First Hebrew Congregation

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First Hebrew Congregation First Hebrew is an Conservative synagogue serving Jews from Ossining to Southern Putnam County In the fall we collect and give away winter clothing.

First Hebrew was founded in 1896…back then, Jews lived near the synagogue, in downtown Peekskill. In the 1950's synagogue leaders built the synagogue/center of the future but maintained the original synagogue as well (sold in 2018 to the Islamic Center of Peekskill)

Our synagogue offers a great Pre-School, 'Lil Sprouts, which offers a warm, supportive education and experience with dedicated teachers. Adults come to learn about Judaism's teachings on the issues of the day. We have active and involved Men's Club and Sisterhood with a breakfast and programs offered each month. Our members are active in the community supporting the homeless shelter, daily Lunch Program for those in need, the local food pantry, and much more. There are many engaging social activities throughout the year. And informal learning is offered during services and at the Kiddush following our Shabbat service. Please stop in at First Hebrew and sample what we have to offer. We are friendly - and we offer so many ways in which you can celebrate being Jewish - in our community. We also welcome new ideas and suggestions for change as we look to grow in our next 100+ years!

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If you save one life you save the world…please sign up today to donate life saving blood at First Hebrew Congregation on...
10/06/2026

If you save one life you save the world…please sign up today to donate life saving blood at First Hebrew Congregation on Tuesday 10.13 from 1-5

Today marks the first day of Jewish American Heritage Month, so for Flashback Friday, we’re honoring a fascinating slice...
05/01/2026

Today marks the first day of Jewish American Heritage Month, so for Flashback Friday, we’re honoring a fascinating slice of First Hebrew history from John Curran’s Jewish People of Peekskill.

Pictured here is the story of the Ganeles family and Brogan Laundry, a Peekskill family business located on North Division Street. The business served customers across the Bronx, Northern Westchester, and Southern Putnam, offering door-to-door laundry and dry-cleaning service.

One especially striking detail: the name “Brogan” was chosen in part because it sounded Irish, which helped the business at a time when anti-Semitism was a fact of life. Behind that name was the hard work, humor, resilience, and faith of the Ganeles family.

The Ganeles family was deeply connected to First Hebrew Congregation. They were active volunteers in the Peekskill community and members of the Old Shul at 813 Main Street. Manny, Al, Sol, Sid, and Sol’s wife Bert were part of the First Uptown First Hebrew Congregation Choir when the synagogue opened at 1821 Main Street in 1957. Manny also served as Chazan/Cantor in the 1960s and 1970s and helped prepare children for Bar Mitzvah.

From family businesses to synagogue life, stories like this remind us how deeply Jewish families helped shape Peekskill’s history.

Shabbat Shalom, and happy Jewish American Heritage Month.

Cheers to Kathy! đź’™First Hebrew Congregation of Peekskill is proud to celebrate our First Hebrew Sisterhood honoree, Kath...
05/01/2026

Cheers to Kathy! đź’™

First Hebrew Congregation of Peekskill is proud to celebrate our First Hebrew Sisterhood honoree, Kathy Riter, at this year’s MetroNorth Region/Hudson Valley Area Women’s League for Conservative Judaism Torah Fund Dinner.

Please mark your calendars and join us as Kathy is honored alongside other community honorees for this special evening of connection, recognition, and support for Torah Fund.

Thursday, May 7, 2026
Check-in begins at 6:15 p.m.
Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.
Congregation Shir Shalom
411 S. Little Tor Road, New City, NY 10956

Guest Speaker: Claire Davidson-Bruder, Rabbinic Intern at Park Avenue Synagogue

Dinner Couvert: $45 per person
A donation to Torah Fund is required for attendance.

This year’s Torah Fund theme is “Oseh Shalom—Maker of Peace,” a beautiful reminder of the prayer for peace in the heavens, for us, and for all the people of Israel.

Mazel tov, Kathy! We are so grateful to celebrate you.

04/29/2026

✨ Wednesday Wisdom ✨

This week we’re reflecting on Asher Yatzar — the blessing traditionally recited after using the restroom. 🙏
At first glance, it might seem like an unusual prayer, but it’s one of the most profound expressions of gratitude in our tradition. Asher Yatzar thanks G-d for forming the human body “with wisdom,” creating its intricate openings and hollow spaces, and acknowledges that if even one of them failed to function properly, we could not stand before Him.

In other words: every time our bodies simply work, that’s a miracle worth pausing to notice. 🌿

The blessing concludes by praising G-d as Rofeh chol basar u’mafli la’asot — the Healer of all flesh who acts wondrously. What a beautiful reminder that good health is never something to take for granted, but a gift to be acknowledged daily.

This Wednesday, may we all find moments to pause and recognize the quiet miracles of being alive and well. đź’™

Wayback Wednesday 💙🌱These sweet photos go back about 15 years, and wow, how time flies! Pictured above are some of our y...
04/22/2026

Wayback Wednesday 💙🌱

These sweet photos go back about 15 years, and wow, how time flies! Pictured above are some of our younger Jewish learning participants helping with landscaping in front of the synagogue.

