Khal Adath Jeshurun

The synagogue in 2011

Synagogue

Khal Adath Jeshurun (KAJ) is an Orthodox German Jewish Ashkenazi congregation in the Washington Heights neighborhood, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It has affiliated synagogues in the heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Monsey, New York, and in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York.

History[]

Rabbi S.R. Hirsch

The community is a direct continuation of the pre-Second World War Jewish community of Frankfurt am Main led by Samson Raphael Hirsch. Khal Adath Jeshurun bases its approach, and structure, on Hirsch's philosophy of Torah im Derech Eretz; it was re-established according to the protocol originally drawn in 1850, to which the congregation continues to adhere.

The community is colloquially called "Breuer's" after Rabbi Joseph Breuer, founder of the American incarnation and its first Rabbi. He was a grandson of Samson Raphael Hirsch.

Nusach[]

Unlike most Ashkenazic synagogues in the United States, which follow the Eastern Ashkenazic (Poilisher) liturgical rite,^[1] KAJ follows the Western Ashkenazic rite, in its liturgical text, practices, and melodies. They use the Rödelheim Siddur Sfas Emes, though the congregation's nusach varies in some places from Rödelheim.

Full service community[]

186th Street school

True to the "full-service community" as originally established in Frankfurt, the community includes a synagogue, an elementary school (located at 85 Bennett Avenue), various educational facilities, a social hall, a high school, a Beth Midrash (these are several blocks north, where Bennett Avenue meets 190th or 191st St). The Kehilla also offers its members a mikveh, Kashrut supervision and Shechitah.^[2] The yeshivas go under the name Yeshiva Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. It also offers an independent Chevra kadisha. The members of the community tend to live in the buildings on Bennett Avenue, Overlook Terrace, and the adjacent cross streets towards the west and Fort Washington Avenue.

Rabbis[]

Rav Joseph Breuer: founded the American community, led it until his passing in 1980.
Rav Shimon Schwab: In 1958, Rav Breuer recruited Rav Schwab as Rav. Rav Schwab, became head of the community in 1980, until his death in 1995.
Rav : In 1987, Rav Schwab helped select Rav Gelley as the next Rav. Rav Gelley became the community's third leader in 1995, until his Petirah on April 19, 2018.
Rav , originally of Lucerne, Switzerland, was Rav together with Rav Gelley, and after he was Niftar became the official Mora D'asra.

Literature[]

Stephen M. Lowenstein: Frankfurt on the Hudson, The German Jewish Community of Washington Heights, 1933-82, Its Structure and Culture, Wayne State University Press 1989.