SAJ-Judaism that Stands for All

SAJ-Judaism that Stands for All SAJ is a joyous community of New Yorkers, a Jewish home where everyone’s voice is valued and heard. SAJ is a synagogue with a marvelous history.

It is the birthplace of Reconstructionist Judaism, the newest branch of a 5,000-year-old tradition. Now a commonplace, the first Bat Mitzvah in history took place here in 1922. Until 1922, when Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan innovated Reconstructionism, Jews belonged to either Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform branches. Reconstructionism took the latter two evolutionary movements a step further, inviting

women into the liturgy and questioning such doctrines as Jews as the chosen people. Yet we embrace most aspects of traditional Judaism, including full Shabbat services. We’re a community that believes it’s possible to lead a 21st-century life that is deeply rooted in both Jewish tradition and contemporary civilization. Judaism helps us find meaning and inspiration as we seek to lead lives committed to spiritual growth, social justice, and building community. We welcome the richness that diversity brings to this community, where we learn about, struggle with and even question our Judaism as we continue to "reconstruct" it for our times.

08/07/2026

What's Rabbi Adam, SAJ's Director of Education and Family Outreach, thinking about?

Stay tuned for a big announcement next week! You won't want to miss this.

08/01/2026

Welcome and Shabbat Shalom!
Click here to access the siddur: https://tinyurl.com/SAJSiddur
Music at this event was licensed via JLicense.com.

Last Friday Rabbi Lauren spoke at the multi-faith vigil honoring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero and al...
07/31/2026

Last Friday Rabbi Lauren spoke at the multi-faith vigil honoring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero and all those who have lost their lives to ICE. A mighty crew of SAJers showed up to demand accountability and to commit to taking action whenever possible. Even in the hardest times, being in community can make things feel possible.

Shabbat Shalom.

1st photo credit: Brennan Peacore-Brink, M. Div.
2nd photo credit: Leora Tanenbaum, T'ruah

Inclusivity is not just a crucial element of who we are at SAJ, but it is also an important virtue that is at the heart ...
07/29/2026

Inclusivity is not just a crucial element of who we are at SAJ, but it is also an important virtue that is at the heart of Judaism as well. Rabbi Lauren explains in our latest .

What exactly is Tu B’av? Tu B’av is the Jewish day of love that takes place on the 15th day of Av. It originally was a d...
07/29/2026

What exactly is Tu B’av? Tu B’av is the Jewish day of love that takes place on the 15th day of Av. It originally was a day of joy and evolved through the years into a day of love!

Pick one item on this To Do List and let us know how it goes!

07/27/2026

This past Friday, Rabbi Lauren was a featured speaker at a multi-faith vigil honoring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero, and all those who have lost their lives to ICE.

Each of the faith leaders had the same message shared through their own religion's lens:
We demand justice. We demand accountability. ICE OUT.

Watch part of Rabbi Lauren's speech here.

Participating organizations include Bend the Arc, HIAS, the Interfaith Center of New York, T'ruah and Workers Circle, among others.

We are distressed and dismayed in the aftermath of the two stabbings – an Asian man and a Jewish man – on the Upper West...
07/24/2026

We are distressed and dismayed in the aftermath of the two stabbings – an Asian man and a Jewish man – on the Upper West Side earlier today. It is sadly fitting that this happened on Tisha Ba’av, the day of Jewish destruction and mourning.

We send our community blessings of comfort and strength. May we remember that as the world is a very narrow bridge, we don’t cross that bridge alone.

We have each other.

Rabbi Lauren emphasizes the importance of incorporating kindness into our conscious minds in our latest . ...
07/22/2026

Rabbi Lauren emphasizes the importance of incorporating kindness into our conscious minds in our latest .

On this day in Jewish history, author and activist Emma Lazarus was born. Ms. Lazarus most notably wrote the sonnet “The...
07/21/2026

On this day in Jewish history, author and activist Emma Lazarus was born. Ms. Lazarus most notably wrote the sonnet “The New Colossus,” which appears on the Statue of Liberty. In addition to authoring the pose that welcomed countless immigrants to Ellis Island, she used her gifts as a prolific wordsmith to call out the rise in anti-Semitism taking place in US during the 1880s as well as the persecution of Jews in Europe. Ms. Lazarus also played a vital role as a co-founder of the Hebrew Technical Institute, which offered vocational training to Jewish immigrants.

Emma's Torch

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15 W 86th Street
New York, NY
10024

Telephone

+12127247000

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