Congregation Tehillah, Riverdale, NY

In the Spring of 2000, inspired by their experiences at congregation B’nai Jeshurun in NYC, the founders of congregation Tehillah dared to dream of building a spiritual home in Riverdale for the creative expression of Jewish identity through music-filled prayer, study that is relevant and challenging, and a dedication to tikkun olam.

In the space of ten years this dream, which at first included only 5 people, has grown to a full-time synagogue/community, remarkable both for its demographic diversity and the percentage of our members who have never been affiliated with a synagogue before. During this time, what is now the Tehillah Hebrew School grew from an independent home schooling arrangement that included 6 families to a program that is fully integrated into our synagogue and serves 50 children, representing the largest Hebrew school enrollment in the Riverdale community.

Our community has developed a very strong and distinctive culture during its very short life span. We are seekers who value the freedom to question and struggle with our tradition, even as we rejoice in its wisdom and comforts. Our members cover the full spectrum of Jewish observance, practice and lineage and we embrace this diversity without judgement. We are open to any denomination or branch of Jewish practice that can bring us closer to one another and closer to God. A.J. Heschel’s words, “Praise precedes faith. First we sing, then we believe”, best convey the practice and purpose of our style of worship. We are accustomed to music–filled prayer that requires communal involvement and emotional engagement. When we recite the last line of the Kaddish we pray for peace, not only for all of Israel, but for all of humanity. We seek to honor these words through active and meaningful interfaith relationships in our local community, and a commitment to repairing our world that is at the center of synagogue life.

For many of our members, Tehillah has been the vehicle through which previously unknown or long forgotten elemental experiences in Jewish life have been reawakened. The warmth, affection and generosity of spirit that is so tangible in our community reflect the gratitude that our members feel for these moments of transformation and renewal. The search for something deeper in our connection to Jewish spiritual life and community created Tehillah and sustained its early growth and the desire for spiritual transformation and holy community remains at the core of our most cherished experiences as part of this extraordinary synagogue.