Welcome to Stephen Wise Free Synagogue!
Join us for Shabbat services!
Fridays 6 p.m. | Saturdays 10 a.m.
Welcome to Stephen Wise Free Synagogue!
Join us for Shabbat services!
Fridays 6 p.m. | Saturdays 10 a.m.
SWFS Spring Benefit Celebrating 20 Years of Rabbi Ammi Hirsch
This May 21, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue will celebrate 20 years of Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch’s leadership. Join our community and support our synagogue at our Spring Benefit!
In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch
Featured Sermons
Ma Nishtanah
People are asking how this year’s Seder will be different, says Rabbi Samantha Natov: “How do we celebrate freedom with so many in captivity? How do we sing of redemption when there is war on…
While Picking Strawberries in Israel
On our recent mission to Israel, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch scheduled time for our congregation to pick strawberries. But he didn’t expect that morning to be among the most moving of his experiences in Israel. Looking…
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch at Rally for the Hostages
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi at New York City’s historic 116-year-old Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and one of America’s foremost Reform Zionist leaders, delivered remarks at a rally on April 7, 2024, marking the six-month…
Reflections on Our Time in Israel
Rabbi Rena Rifkin shares the complex emotions she encountered on her recent trip to Israel. “I notice that there is a sadness and a rawness in the air,” she observed. “The colors of the Israeli…
Breaking Negative Cycles
Sometimes anxiety amplifies our worries and we get caught in negative thought loops “that spin on and on,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “What does Judaism teach us about breaking these cycles?” she asks and answers…
A Sacred Call
Throughout the stories of Exodus that re revisit again and again and in this week’s parashah, we find a sacred call to answer, says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “What are we being called to do? Who…
After Five Months of War
“In many ways it is still October 7th. Time froze,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, offering his perspective of where we are five months later, on the Shabbat before embarking for Israel with our synagogue’s mission.…
Mistakes and Redemption
“We as a community royally screwed up” when we built the golden calf, says Rabbi Dalia Samansky. “But it is what happens in this week’s portion that shows how we as a people grew from our experience. Mistakes and bad…
Guardrails
Humanity has always pushed its limitations, especially with the creation of artificial intelligence, says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “May we understand that power needs to be tempered by ethical precepts, compassionate hearts, with sufficient guardrails to…
The Moral Flame
In this week’s parashah, we read about “the eternal flame” — the lamp that burned continuously in the Tabernacle. “The light of the eternal flame, according to our Sages, is what we would call today…
Upcoming Events
Emergency Food Program
Virtual Lay-Led Torah Study 🖥
In-Person Shabbat Morning Services
Saturday Morning Family Shabbat: Grades 3–5 🙋
Havdalah and Melaveh Malkah 🖥
Will the Family Still Be Speaking After Passover? 🖥
ECC Closed for Passover Break
Building Closes Early for Passover First Night Seder
Passover Yom Tov Morning Service 🙋
Second-Night Community Seder 🙋
Explore Our Early Childhood Center
Apply Now And Take A Virtual Tour!
Our Early Childhood Center provides children ages 18 months through five years with a nurturing, welcoming, and stimulating environment. Based on the Reggio Emilia approach to education, our philosophy values children as rich with wonder and knowledge — and we infuse our classroom experiences with Jewish values and traditions.
Discover Our Religious School
Looking for an enriching Jewish education? Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s Religious School is the perfect place for you to deepen your child’s Jewish identity and Hebrew knowledge, engage with core Jewish values and traditions, and become part of a caring synagogue community.