News

Every Thursday and Friday morning at 6AM, nine sleepy but enthusiastic Central volunteers gather in the Community House to heed Isaiah's call. We serve a hot breakfast and a take away lunch to approximately 120 New Yorkers each Thursday and Friday in desperate need of a smile, a meal and a place to be safe. Read more

In this new year, we continue our Joy is Central series and invite you to lean into Shabbat. Join us on Friday, January 25, where we hope to engage all ages in one of our special Shabbat is Central dinners or events. Additionally, we encourage you to choose one thing that will make Shabbat feel special this month; attend our Friday night services, light candles, bake challah, or even use Shabbat as a time to “unplug,” as Rabbi Buchdahl explains in her video below. Don’t worry – you don’t have to do it all – choose what works for you.

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Continuing our Joy is Central series, this December Gratitude is Central. Jewish tradition encourages us to pause and give thanks multiple times every day. Research now shows what Jews have known for millenia: expressing gratitude can bring us joy.

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We continue to discover month-by-month the ways our tradition helps us find the essential religious element of joy in our lives. This month, we explore the practice of Tzedakah. Jewish tradition commands us to give to those in need, and science shows that doing so brings us joy.

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The first of our Joy is Central events focused on the Jewish emphasis on joy through eating and food. As King Solomon reminded us: “So I recommend rejoicing in life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and rejoice.” (Ecclesiastes 8:15)

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Rabbi Buchdahl’s Yom Kippur sermon reflected on the Torah’s commandment to be joyful, and inspired our year-long Joy is Central campaign. Watch Rabbi Buchdahl's Yom Kippur sermon.

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