JTA: In an effort to reach young families, Temple Emanu-El opens an outpost in Chelsea

September 16, 2022 – Emanu-El Downtown was featured in Jewish Telegraphic Agency/New York Jewish Week, with quotes from Rabbi Joshua Davidson, Emanu-El Downtown Director Dina Mann, and members of our growing community. Want to learn more? We hope you’ll join us at the New Year Festival on our new Downtown satellite this Sunday, September 18, from 3:00-5:00 PM.

For most parents with young children, getting around the city during rush hour — which usually coincides with dinnertime and “baby witching hour” — can be a monumental journey. For parents raising Jewish kids in downtown Manhattan, getting to the Upper East Side or even Midtown for Friday evening Shabbat services is a non-starter.

Temple Emanu-El, one of the largest and oldest Reform congregations in the city, has a solution. If young families can’t physically get to the Jewish community, they’ll bring the Jewish community closer to them.

“Temple Emanu-El is an inclusive space and we’re looking to just duplicate that inclusivity,” said Mann of the new space. “Additionally, because we’re downtown, there is more of a creative, edgy community here, and we want to create programs that are exciting and dynamic.”