest concentration of world class hospitals, including Sloan Kettering, Columbia Presbyterian, Cornell, Lenox Hill, and Mt. Sinai, the Krasinianski’s recently decided to recruit a young couple dedicated to serving this sector.
“We are often called upon by people who end up here unexpectedly, traumatized by a sudden medical crisis. They need someone to turn to, to lean on, who can help them out with medical referrals, Shabbos accommodations, sometimes with language barriers.”
In addition, Chabad’s designer thrift shop, Solomon's Wive's Designer Resale & Thrift on East 89th Street, brings people together for a good cause. Managed by Donna Pressman, who helped Mussa Zakon set up the thrift shop, the store’s proceeds go to support Chabad’s educational and social activities. The shop, says Pressman, is “where we take the material and turn it into something spiritual.”
But above all, says Rabbi Krasinianski, Chabad is here to teach Torah. “There is a real thirst—even among a more traditional element—for Chasidic study. People come back because once they’ve been exposed to the inspiration and depth that Chabad Chasidism offers, they appreciate the difference it makes in their lives.”
Long-time supporter Deborah Aronow with her husband Joseph Aronow—who recently made a generous corporate grant towards lessonsintanya.com, an online Tanya class featuring daily Tanya sessions with Rabbi Krasinianski—has known the Krasinianskis since 1992.
Although she admits that she was one of those Upper East Siders who might have thought she’d have no need for Chabad, getting to know Chabad through the Krasinianskis, who are now “family,” has taught her the timeless relevance of Torah. “There was nothing like this when I was growing up. Chabad has brought light, learning and acceptance” to Jews on the UES. “It’s not an old-fashioned thing that doesn’t apply today. Everything that you experience with Chabad has an application today.”
On a December Friday night, some 55 people—all congregants of the Reform New York Shul led by Rabbi Burt Siegel joined Chabad for Shabbat dinner. None had ever been to Chabad before, and they were curious to participate at a traditional Shabbat dinner. After the dinner, Rabbi Krasinianski opened the floor to a “stump the rabbi” session.
“They had so many serious questions; they were so engaged and interested to know more about the Torah’s perspective on a wide gamut of issues. They stayed on for hours.”
Marlene’s first exposure to Chabad, she recalls, was disarming. “They greeted me so warmly and made me feel so welcome. I felt no pressure at all.” There was a first Passover Seder, and then the High Holidays was another first. Soon she was coming more frequently, and now she’s sharing with others her newfound sense of belonging, an inspired Jewish identity, and the rich Torah content that Chabad has introduced to her life. Today, she’s at Chabad every Shabbos and takes time off of work for the rabbi’s Wednesday class.
“It’s opened a whole new world to me, both intellectually and socially. I’ve made new friends here. I’ve truly fallen in love with what I found here at Chabad.”
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.
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!
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".
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.