The New York Jewish Week

01/07/2026

The “Yes You Can” driving school is no more, but the sign that still hangs over its former storefront in Central Harlem is something of an apt message for the new tenant — a fledgling synagogue that aims to demonstrate the vitality of Jewish life in the neighborhood.

Kehillat Harlem, a non-denominational “shul community,” moved into the Adam Clayton Powell storefront last year after seven years in transit. Since its founding, it has held services in a basement, a local cafe and even outdoors.

Now, Kehillat Harlem is using the space for what its founding rabbi, Kyle Savitch, says is the only option for weekly Shabbat services in the neighborhood, even as a host of new initiatives aim to serve Harlem’s growing Jewish population.

Kehillat Harlem, a non-denominational “shul community, ” is building Jewish infrastructure in a neighborhood where it once thrived.

01/06/2026

Rep. Dan Goldman, the Democrat representing a Manhattan and Brooklyn district, has officially launched his reelection campaign. Now he braces for a primary challenge from progressive Brad Lander.

Plus, Tisch and Mamdani define their relationship.

01/04/2026

Exactly 100 years ago, on Jan. 4, 1926, legendary American Jewish songwriter Irving Berlin married Ellin Mackay, a Roman Catholic heiress, in a civil ceremony in Manhattan’s City Hall. What some considered a misalliance of prominent figures from different worlds was the subject of much comment, as much for their class differences as their religious ones.

This is the story of how Irving met Ellin, of the difficulties they faced at the start of what proved a happy, 62-year marriage, and of how Irving’s fellow Jews felt about the union.

A century after the famed composer wed Ellin Mackay, a Catholic heiress, their marriage offers a window into how Jewish attitudes toward interfaith unions have evolved — and how much they haven’t.

01/02/2026

It has come to our attention that not everyone knows about the Shabbat sirens. Consider this a PSA from ❤️

01/02/2026

With weeks to go before Zohran Mamdani would replace him as mayor of New York City, Eric Adams issued an executive order barring city officials from taking action against Israel or entities associated with it.

The order, issued Dec. 5, represented a gauntlet by the avowedly pro-Israel mayor for Mamdani, who opposes Israel. Most recent New York City mayors have extended their predecessors’ executive orders, at least temporarily. Would Mamdani prioritize city tradition or his stance on Israel?

In his first hours in office on Thursday, Mamdani offered an answer.

Mamdani said he plans to maintain the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism, which Adams had created via executive order.

12/31/2025

We salute your 6% and welcome the other 94% too 🫶

12/30/2025

As the year concludes, the New York Jewish Week remembers 13 Jewish New Yorkers who died in 2025. Among them are people who left an indelible mark on New York City, including rabbis, musicians, writers, activists and a supercentenarian.

New York said goodbye to rabbis, musicians, writers, activists and a supercentenarian.

12/26/2025

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for New York City, with major changes hurtling toward the Big Apple and altering Life As We Know It — from congestion pricing to a new mayor whose activism around Israel has alarmed many Jews and thrilled others.

For the city’s Jews, the changes have ranged from the lofty to the ludicrous. From a tacky menorah sketch that never aired on “Saturday Night Live” to multiple kosher institutions that failed to thrive in New York’s competitive restaurant industry, here are 12 things that New York City lost — and in other ways, won — in 2025.

From shuttered eateries to vanished bagel glory to a “SNL” Hanukkah skit that never made it to the air, 2025 was a year of gains, losses and unexpected twists for New York’s Jewish community.

12/26/2025

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for New York City, with major changes hurtling toward the Big Apple and altering Life As We Know It — from congestion pricing to a new mayor whose activism around Israel has alarmed many Jews and thrilled others.

For the city’s Jews, the changes have ranged from the lofty to the ludicrous. From a tacky menorah sketch that never aired on “Saturday Night Live” to multiple kosher institutions that failed to thrive in New York’s competitive restaurant industry, here are 12 things that New York City lost — and in other ways, won — in 2025.

Click the link in our bio for more. 🌃

12/25/2025

“I want to change the way I wear my shoes,” Brooklyn-based Yiddishist and musician Ira Khonen Temple sings on the first track on their debut album, “Strange Tongue/Mistame Loshn.”

“But I don’t wanna change the way I say ‘hello,’” Temple continues. “I wanna say it in my fruity voice and hear the birds around rejoice.”

Brooklyn-based musician Ira Khonen Temple blends Yiddish, klezmer and trans experience — and is resonating with a new generation of q***r Jews.

12/25/2025

It’s not just a myth that Jews head to Chinese restaurants on Christmas. It’s science!

Sort of. A new report from the financial services company Coventry Direct claims to have quantified the trend. The report analyzed search data for “Chinese food near me” during the week of Christmas from 2020 to 2024, and found that the Northeast dominated the results.

A completely unscientific poll suggests that Jews do indeed spend Christmas chowing down on Buddha's Delight.