Congregation Shearith Israel

I’ve been going to the synagogue for many years. It has been an important place in my life. The congregation, history, liturgy, and Rabbi are all amazing.

Beautiful building, ugly people. I came for Shabbat morning and found that they turned kiddush into a $120 a plate fundraiser which was maybe 3/4 full. I put my game face on and asked if I could grab a seat and they tried to squeeze 120 out of me on the spot which isn't a very Torah thing to do. (They are obsessed with looking observant a dead giveaway of spiritual rot.) They’d rather throw away dozens of plates of food than to seat someone who came to their services. The polar opposite of Abraham’s tent, mitzvos and genuine Judaism.

I had to replace my calendar and despite the lack of communication the staff was helpful the last time I had received the calendar. The synagogue was sanitary clean and tidy. I was told “We do not have calendars. We never did.” But what is this evidence that I have here from 5781? 🙄🗓️ 💔 Yes it is from a neighbor a few blocks up. But what religious establishment does not have calendars? Even my third grader son got himself a ‘Paws for Purple Hearts’ calendar from Saint Joan of Arc. It does not have any religious holidays only US military observances but let this be a lesson that the community needs community temples to have calendars available to all. This is important. If you make calendars for a living and are Jewish or theologically competent please collaborate with the Jewish community and donate calendars (i am sure someone will sponsor or fund you your material, manufacture and service). A good deed stacks up like gold! So be good and do good! Thanks!

This "shul" has, no concern for Jewish law, and has committed a horrific chilul hashem by forcibly evicting an ancient congregation from a shul in Rhode Island two days before Pesach. The board of the shul belongs in cherem

Beautiful building

The oldest synagogue in America predating the declaration of Independence. Indeed, this is actually a historical landmark, demonstrating total harmonization of the Sephardic people to the grounds and amazing beauty this country has granted mankind to not only live up to standards but also to dream for the stars through working hard and harder one step at a time.

They were clients of my printing company many decades ago. Gutenberg Printing. Such an amazing group of people. Arnie (can’t remember his last name) was our contact.

This is my personal place of worship, so I have a natural connection to this place. CSI is the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, and practices Orthodox Judaism in the Western Sephardic style. Even if you are not Jewish, the building itself is a treasure for history buffs, since it's historical roots predate the American revolution, so it's worth a look. Stay a little and peek in on our unique services, which feature a live men's choir. It's best to call ahead to schedule tours. Check out the website for more information.

Beautiful historic Sephardic shul. Services were attended by a dozen or so downbeat fellas who seemed to be there out of a sense of obligation. No jokes, no joy, no passion, no spirit. Two weeks later I returned at a friends' urging to find that they turned Shabbat lunch into a $120 a plate fundraiser which was maybe 3/4 full. I put my game face on and asked if I could grab a seat and they tried to squeeze 120 out of me on the spot which isn't a very Torah thing to do.

Shearith Israel is a thriving historic community. More vibrant today than in its entire past, its traditions and history are always present. Join Shearith Israel and help make its future even more memorable than its past. Welcome to Congregation Shearith Israel, America's first Jewish congregation, founded in 1654 by 23 Jews of Spanish and Portuguese descent. Today, Jews of all backgrounds make up our welcoming, traditional community. Explore this site, http://www.shearithisrael.org/content/about, and then visit the synagogue to experience the beauty and vitality of this Jewish and American treasure.

Otherwise known as the Spanish and Portuguese Syn, bec its congregation is/was largely Sephardic. Its main sanctuary is a model of the one in the Amsterdam Synagogue, also Sephardic originally.

This historic, old Synagogue on Central Park West & 70th Street is also known as the Sephardic Synagogue (Spanish & Portuguese). It is a large, gorgeous building with several sanctuaries and chapels. The main sactuary is glorious and guilded with seating on all sides and a pulpit in the middel (The arc at the far end.) Our friends were married here and it was lovely. The large congregation also has a youth group and religious study for children.

This is one of my favorite places in the world, and I'm proud to support the educational and religious programming offered here, as this venerable Orthodox synagogue holds a very special place in my heart. Founded in 1654, this is the oldest Orthodox congregation in America, and even the oldest Jewish congregation in general in America. The stunningly gorgeous sanctuary was designed by Louis Tiffany, who also built the gorgeous stained-glass windows, and this neo-classical building dates back to 1897. This is the only place in NYC where one can experience the elegance of the Spanish and Portuguese (Western Sephardic) nusach, which is distinct from the liturgical usage of Syrians and other Near-Eastern Sephardim in several ways, and the congregation is graced with a firm adherence to tradition, rooted in the ways of American Colonial Torah Jews and the Western minhag, such as the inclusion of an expert choir, a trained, expert cantor, and the use of canonicals by the clergy and parnasim (leaders). A sampler with the verse "But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him" (Habbakuk 2:20), in English, is displayed on the doors of the main sanctuary, as a reminder that in this place, one is truly in the presence of G-d. In addition, the synagogue was home to the foremost leaders in American Jewish life, including former presidents of the Rabbinical Council of America, such as R' David deSola Pool, and Rabbi Marc D. Angel, who is the foremost Sephardic rabbi in America today, having distinguished himself through publishing 26 books, countless articles, and fostering dialogue on open, progressive Modern Orthodoxy in America and Israel. The congregation is also committed to fostering patriotism, as evident in its unique celebration of Thanksgiving every year, in the Minchat Todah service, as well as in the heritage of its colonial leadership. The current senior rabbi, Dr. Meir Soloveichik, has made the interface of Jewish Thought and American political thought, the focus of his scholarship, and Dr, Richard Hidary is heir to the synagogue's unique heritage of progressive Sephardic Judaism, including an openness to converts, an area where Rabbi Angel has distinguished himself immensely. This is a place where many special programs and people are to be found, and one truly feels the presence of G-d here, as the soul, mind, and heart are elevated through the simple elegance of its sanctuary and chapel, as well as the sublime grace of its choir and hazzanim. Kol haKavod and Chazak u'Barukh to this most wonderful synagogue.