Park Avenue Synagogue
| Park Avenue Synagogue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Basic information | |
| Location | 50 East 87th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°46′52″N 73°57′28″W / 40.781217°N 73.957878°WCoordinates: 40°46′52″N 73°57′28″W / 40.781217°N 73.957878°W |
| Affiliation | Conservative Judaism |
| Rite | Ashkenazic |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership |
Rabbi: Elliot Cosgrove, Ph.D. Associate Rabbi: Neil Zuckerman Assistant Rabbi: Ethan Witkovsky Cantor: Azi Schwartz Assistant Cantor: Shira Lissek |
| Website | Park Avenue Synagogue Website |
| Architectural description | |
| Specifications | |
The Park Avenue Synagogue – Agudat Yesharim (The Association of the Righteous) - is a Conservative Jewish congregation located at 50 East 87th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1882, the congregation is one of the largest and most influential synagogues in the United States.
The congregation was originally founded in 1882 as the Reform congregation, "Temple Gates of Hope", by a group of German Jews. After several mergers, the congregation took the Hebrew name "Agudat Yesharim", and later petitioned the state of New York to change the official name of the congregation to "Park Avenue Synagogue" in 1923. In 1927, the present Moorish-style building on East 87th Street was constructed. By the 1930s, the congregation changed its affiliation from Reform Judaism to Conservative in order to accommodate the merger of the congregation with several other congregations containing large numbers of Eastern European Jews.
As of October 2013, the synagogue is led by Senior Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD. In the past, the congregation has been led by such famous rabbis as Milton Steinberg and Judah Nadich.