There is something so special about getting your hands in the dirt 🌿 It teaches care, patience, responsibility, and the joy of helping something grow. Moments like these remind us that Jewish learning does not only happen in the classroom. It also happens through community, connection, and caring for the spaces we share together.

We love looking back on memories like this at First Hebrew Congregation 💚✨

As Yom Ha’atzmaut continues today, we are celebrating Israel’s 78th year and also looking ahead to more opportunities to...
04/22/2026

As Yom Ha’atzmaut continues today, we are celebrating Israel’s 78th year and also looking ahead to more opportunities to gather in community.

We hope you will join us for Westchester Celebrates Israel at 78 on Sunday, April 26, as well as the Israel Day on Fifth Parade in NYC on Sunday, May 31.

Pictured above are some of our First Hebrew Congregation members participating in the Israel NYC parade in years past. These photos go as far back as 2011, and they reflect so many years of spirit, pride, and community connection.

We are grateful for the chance to celebrate together and carry these traditions forward. Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for more details.

04/20/2026

A special thank you to Rabbi Jonah for being such a good sport and for sharing his sense of humor with our community. We are so grateful for a rabbi who brings wisdom, warmth, and joy to First Hebrew Congregation.

It is also so important for us to stay active on social media so we can reach more people, share the spirit of our synagogue, and hopefully welcome new faces into our community. Sometimes that means showing a little personality and having some fun along the way.

If you have not stopped by to say hello, we would love to welcome you. Come visit First Hebrew Congregation, check out our synagogue community, and join us for services sometime soon.

A little laughter and a lot of heart live here. ✡️

Thank you to our First Hebrew Congregation congregants who represented us at Westchester County’s Yom Hashoah commemorat...
04/15/2026

Thank you to our First Hebrew Congregation congregants who represented us at Westchester County’s Yom Hashoah commemoration at the Garden of Remembrance in White Plains, alongside our Holocaust Torah from Kolin, Czechoslovakia.

This meaningful countywide observance brought communities together in remembrance and reflection, including a procession of Westchester’s rescued Holocaust Torahs and reflections from Holocaust survivor Joseph Gosler.

We are also grateful to Yorktown Town Council Member Sergio Esposito for taking photos and helping capture this important day.

May the memory of those who were lost always be a blessing.

As Yom HaShoah begins at sundown, we are honoring the story of former First Hebrew Congregation member Dr. Albert Genis....
04/13/2026

As Yom HaShoah begins at sundown, we are honoring the story of former First Hebrew Congregation member Dr. Albert Genis.

Before becoming a respected dentist and congregant in Peekskill, he was Abram “Bomka” Genichowicz, a young man in Poland whose life was shattered by N**i violence. After the murder of his father and the loss of his mother and younger brother, he joined the partisan resistance. In the account preserved by his wife, Dr. Alice Genis, we glimpse both the danger he endured and the depth of grief he carried.

As we remember the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, we also remember the survivors whose lives bore witness long after the war ended.

Our Yom HaShoah observances included Sunday’s Holocaust Remembrance Service at First Hebrew Congregation. Community members may also attend the Garden of Remembrance gathering on Tuesday, April 14 from 12:00-1:00 PM at 148 Martine Avenue in White Plains, featuring reflections from Holocaust survivor Joseph Gosler, the procession of Westchester’s rescued Holocaust Torahs, and remarks from County Executive Ken Jenkins. This year, attendees are also invited to bring their own shofar for a countywide community shofar gathering.

Yellow candles to light at home for Yom HaShoah are available in the FHC office through April 23.

Source: Peekskill’s Jewish Community in the 1900s by John Curran, pp. 147-148.

Flashback Friday at First Hebrew Congregation.We are reflecting on a remarkable piece of our congregation’s history. In ...
04/10/2026

Flashback Friday at First Hebrew Congregation.

We are reflecting on a remarkable piece of our congregation’s history. In 1965, Ronald Goldsand, a past president of First Hebrew Congregation, donated his home on Husted Avenue to serve as the residence for the congregation’s rabbi. The deed was given in memory of Samuel Goldsand and in honor of Isadore Goldsand.

The Goldsand family’s presence was felt not only in congregational life, but in Peekskill’s wider story as well. Their business, Isadore Goldsand Real Estate and Insurance, was located at 220 North Division Street and became a familiar local name over the years.

Also pictured above is a historic Goldsand family portrait. The accompanying family history notes that Isadore “Izzy” Goldsand came to Peekskill with his parents, Samuel and Maly (Kornhauser) Goldsand, in 1901. Rather than over-identifying each person in the photograph without a direct label, we are honoring the image as part of the family’s lasting connection to both First Hebrew Congregation and the Peekskill community.

Stories like this remind us that a congregation is shaped through faith, generosity, and the families who help build its legacy across generations.

Source: John J. Curran, Peekskill’s Jewish Community in the 1900s.

Address

1821 Main Street
Peekskill, NY
10566

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 9am - 3pm
Wednesday 9am - 1:30pm
Thursday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+19147390500

Website

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