Reform Synagogues in Manhattan 

The Village Temple, Congregation B'nai Israel of New York

22 East 12th Street [between University Street and Broadway]
"Make a Torah study a fixed habit."
and
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I?"

A Reform synagogue affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, The Village Temple blends the beauty of tradition with the creative expression of modern Judaism. Worship at The Village Temple is both participatory and joyful. The Temple sponsors a vibrant religious school, exciting adult education programs, an active community outreach effort and many enjoyable social events. For more information contact us at info@villagetemple.org.

A defining characteristic of The Village Temple is its engagement in social action. This commitment is based on the prophetic vision of Judaism, which demands that we as a community dedicate ourselves to social action and social justice.

Ours is the task to understand the words of the prophet and to teach them by making them meaningful in this day and age. As a community of kindred spirits and seekers, we must ask ourselves again and again " Ayekah - where are you, Eternal One?"

Ours is the responsibility to be able to answer with clarity "Hinenu, here we are."

Our tradition requires that each of us work to feed the hungry and cloth the naked, to give voice against injustice, to help repair this world - letaken et haOlam - and shape it into a more meaningful and peaceful place.

East End Temple/Congregation El Emet

245 East 17th Street
"A congregation who will feel, think, laugh, cry, care, love, learn, grow, celebrate, sing, study, meet, share, and pray with you."

The sense of community and family at East End Temple is very real. We invite you to worship with us or just visit us on Stuyvesant Square Park.

Metropolitan Synagogue

40 East 35th Street, Between Park and Madison
(212) 679-8580

They are a small reform congregation in NYC & welcome both traditional and non-traditional families.

Central Synagogue

652 Lexington Avenue at E 55th Street
(212) 838-5122
"When we gather together for a sacred purpose, we endure"

The mission of Central Synagogue is to embody and to celebrate the "brit" (covenant) between God and the Jewish people as originally revealed in the Torah and as it has evolved through our history. We are commanded to live as individuals and as a community with sacred purpose, with dedication to the continuity of the Jewish people, and with awareness of God's expectations of us as we pursue tikun olam (repair of the word) and reflect the covenant in our personal and communal life.

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York

1 East 65th St

Message from President Marcia Waxman: We are many individual families, but it is the sanctuary and our worship together that transform us into the "Emanu-El family" - that intangible value that is a source of strength for each of us. As president of Temple Emanu-El, I look forward to greeting you at our services, at study, and at various programs and activities. We will continue to preserve our community just as we have preserved our sanctuary. We have a partnership, and it is your participation that is the lifeblood of our beloved Emanu-El.

Temple Israel of the City of New York

112 East 75th Street
"Simon the Righteous used to say, 'Because of three things does the world survive: because of Torah, because of worship, and because of acts of loving kindness'"

A Reform Jewish Synagogue that welcomes all who choose to worship, study and celebrate within the Jewish community. We believe in:

-Affirming the continuity of Jewish history through positive expressions of Jewish identity and ensuring the cultural, intellectual and spiritual future of the Jewish people;
-Building and maintaining a diverse and inclusive congregation united by its commitment to humanitarian values as expressed in our Jewish religious, educational and social activities;
-Respecting the individual's struggles with and conceptualizations of a monotheistic God, while honoring, in our services, rituals, and educational activities, the full spectrum of Jewish traditions and teachings;
-Creating, in ideal and practice, a form of Judaism that enriches the lives of our congregants and which responds to the demands of modern life, enabling the congregants to contribute to the secular culture and leading the greater Reform Jewish community to support and promote an evolving, living Judaism.

Temple Shaaray Tefila

250 East 79th Street
(212) 535-8008
"For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples"

The mission of Temple Shaaray Tefila is to provide the means for our congregational community to nurture and to continue its life-long involvement in Judaism by instilling a love of our heritage, a shared connection within the warmth of worship, a devotion to community, and a renewed strength in our Jewish identity.

The Temple of Universal Judaism, Congregation Daat Elohim

1010 Park Avenue at 85th Street
"Freedom, Tradition, Diversity"

A growing Reform Jewish congregation with members of all ages, backgrounds and sexual orientations. Our community is inclusive and welcomes Jews, non-Jews and Jews by choice; intermarried and intramarried; couples and singles; and all who wish to worship with us in seeking peace, justice, righteousness and a community of concern for "repairing the world" (Tikkun Olam).

