History of BJ

On October 18, 1825, 28 men gathered in a private home and adopted a resolution for the formation of a new congregation. They reconvened on ...

The First Coloured Presbyterian Church stood at 119 Elm Street at what is today the corner of Canal and Lafayette Streets. Built only two years ...

From BJ’s founding, weekly services were adapted to accommodate the changing needs of the congregation. One of the first innovations was the introduction of some ...

B’nai Jeshurun’s legacy of political action began in the nineteenth century. On August 19, 1840, a meeting was held at B’nai Jeshurun—one of several gatherings ...

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, synagogues in the United States were led by hazzanim and learned lay leaders. Difficult questions regarding Jewish law, ...

In the nineteenth century, in general, cemeteries in Manhattan were on the move—literally. Suitable land for burial in Manhattan was already limited, and in 1823 ...

When B’nai Jeshurun was formed in the 1820s, the assumption was that the majority of children would receive their education from private tutors hired by ...

In 1850, the population of New York City, the largest city in the country, was 515,000. By 1860, it was 813,000, an increase of 58%. ...

In general, Rabbi Rev. Dr. Morris J. Raphall seemed to enjoy the full confidence and affection of the BJ board and community. There were, however, ...

Over the first 100 years of B’nai Jeshurun, there were two categories of congregants: members and seat holders. Initially, becoming a member was somewhat like ...

Sing Hallelujah! The year 2025 marks the 150th (or sesquicentennial) year since BJ acquired its first organ. The organ’s installation in the congregation was one ...

At B’nai Jeshurun, by the middle of the nineteenth century, the majority of congregants were of German descent and many were advocating for modern reforms. ...

As early as 1880, BJ recognized that it would need to move uptown to continue to serve the Jewish community, which had begun to migrate ...

The influx of Eastern European Jews in the 1880s and 1890s acted as a catalyst for the organization of synagogue Sisterhoods. The large mainstream Jewish ...

The push-pull between reformers and traditionalists in the congregation began in the 1860s but was contained by Rabbi Morris Raphall, who insisted on mainly orthodox ...

During the Shabbat prayer service at BJ nowadays, as people sit in the sanctuary singing niggunim from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, ...

In the 88th Street Sanctuary, the only complete stained glass window remaining from the original design is the round rose window at the back of ...

Rabbi Israel Goldstein (B’nai Jeshurun’s rabbi from 1918–1950) was instrumental in formulating the centennial celebration. The celebration had its official inception at the One Hundredth ...