Agora Art Gallery - גלריית אומנות אגורה

ABOUT

Glasserie is located in the former home of Greenpoint Glass Works. The building was erected in 1860 by Christian Dorflinger, an immigrant from Alsace, to house his expanding Glass Factory. The operation included kilns, docking facilities on Newtown Creek, and a production line. The factory itself also included housing for the employees in its wings. This cut glass was so highly regarded that special pieces were requested for the White House collection. In 1882 the factory came into the possession of the Elliot P. Gleason Manufacturing Co, and in 1902 was renamed The Gleason-Tiebout Glass Co. Gleason-Tiebout operated out of the building for years, employing around 300 people. The prints throughout the restaurant are from original glass fixture catalogues (kept safe by the Corning Glass Museum). We are told that divers in Newtown Creek have found some of these original glass fixtures. Gleason-Tiebout continued operations in the building until 1946 when it moved across Newtown Creek to Queens.
OUR FOOD PHILOSOPHY

Glasserie believes in good food. We do our best to find the freshest and most superior product from as close to us as possible. We then manipulate the product as little as possible to achieve the desired result and still honor the integrity of the plant or animal in its original form. We value old recipes from our grandmothers and great grand mothers and bring them to our neighborhood in an approachable way. Our roots are in the Mediterranean and focus is on Middle Eastern flavors and culture mixed in with contemporary techniques.
JOIN TEAM-G

Glasserie is growing quickly and often looking to fill new kitchen and front of house positions. We would love to hear from you !
Please email resume and cover letter to [email protected] to join Team-G.
Chef: Eldad Shem Tov
General Manager: Andrea Graugnard

OUR PROMISE
We specialize in crafting mouth-watering meals and providing superb customer service. Order online for delivery or pickup!
ORDER ONLINE NEW!
Place your order online for easiest ordering experience. To start, just click on any menu item to add it to your order.
שעות פתיחה:
DELIVERY
Monday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
VIEW DELIVERY MAP
TAKEOUT
Monday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Located in the West Village, Bar Bolonat is an exuberant celebration of modern Mediterranean and new Israeli cuisines. Bold flavors and spices are staples on Chef Einat Admony’s playful, seasonally-inspired menu and sharing is encouraged when selecting from small plates, appetizers, and entrees. Menu offerings change often, and we use local, seasonal, sustainably harvested produce where possible.
Our wine list is hand-chosen for flavor, uniqueness, and tradition, featuring an array of small productions from various Mediterranean countries, including Israel. We work to .ensure that our selections are organic and biodynamic whenever possible

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.

Grill 212 offers delicious dining, carryout and delivery to New York, NY
Grill 212 is a cornerstone in the New York community and has been recognized for its outstanding Mediterranean cuisine, excellent service and friendly staff.
Our Mediterranean restaurant is known for its modern interpretation of classic dishes and its insistence on only using high quality fresh ingredients.

ביקורת:
This is a non-pretentious, very authentic, very teensy Mediterranean joint tucked semi-underground. The portions are enormous; you can definitely split an entree and both end up quite stuffed! This is doubly true if you go for the salad bar, which is magnificent – especially the eggplant dishes. Yum. It would be nice if the food had a bit more salt/herbs/spices, but if you're ordering for home use you can just drown it in your favorite hot sauce. It's supremely affordable.

very low key and delicious. Ive spent some time with yemenite folk and the chicken soup with koubanah bread and hilbeh at Grill 212 is like sitting down with them. Generous salad bar, great laffa, nice staff, moderate price….how could you go wrong?

Incredibly fresh food. Excellent shakshukah. Tiny, tiny dining area. Friendly service. Hummas is delicious and homemade. Baby chicken was succulent. Will certainly return. Great place to take out, as well. But you cannot beat the sizzling freshness of dining in.

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.

מעדניה, קפה, חנות מכולת.
Eighty Years, and 3 generations later, Zabar's family business is still going strong.
Our father and mother, Louis and Lillian Zabar, started the business
back in 1934, opening a 22-foot-wide shop along NYC’s Broadway at West 80th Street. Louis was a real stickler for quality, roasting his own coffee, and personally visiting smokehouses to sample and inspect the fish – rejecting far more than he accepted.
The principles and practices of our founder and father continue to guide us: Respect the customer. Never, ever stint on quality. Offer fair value. And last but not least, keep searching for the new and wonderful.
Without question, this last point has accounted for some memorable moments. Back in the 1960’s, we introduced New York to Brie, in the ‘70’s we brought them sun-dried tomatoes and gnocchi, and in the ‘80’s, we got so excited about caviar – and wanted everyone to taste it – that our prices set off a so-called “Caviar War”. (Incidentally, we won.)
Over the years, the business kept growing, and today we span practically the entire block front. With our sons, daughters and their cousins, we’re still at it – hand-slicing meltingly delicious smoked fish behind our deli counter…offering tastes of the latest artisanal cheeses…setting out fresh-baked batches of rugelach (it’s our Bubbe’s recipe)…overseeing the roasting of our special coffee blends (we sell 400,000 pounds a year!) Retire? Not on your life – we’re having too much fun!
As Louis taught us, to succeed as a family business, you have to love each other, and love the business – in our case, great food, great service, great prices, great folks. We ask you, what’s not to love?!
Here’s to another 80 years, and then some! Heartfelt thanks for your patronage.