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue

30 West 68th Street
"The Life of the Spirit/The Life of the Mind/Concern for Social Justice/Here and Around the World"

Named for its founder, a pioneer in religious social action, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has been at the forefront of social justice efforts for over a century to enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers and to promote peace throughout the world. SWFS's diverse and growing membership spans the generations and creates a synagogue life rich with inspiring religious observance, life-long learning opportunities, engaging cultural activities, and meaningful, effective social justice programs for all generations. SWFS is a caring congregation whose members embrace one another with a profound sense of shalom, drawing in and welcoming all.

Congregation Rodelph Sholom

7 West 83rd Street
"Know Before Whom You Stand"

Congregation Rodeph Sholom is a welcoming spiritual community which strives to educate and inspire children, youth and adults to participate actively in worship, Torah study and Jewish life experience, and to put Reform Jewish religious and ethical principles into action. We seek to enrich the lives of our members, contribute to the continuance and vitality of the Jewish people, and Tikkun Olam %u2015 to help "repair the world."

Herbrew Tabernacle Congregation

551 Fort Washington Avenue
[Take the A train uptown to 181st Street. Exit toward the front of the train. After exiting turnstiles, take elevator on right to Ft. Washington Avenue. Turn right after leaving elevator building. Cross Ft. Washington Avenue at next light. Synagogue on corner of West 185th Street and Ft. Washington Avenue.]
"A Reform synagogue serving Washington Heights and Inwood in northern Manhattan."

A Reform congregation, founded in 1906, in residential Washington Heights since 1973. After the Holocaust, German Jews found a new home at the Hebrew Tabernacle and today it is not unusual to find four generations of a family worshipping together for the High Holydays in our beautiful sanctuary.

In 2002, our neighbors at Beth Am, the People's Temple, moved in with us as part of an ongoing consolidation process. We have added their service style to ours, enriching both our traditions in a common home.

Therefore, we now offer various service styles reflecting the diverse makeup of our congregation. A professional choir and organ accompany at least four Shabbat services a month, in the Classical Central European tradition. Beth Am's traditions continue with piano-accompanied services that contain original music and lay-led components.

Location of Reform Congregations 

in New York

Books on Judaism 

The first two books actually give an overview of Judaism as a whole, not just of Reform Judaism. On the Doorposts is full of prayers and ceremonies you can do at home. I own all of these books.

Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History

by Joseph Telushkin

This isn't technically a coffee table book, but that's where I kept it until I loaned it out to someone I went to school with and never saw it again. Blake, if you're reading this, I already have a new copy, so you should buy me something else.

Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 07/26/2008)

Usually ships in 24 hours

On the Doorposts of Your House

What I especially like about this book isn't just that all the prayers you would need for Shabbat, Festivals and Special dates. You can get those in any prayerbook. This book also gives you prayers and passages for life-cycle events that don't normally have prayers associated with them - on the adoption of a child, in contemplation of marriage, after a trauma, just to name a few.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)

Every Person's Guide to Judaism

by Stephen J. Einstein and Lydia Kukoff

In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that I am related to one of the authors. Nonetheless, this is the book that the Union uses for it's Introduction to Judaism classes nationwide, so I am not steering you in the wrong direction. And if you want it autographed, I could probably arrange it.

Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 07/26/2008)

Usually ships in 24 hours

Other Reform Links 

Reform Judaism, that is

Union for Reform Judaism

Serving Reform Congregations in North America.

[From their website]As the congregational arm of the Reform Movement, the Union's primary mission is to create and sustain vibrant Jewish congregations wherever Reform Jews live. The Union provides leadership and vision to Reform Jews on spiritual, ethical, and political issues as well as materials and consultation for programs in the congregation. The Union also provides opportunities for individual growth and identity that congregations and individuals cannot provide by themselves, including camps and Israel programs, study kallot, and North American and regional biennials.

Greater New York Council

The Greater New York Council is part of the Union. It serves approximately 90 congregations in the five boroughs of New York City, Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, Westchester County, southern Fairfield County, Connecticut, and (get this!) the Caribbean.

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

The intellectual, academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism.

Women of Reform Judaism

AKA: Sisterhood

North American Federation of Temple Brotherhoods

A coalition of over 250 affiliated brotherhoods with 25,000 members across North America, dedicated to tikkun olam, 'repairing the world', through the practice of Brotherhood.

North American Federation of Temple Youth

Reform Youth Groups!

Religious Action Committee

[From their website] The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC) has been the hub of Jewish social justice and legislative activity in the nation's capital for over 40 years. It has educated and mobilized the American Jewish community on legislative and social concerns as an advocate in the Congress of the United States on issues ranging from Israel and international religious freedom to economic justice and civil rights, to international peace and religious liberty.

The RAC is the Washington office of the Union for Reform Judaism, whose more than 900 congregations across North America encompass 1.5 million Reform Jews, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, whose membership includes more than 1800 Reform rabbis.

