September 26, 2016 | General News | Worship and High Holidays

Artist Jeffrey Brosk was recently commissioned to build a portable ark, a Torah reading desk, and two Torah holders for Central Synagogue. These ceremonial objects will be used at Lincoln Center High Holy Days services and in the Peter J. Rubinstein Chapel in the Community House during the rest of the year. Central’s Director of Communications Annette Powers sat down with Jeffrey to learn a little more about the project and his background as an artist.

September 22, 2016 | General News

I first heard Rabbi Buchdahl speak at this past Rosh HaShanah at Lincoln Center when she gave her Crowns of Torah: Re-Forming Judaism sermon. To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. I was humbled and touched by her welcoming remarks to non-Jews like me. In that moment, I looked at the thousands of people in that room and felt tears in my eyes. I was crying tears of joy because, as a non-Jew, I was being warmly invited into this community where my Jewish wife and I have chosen to educate and raise our daughter as a Jew.

August 31, 2016 | General News

Bill Gates recently joined 2,000 attendees at Microsoft Israel's Think Next event and declared: "Israeli technology is improving the world." But herein lies the rub: no one knows it. The U.S. media focuses mostly on the political Israel and not on Israeli citizens who work quietly each day to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.

Untold News was founded in 2010 to change all that.

August 22, 2016 | General News

On Monday of this week, I was honored to join the New York Board of Rabbis to visit the home of Imam Akonjee, who was murdered along with his friend Thara Miah on his way home from prayer on August 13. We came to Ozone Park with condolences to share, solidarity in our hearts, and a message that the whole faith community mourns with their family.

July 10, 2016 | General News | Repairing the World

We could say we've been here before, but this moment feels especially difficult. We can only lean on the calm wisdom of Dallas' Chief of Police, whose words about the Dallas bloodshed can be applied to every one of these tragedies: “We're hurting….We are heartbroken….All I know is that this must stop.”

The Jewish people have never “stood idly by,” have always found some way to collectively mourn, act, ease others’ suffering, deny victory to those forces of hatred or bigotry. I know each of us will be thoughtfully weighing where our time or resources might help to alleviate the anguish of recent days. But in the meantime, we are a close community who will stay close, lean on each other for comfort, for discussion, and for faith, that there will be a better moment and a week without tragedy.