New York

EXPLORE JEWISH NEW YORK!

In the eyes of many American Jews, New York is something like America’s Jerusalem. Jews from around the world come to New York to experience not only the nation’s most bustling city but its uniquely multifarious Jewish life. In the early 20th century, New York City was by far the largest Jewish community in the world. By 1950, more than 2 million Jews, mostly immigrants and their children, called New York City home. Yiddish signs lined the streets of whole neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn and Jews comprised almost thirty percent of the city.

Today, Jews are less visible in New York at less than an eighth of the population but the city’s culture betrays enormous Jewish influence. New York’s City University system, no longer as Jewish as it once was, still closes for the high holidays and times its spring break to coincide with Passover, convenience stores throughout the city are known as “Delis,” a holdover of the scores of Jewish-owned convenience stores specializing in sandwiches made from Eastern European-style preserved meats. According to the UJA Federation’s 2012 survey, New York’s Jewish population stands at 1,086,000 individuals, more than double that of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem (although the Greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area is home to more Jews than that of New York).

Historically, New York’s diversity has meant that Jews and others could settle here without attracting the anti-Semitism experienced elsewhere. While there have at times been flare-ups of tension between Jews and other ethnic groups in the city — the Irish in the late 19th century and the African-American community during the infamous Harlem and Brooklyn riots of the 20th century, for example — New York is perhaps the place in America where Jews have been able to feel most at home amidst the city’s diverse tapestry.

PLACES OF INTEREST

New York is the location of many important grave sites; including that of the Satmar Rebbes the Divrei Yoel and the Berach Moshe in Kiryas Yoel, forty-five minutes north of the city, and the ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbes R Menachem Mendel Schneerson and the Frierdige Rebbe R Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson in Queens.

SYNAGOGUES

New York boasts the highest concentration of Synagogues in the world outside of Israel. The oldest, Shearith Israel, was founded as and remains Orthodox in the Spanish-Portuguese tradition. The 19th century saw the rise of German Reform Judaism in the city, which became one of the intellectual centers of that movement, and by the 1870s most synagogues in the city affiliated with Reform to some extent. The 1880s saw a wave of Eastern European immigration bring Orthodoxy to numeric dominance. The children and grandchildren of many of these immigrants founded the first Conservative synagogues in and around the New York area. Since World War II, Conservative, Reform, Modern Orthodox and Orthodox Jews of every variety have come to see New York as the center for their movements. The list of New York synagogues is too exhaustive to place on this web-page but here is a link to a list that includes many synagogues of diverse denominations. Keep in mind, yeshivas and smaller synagogues, especially chassidish and yeshivish ones, are not included on this list. For more information on synagogues in New York, please consult one of our expert guides.

PLACES TO EAT

Kosher eating in new York is a rare treat for observant out-of-town visitors. The city’s hundreds of kosher eateries, concentrated mostly in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, serve many different kinds of Jewish and world cuisines. Below you can find directories of New York kosher restaurants provided by the website Great Kosher Restaurants as well as Manhattan’s Kehillath Jeshurun Synagogue. The latter also includes groceries and butchers in Manhattan. Please consult with your Rabbi as to the various agencies that certify these businesses. Local specialties include the infamous Jewish delis such as Mr. Broadway in Manhattan and Essen in Brooklyn, an array of Sephardic cuisine unparalleled outside of Israel at locations such as Colbeh in Manhattan, Cheburechnaya in Queens, and haimish bakeries such as Moisha’s on Grand St and Strauss’s in Brooklyn.

Guide Info