Our Store On Broadway
Zabar's has to be experienced, in person, to truly be understood. You have to see the crowds, hear the banter of our sales help, smell the croissants baking, admire the rich brown hues of our coffee, sample cheese from every corner of the world, enjoy the beauty of hand sliced nova, walk upstairs and see the largest selection of imported copper cookware anywhere… it really is a one of a kind adventure.

Minyan Times:
Shacharis Sun: 8:15 AM
Shacharis Mon/Thu: 7:15 AM
Shacharis T/W/F: 7:15 AM
Shacharis Rosh Chodesh: 15 minutes earlier than normal
Mincha: 10 minutes before Shkia
Maariv: Follows Mincha Friday
Mincha: Between 10-15 minutes before shkiah
Shabbos Shacharis: 9:00 AM in winter 9:15 in summer Shabbos
Mincha: candle lighting time Motsei Shabbos
Maariv: aproximately 50 minutes after shkiah

Daf Yomi
Monday through Friday at 6:30 am
Edit Shiur

Daf Yomi
Shabbos
(45 min. before Mincha)

Boyaner Rebbe Shlit"a Speaking at Tish commemorating the Yohrtziet of his Alter Zeide The Pachad Yitzchock of Boyan Zatza"l at Mannhatan Day School on the Upper West Side, Feb 20th 2011. Hosted by the Boyaner Shtiebel of the West Side.

Absolutely blown away by this place. Came here on a Sunday afternoon the place was empty. Very simple sleek black and white decor. I had no idea what to order, Gila was there, she helped us…
I feel compelled to write this review after eating what may possibly be the best falafel I've ever had. Freshly prepared, lightly fried, topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus and a spicy sauce that…
My sister, friend and I stopped by Gila's for a quick lunch on our first day in the city. The food was awesome but the service alone made it worth the trip. Gila's warm, welcoming and quirky personality …

Drawing on the cuisine we have become known for at our popular Taboon Restaurant…
we have created a clean comfortable space that captures the warmth of a rustic kitchen in a modern quick service sandwich shop. The emphasis here is on fresh articulated flavors and ingredients from our signature "Middleterranean" pallet, merging the kitchens of the Middle East and Mediterranean with some home-style recipes and our love for hospitality.
Salmon, Steak, Zucchini Cakes, Calamari, Pulled Pork and Brisket!… just some of the fresh homemade specialties offered up at breakfast, lunch and dinner… all in a Pita!
We are looking forward to the flexibility of being a sandwich shop so that we can experiment and have fun with our “Middleterranean Pocket Food” Concept… And although the inspiration is the pita pocket, you can also enjoy everything made at Taboonette in a Middle Eastern Laffa (a wrap) or as a rice/salad plate, all balanced by those great Taboon favorites of Labane, Tzaziki, Tahina and lemon with fresh herbs and spices.
We want to have fun with our customers and our food! Come in and enjoy a welcoming atmosphere in our kitchen with a little funky music to get you in the mood…

בבית חב"ד תמצא, מרכז לגיל הרך, מועדון ילדים , תוכניות בת/ר מצווה, מודעות החג, הרצאות קהילתיות , בדיקת תפילין ומזוזה.
לימוד אחד על אחד, הוראה דתית, הוראה דתית לתלמידי PS, ביקור בבית חולים, ביקור בכלא, ביקור קשישים, שירותי לוויה.
בנוסף שבת / חג אירוח, ארגון חתונות.

A small place but with a big heart

Once you tested the food it will linger in your mind

I am proud to say that I am not authentic, but I am original .

I say so because I believe that the second generation should be

better then the first.

What I believe in fusion. Adding the goodness such as ginger, flax seed,

soy, oats, and the abundance of herbs and spices of other nation infused

with the flavor of Middl Eastern cuisine

I nominated Azuri to become a servant to the community, by showing

care and hoping that you will notice my intent.

