Riverdale Jewish Center
{{Short description|Orthodox synagogue in the Bronx, New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Riverdale Jewish Center
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| religious_affiliation = Modern Orthodox Judaism
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| leadership = {{ubl|Rabbi Dovid Zirkind|{{nowrap|Rabbi Tzvi Benoff {{small|(Assistant Rabbi)}}}}}}
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| status = Synagogue
| functional_status = Active
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| location = 3700 Independence Avenue, Riverdale, The Bronx, New York City, New York 10463
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| country = United States
| map_type = USA Bronx
| map_size = 250
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| map_caption = Location in the Bronx
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| coordinates = {{coord|40|53|17|N|73|54|46|W|region:US-NY_type:landmark|display=title,inline}}
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| founded_by = Yeshiva University
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| established = 1954 {{small|(as a congregation)}}
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The Riverdale Jewish Center, abbreviated as RJC, is a Modern Orthodox synagogue located at 3700 Independence Avenue, in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, New York, United States.{{cite news |author=Freedman, Samuel G. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/us/30religion.html?_r=1 |title=Two Rabbis Find They’re Separated Only by Doctrine |work=The New York Times |date=May 30, 2009}}
History
The synagogue was founded by the Communal Services Division of Yeshiva University and has always identified itself as a bastion of that institution.{{cn|date=December 2023}}
Its rabbis included its founder Jacob Sable, Irving Greenberg, Yehezkel Hartmann, Joshua Shmidman, Abner Weiss, and Jonathan Rosenblatt.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2014/11/18/8d11b58e-6f63-11e4-893f-86bd390a3340_story.html |title=American victims of synagogue attack include rabbi from ‘family of princes’ |author1=Ohlheiser, Michelle |author2=Boorstein, Abby |date=2014-11-18 |author3=Larimer, Sarah |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |access-date=2016-03-29}}{{Cite web |url=http://jewishlinkbwc.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=7693:rjc-rabbi-rosenblatt-to-step-down&Itemid=584 |title=RJC: Rabbi Rosenblatt to Step Down |website=The Jewish Link of Bronx, Westchester & Connecticut |date= |access-date=2016-03-29}}
In May 2015, the New York Times claimed that Rosenblatt had a history (in the 1980s and 1990s) of inviting teenage boys to play squash or racquetball, often accompanied by sitting in a sauna naked together.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/nyregion/fresh-debate-over-whether-a-rabbi-acted-inappropriately.html |title=Debate over the Rabbi and the Sauna |newspaper=The New York Times |date=29 May 2015 |last1=Newman |first1=Andy |last2=Otterman |first2=Sharon |access-date= }} There were no allegations of sexual touching or criminal conduct;{{Cite web |url=http://riverdalepress.com/stories/DA-found-no-criminal-conduct-by-Rabbi-Rosenblatt,59338 |title=DA found no criminal conduct by Rabbi Rosenblatt |website=The Riverdale Press |last=Shahrigian |first=Shant |date=2 March 2016 |access-date=2016-03-30}} and Rosenblatt retained his position as rabbi of the RJC.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/nyregion/rabbi-who-had-naked-chats-in-sauna-intends-to-keep-his-job-at-riverdale-jewish-center.html |title=Rabbi Who Had Naked Chats in Sauna Intends to Keep His Job at Riverdale Jewish Center |newspaper=The New York Times |date=29 June 2015 |last1=Newman |first1=Andy |access-date=December 8, 2023 }}{{cite news |author=Yoffie, Eric H. |url=https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2015-08-21/ty-article/.premium/keeping-sauna-rabbi-shames-us-all/0000017f-e7e2-d62c-a1ff-fffbb9cc0000 |title=By Keeping 'Naked Sauna' Rabbi, Riverdale Jewish Center Is Failing Its Community |work=Haaretz |date=August 21, 2015 |access-date=December 8, 2023 }}
The Senior Rabbi is Rabbi Dovid Zirkind and the assistant rabbi is Rabbi Tzvi Benoff.{{cite web |url=https://www.rjconline.org/leadership |title=Leadership |work=Riverdale Jewish Center |date=n.d. |access-date=December 26, 2022 }}{{self-published-inline|date=December 2023}}{{self-published-inline|date=December 2023}}
The charter school Atmosphere Academy uses part of the building for 8th-grade classes during the week.{{cn|date=December 2023}}
Attacks on the synagogue
In the 2009 New York City bomb plot the New York City Police Department foiled a plot by American Muslims to bomb the synagogue.{{cite news |author1=Hernandez, Javier C. |author2=Chan, Sewell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/nyregion/22terror.html?hp |title=N.Y. Bomb Plot Suspects Acted Alone, Police Say |work=The New York Times |date=May 21, 2009 |access-date= }} On May 30, 2009, New York Governor David Paterson announced he would give the Center and the Riverdale Reform Temple $25,000 each to improve their security.{{cite news |author= |url=http://jta.org/news/article/2009/06/02/1005549/paterson-gives-25k-each-to-synaguges-that-were-targeted-in-ny-terror-plot |title=Targeted Bronx synagogues to get security funds |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510001122/http://www.jta.org/news/article/2009/06/02/1005549/paterson-gives-25k-each-to-synaguges-that-were-targeted-in-ny-terror-plot |archive-date=2012-05-10 |work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=June 2, 2009 |access-date= }}
In 2021, the synagogue was subject to vandalism, including rocks thrown through the synagogue's windows.{{cite news |author1= |author2= |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/bronx-synagogue-vandal-strikes-again-at-riverdale-jewish-center-666491 |title=Bronx synagogue vandal strikes again at Riverdale Jewish Center |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=April 27, 2021 |access-date=December 8, 2023 }}{{cite news |author1=Silow-Carroll, Andrew |author2= |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bronx-synagogue-vandal-strikes-riverdale-jewish-center-in-latest-attack/ |title=Bronx synagogue vandal strikes Riverdale Jewish Center in latest attack |work=The Times of Israel |date=April 28, 2021 |access-date=December 8, 2023 }}
Notable members
- Irving Greenberg{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
- Joseph Lieberman{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.rjconline.org/}}
{{Synagogues in the United States}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Synagogues in the Bronx
Category:Modern Orthodox synagogues in New York City
Category:1954 establishments in New York City