Media coverage of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has included feature articles and highlights in the many local, national and international news outlets. Below is some select coverage that highlights the synagogue.
Press inquiries may be directed to Communications Director Ryan Greiss at rgreiss@swfs.org or (212) 877-4050, ext. 267.
Times of Israel: Leading NY rabbi: Israeli government speeding ‘headlong toward abyss’ with overhaul
Mar 18, 2023
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue says in his “most painful” sermon: “Israeli government is tearing society apart, bringing world Jewry along for dangerous ride”
CBS New York: Dressing up, eating sweets and giving back are all part of Purim celebration in New York City
Mar 6, 2023
From parodies of Billy Joel songs to musicals like “Mamma Mia,” for more than three decades the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on West 68th Street has been telling the story of Purim through its annual “Purim Spiel.” Our Cantor Dan Singer, Rabbi Dalia Samansky and Purim spiel assistant director and costume coordinator Eileen Remor explain the holiday and our Stephen Wise Free Synaoguge’s spieling tradition.
Gothamist: Where to celebrate Purim in NYC: A guide to the city’s parties, carnivals and more
Mar 4, 2023
Purim is a “celebration of the possibility for one person with a strong moral compass to make a difference,” our Rabbi Samantha Natov tells Gothamist. Head “Into the Spiel” with us this year as we continue our more than 30-year tradition of musical megillahs.
JTA: American rabbis, wrestling with Israel’s behavior, weigh different approaches from the pulpit
Mar 2, 2023
As American rabbis grapple with how to deal with Israel and its controversial new government, our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch believes today’s clergy must be vocal in fending off the influence of “competing values” about Zionism — while leaving room for criticism.
Maariv (Hebrew):’We must confront the government’: fear in US Jewry of worsening relations with Israel
Jan 5, 2023
“If the coalition partners act and function according to their agreements, we expect increasing tensions between Israel and the American government,” our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch tells Maariv. “I cannot wrap my head around the minds of those who claim to be religious, but behave in such a destructive way towards fellow Jews.”
The Jerusalem Post: Reform rabbi: Netanyahu is ‘last brick in the wall’ for Israel-diaspora ties
Dec 4, 2022
During an interview with The Jerusalem Post, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch expressed grave concern over Israel’s incoming government —and of potentially irreparable damage to the Israel-diaspora relationship.
Times of Israel: Leading New York Reform rabbi launches push against anti-Zionism in the movement
Oct 11, 2022
Our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch discussed our new Amplify Israel initiative with The Times of Israel. “We want to impact first and foremost on the Reform movement and through the Reform movement to the broader American Jewish community, to slow down, eventually stop and reverse the anti-Israel, anti-Zionist encroachment,” he said.
Tablet: We Defeat Helplessness by Helping
Oct 6, 2022
“What can one person do to impact on the many challenges facing our world?” writes Rabbi Ammi Hirsch in Tablet Magazine, reflecting on the war in Ukraine and our synagogue’s humanitarian mission to Poland and the Ukrainian border. “We overcome despair by countering despair — one day at a time, one place at a time, one person at a time… We defeat helplessness by helping.”
Times of Israel: The future of American Jews on campus
Oct 3, 2022
“This is the irony: the struggle against Israel waged by some American Jews, is not really about Israel at all,” writes our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch in The Times of Israel. “Israel will survive and prosper with or without them. It is about you. It is about the future of American Judaism. We cannot survive separated from the vast majority of our people. Jews who tell you otherwise are deluded.”
JNS: With bigger crowds expected for High Holidays, rabbis have a lot to speak about
Sep 21, 2022
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch gave JNS a preview of his upcoming High Holy Days sermons. He said he will recap his trip to the Ukraine-Poland border, where his congregation donated $250,000 in aid as well as supplies. He will also talk about how some don’t give Israel a fair shake.
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