Reform Judaism Prize for Jewish Fiction

The Reform Judaism Prize for Jewish Fiction is sponsored by the Union for Reform Judaism, the synagogue arm of the Reform Movement in North America. The prize was established to recognize and support a promising Jewish fiction writer.

Reform Judaism Magazine

[This is what they say:][i]Reform Judaism (Magazine)[/i] is the official voice of the Union for Reform Judaism, linking the institutions and affiliates of Reform Judaism with every Reform Jew. Received quarterly by 310,000 member households (members of more than 900+ Union congregations) as a benefit of their synagogue's Union affiliation, RJ strives to convey the creativity, diversity, and dynamism of Reform Judaism. RJ covers developments within our movement while interpreting world events and Jewish tradition from a Reform perspective.

This is what I say: I think I have heard of them, but I think they need to do a little more outreach since the last time I read an issue was in 2002, and that was for a class I was taking.

Other Jewish Books on my Bookshelf 

How to Get More out of Being Jewish Even If:: A. You Are Not Sure You Believe in God, B. You Think Going to Synagogue Is a Waste of Time, C. You Think ... Hated Hebrew School, or E. All of the Above!

by Gil Mann

With chapters like "There's no Spirituality for Me in Synagogues and Prayer" and "Hebrew School was Worthless and Boring," this book uses a very easy-to-read format to bring some powerful ideas to the table for people who wish they felt more Jewish.

Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
List Price: $14.95

Finding God: Selected Responses

by Rifat Sonsino and Daniel B. Syne

From biblical times to Buber and beyond, this book consists of 17 different essays on different ways of thinking about a God. There is a handy appendix at the end with a great chart with the "short answers" to ten basic God-related questions from each time period (e.g., What God Wants and The Nature of Evil).

Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
List Price: $14.95

Lifecycles V1: Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal Milestones (Lifecycles Vol. 1)

This one is for the ladies. These are essays of all aspects of life, including childlessness, divorce, coming out, aging, etc.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
List Price: $24.95

I Want to Know More 

What IS Reform Judaism, Anyway?

What Wikipedia Says

[click link for full answer]

"Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of Judaism in America and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th Century Germany."

Answer from from Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups

[click link for full answer]

"Reform is the most liberal of the major movements within Judaism today. It started in the 1800s in Germany during the emancipation, and encouraged examination of religion with an eye towards rationality and egalitarianism."

Our Friends at Belief.net

No quick answers there, but clicking the link about will take you to their Judaism Page.

Jewish Virtual Library answers this exact question

[click link for full answer]

"If anyone were to attempt to answer these two questions authoritatively for all Reform Jews, that person's answers would have to be false. Why? Because one of the guiding principles of Reform Judaism is the autonomy of the individual. A Reform Jew has the right to decide whether to subscribe to this particular belief or to that particular practice."

See, I told you.

What the Brits Say

[click link for full answer]

Reform Judaism is a journey into the future towards a world transformed. It is both the journey of a people and a myriad of individual journeys - yours and mine - freely engaged in, yet bound up in the collective journey.

Judaica on CafePress 

Mostly Irreverant

Shirts, caps, mugs, magnets, throw pillows, tiles, and probably more. Whether you're looking for something as serious as "Welcome to our Sukkah" or as light as "If you can't say anything nice, say it in Yiddish" you will find something to emblazon on myriad objects. For gifts or for gifts for yourself.

You had me at Shalom Women's Light T-Shirt

from LuckyJew.com

Super Jew/Israeli Kids Dark T-Shirt

from Super_Psycho

Everyone Loves a Jewish Girl Women's Dark T-Shirt

from Blast-O-Tees

Shalom Kitty Cap

from Kosher Kafe

i heart jewish boys Women's T-Shirt

from LuckyJew.com

Drunken Bris Bib

from "Shtick Around" Jewish Merchandise

See more designs like these on CafePress

Jewish Telegraph Agency 

The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Not specifically a Reform Jewish Telegraph Agency, but we're all in this together.

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Anything else you'd like to see? 

MarciB What a great resource! Thanks for putting something like this together. Posted June 16, 2008

ideadesigns Information on this lens is clear thanks. Posted May 03, 2008

marlene3 Your lens was very informative, clear, and easy to navigate. Keep up the good work, stay encourage and much success to you. Thanks 5 stars! Posted October 01, 2007

Audrey Rushing

Could you please add Metropolitan Synagogue to your list? We welcome interfaith, multiracial, non-traditional and traditional families. Our website is www.metropolitansynagogue.org and we're located in the Murray Hill neighborhood. Thanks!

Posted September 11, 2007

Go to Israel!