Providing Spiritual Judaism worship services to the public in New York City
WELCOME TO THE NEW SYNAGOGUE
Twenty years after first founding The Little Synagogue in 1977, a synagogue for Spiritual Judaism, Rabbi Joseph H. Gelberman founded the New Synagogue, the first synagogue with no membership fees or dues…the first free synagogue in New York City. His vision was to welcome Jews of every denominations as well as non-Jews who were looking for a place to celebrate and worship the Divine.
Rabbi Roger Ross joined Rabbi Gelberman as his Associate Rabbi at the New Synagogue in 1995 after receiving Semicha from the Rabbinical Seminary International, and has served with him until his passing on Rosh Hashanah, 2010.
Since the passing of Rabbi Gelberman, Rabbi Ross, along with Cantor Judy Steel, Rabbi Scott Matous and Cantor Jeannie Kwartler, has continued the traditions of the New Synagogue, in the spirit of “Never instead of…always in addition to” which welcomes all people of every faith who wish to experience a joyful and spiritual service dedicated to the Divine of each of our understandings.
Rabbi Ross has continued the tradition of having the synagogue be free of membership fees and dues. Of course, loving donations are always welcome.
In the Chassidic tradition of the first Shabbat of each month being a Yom Kippur Katan, “a little Yom Kippur”, the New Synagogue meets on the first Friday evening of each month as well as the High Holidays of each year.
Currently, the New Synagogue is holding those services at Grace Methodist Church, 124 W. 104th Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues) Services begin at 7:15pm.
Whether you are seeking a synagogue for your first experience of Jewish worship or seeking a synagogue that offers a more joyful and loving experience filled with the energy which infuses Jewish worship, please know that you are always welcome.
We invite you to come and experience Jewish worship with us.
THE NEW SYNAGOGUE STATEMENT of PRINCIPLES
1. We affirm the beauty, the value and the significance of the
Jewish faith as the primary source of our spiritual teaching.
2. We believe that, from the beginning, the Jewish faith has
evolved to meet changing historical conditions.
3. We believe in the One God of all humanity.
4. We believe that meditation, inward spiritual seeking, is an
instrument of attuning to the Divine Presence that is at the
very core of our human nature.
5. We emphasize affirmative power rather petitionary prayer.
6. We believe that new and renewed forms of individual and
communal prayer such as meditations, visualizations and
affirmations, can enhance the real purpose of the prayer
experience.
7. We hold that one of the most important purposes of
religion is healing.
8. We affirm that each human being is part of this healing
process, called in the tradition Tikkun Olam – the healing
of the worlds.
9. We affirm the extraordinary rich teachings of the Jewish
faith as, for us, the most important aspect of Judaism.
10. We believe that a Judaism that emphasizes the spiritual
facet of our faith is an authentic Jewish expression that has
roots in the Bible.
11. The closer contact that exists today among the diverse
ethnic, cultural, racial and religious groups of humanity
leads us to a deeper sense of the oneness of humanity.
12. Spiritual Judaism is a non-dogmatic, non-legalistic liberal
spiritual path that welcomes all people who seek to attune
to the presence of God in their lives as the source of
health, abundance, joy, love and wholeness.