Add .50C for take out orders

Ben’s New York Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers
We Cure Our Own Corned Beef, Our Chicken Soup Cures Everything Else!SM

Ben’s is a family-owned and operated restaurant & delicatessen that has been serving up the finest authentic New York Kosher delicatessen and eastern European comfort foods for more than 44 years. Customers love Ben’s homemade soups, hot pastrami, fresh-cut cole slaw, baked knishes and crunchy all you can eat pickles. All of Ben’s soups, salads, sandwiches and dinners are freshly prepared. Ben’s has seven convenient locations: Three on Long Island in Carle Place, Greenvale and Woodbury, and one each in Midtown Manhattan; Bayside, Queens; and Scarsdale, NY; and Boca Raton, Florida with free delivery service available to many communities near the stores.

"I was living here for eighteen years, waiting for someone to open a place like this," says Moshe Harizy, a fifth-generation Yemenite Israeli and Upper West Sider. Evidently sick of waiting, he converted his stationery store into Alibaba, a eight-seat glatt kosher restaurant and takeout shop specializing in Yemenite-Israeli cuisine—with a macrobiotic twist. "Six years ago, my father was ill," says Harizy, who helped conquer his dad's heart problem by amending his diet and along the way changed his own. That accounts for the presence of brown rice and black beans on Alibaba's menu, a compendium of Middle Eastern fare like koufta kebabs, baba ghanoush, bourekas, and melawah (lightly fried dough with crushed tomatoes and a hard-boiled egg). He imports spices, fava beans, and fruit nectars from Israel and bakes his own lafah. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Gazala's Story: Gazala’s Restaurant is the creation of Chef/Owner Gazala Halabi, who celebrates her culinary heritage as an Israeli Druze. Hospitality is a Druze hallmark—guests are embraced and welcomed with a flavorful meal. Says Gazala, “I want my restaurant to be a place to eat Druze food, to sample Druze culture and be treated like family. It is a little slice of my village on Columbus Avenue."

Kasbah Kosher BBQ & Grill is the Upper Westside’s premier kosher steaks, burgers, delicatessen. For quality Kosher, visit Deli Kasbah
To place your order please call: 212-496-1500.
All orders are available for pick up and delivery.
WE ARE DELIVERING TO ALL LOCATIONS IN
MANHATTAN (delivery minimum or delivery fee may apply
to some locations). We will deliver outside of Manhattan for a
delivery fee. Please call for more details.

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.

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.”

Taïm is the love child of husband and wife team, Chef Einat Admony and Stefan Nafziger. In 2005, homesick for the favorite street food of Tel Aviv, they heard of a tiny store front available on quiet Waverly place and decided to open their own falafel shop. Relying on her years of international cooking experience as well as her roots, Einat created a menu centered around street food with a gourmet twist. The freshness and quality of the ingredients coupled with Taïm’s spin on traditional falafel flavors give new meaning to the concept of fast food.

Shacharis (Mon-Fri) 7:15 am
Shacharis (Sunday) 8:15 am
Rosh Chodesh Shacharis 7:00 am
Daf Yomi (Mon-Fri) 6:30 am
Daf Yomi (Sunday) 7:30 am
Women’s Tehillim Group (every Wednesday) 9:00 pm

About Us

Congregation Ahavath Chesed is an Orthodox synagogue which was founded in 1944 and has remained in its original location on Manhattan’s Upper West Side since then. It was originally established by Rabbi Binyomin Halberstam זצ”ל, formerly Rabbi of Rudnik, Poland. From the outset, the intent was to recreate the ambiance and authenticity of the countless community shteibels that were essential to Jewish existence throughout Europe before World War II. Rabbi Halberstam sought to introduce this type of institution to post-war Manhattan as a refuge for worshippers who were then immigrating to America and for the benefit of the resident population.

Rabbi Halberstam was the driving force behind the Shul for the next two decades. He was succeeded in the mid-1960s by his son-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel Orenstein זצ״ל, who served as Rabbi with extraordinary distinction until his passing in 2006. Since Rabbi Orenstein’s passing, the Shul continues to draw inspiration and direction from the lessons that he taught during his lifetime. Recently, the membership of the Shul funded a very substantial endowment in memory of Rabbi Orenstein. The endowment will be utilized to finance Jewish scholarship that is consistent with his ideals.

During the past few years, there has been substantial growth in the membership and activities of the Shul. The daily Morning Prayer services have increased participation and the Shabbos morning service is particularly well attended. The Shabbos service is followed by a hot Kiddush providing time for the members to socialize and welcome new participants.

The Shul is presently embarking on a much needed renovation of its building on West 89th Street with the objective of enabling the facility to support the growing membership and the increasing number of Shul programs over the course of the next decade.