Fifth Avenue Synagogue

Fifth Avenue Synagogue is a community with a cause. What are the core values of our Modern Orthodox congregation? First and foremost, our institution carefully guards its religious integrity. Halacha, the complex system of Jewish law and custom, is our "religious constitution". Allegiance to halacha is the hallmark of authentic, historic Judaism an... d Fifth Avenue Synagogue is proudly loyal to both the letter and spirit of halacha. In all of our services, programs and social events, halachic propriety is priority number one. Our willingness to innovate within halacha's boundaries to meet contemporary Jewry's spiritual needs should never blur our ultimate submission to halachic standards. Authentic prayer, we affirm, is an act of seeking closeness to G-d, and the Synagogue must be an arena conducive to this spiritual encounter. Through all of our prayer services, especially those on Shabbat and holidays, we strive to engage and inspire our worshipers. Because facilitating religious exploration is our raison d'etre, we are a learning community. "V'talmud Torah K'neged Kulam" - "and Torah study is equal to all other commandments combined" (Talmud, Shabbat 127a) is a banner we hold high. Enhanced Jewish literacy, we believe, inevitably leads to greater Jewish commitment and to a deeper, more mature appreciation of Judaism. In the context of classes, one-on-one study, or short Divrei Torah, engaging sacred texts is not only an intellectual exercise, but, no less than prayer, a dialogue with the Divine. Moreover, whether the topic is halacha or history, Talmud or Tanakh, contemporary issues or Hebrew language, philosophy or prayer, serious Jewish study not only fortifies individuals with knowledge, but ultimately invigorates the entire Fifth Avenue Synagogue community. The scope of our Jewish interests, though, extends far beyond East 62nd Street. Achdut, the essential unity of the Jewish people, even as it is dispersed across the globe, is a central value of the Synagogue. A Jewish calamity or triumph in Paris, ...Read More