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At a former driving school, Kehillat Harlem plants roots for Jewish life uptown

JL;DR SUMMARY Kehillat Harlem, a new synagogue in Central Harlem, has established a permanent presence by moving into a former driving school's storefront, becoming a center for Jewish life in an area once home to a significant Jewish population. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CommunityJewish LifeKosher FoodShabbat ServicesInclusivityHarlemCommunity HubKehillat HarlemKyle SavitchSocially Progressive

Places mentioned

Harlem, New York, United States
"Kehillat Harlem, a non-denominational shul community, moved into the Adam Clayton Powell storefront last year after seven years in transit."
New York, United States
"I immediately felt like I had a place to go as soon as I moved up to New York, which is great, but before we moved up we were a little concerned, said Flax."
West Harlem, New York, United States
"Old Broadway Synagogue, an Orthodox congregation founded in 1911 that serves families in West Harlem and Morningside Heights."
Morningside Heights, New York, United States
"Old Broadway Synagogue, an Orthodox congregation founded in 1911 that serves families in West Harlem and Morningside Heights."
Rego Park, New York, United States
"Laura Lara, a 50-year-old Argentinian native who moved to Rego Park, Queens, in 2022."
Queens, New York, United States
"were literally carrying it into the next generation, Savitch said at the dedication ceremony. Were weaving together its survival through the Holocaust, its history in Queens and its future here in the neighborhood of Harlem."
Bayside, New York, United States
"By bringing this Torah into Kehillat Harlem and returning it to use, were literally carrying it into the next generation, Savitch said at the dedication ceremony. Were weaving together its survival through the Holocaust, its history in Queens and its future here in the neighborhood of Harlem, so were marking not just the dedication of this Torah, but the renewal of Jewish life in Harlem."
Germany
"By bringing this Torah into Kehillat Harlem and returning it to use, were literally carrying it into the next generation, Savitch said at the dedication ceremony."

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Cairo Item ID 72111
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2026-01-07 05:31:04 UTC
Curated 2026-01-07 08:30:53 UTC