Riverdale Jewish Center

{{Short description|Orthodox synagogue in the Bronx, New York}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox religious building | name = Riverdale Jewish Center | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = | image_upright = 1.4 | alt = | caption = | religious_affiliation = [[Modern Orthodox Judaism]] | tradition = | sect = | district = | prefecture = | province = | region = | deity = | rite = | festival =  | organisational_status =  | ownership = | governing_body = | leadership = {{ubl|Rabbi Dovid Zirkind|{{nowrap|Rabbi Tzvi Benoff {{small|(Assistant Rabbi)}}}}}} | bhattaraka = | patron = | consecration_year = | status = [[Synagogue]] | functional_status = Active | religious_features_label = | religious_features = | location = 3700 Independence Avenue, [[Riverdale, Bronx|Riverdale]], [[The Bronx]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]] 10463 | locale = | municipality = | cercle = | state = | country = United States | map_type = USA Bronx | map_size = 250 | map_alt = | map_relief = 1 | map_caption = Location in the [[Bronx]] | grid_name = | grid_position = | sector = | territory = | administration = | coordinates = {{coord|40|53|17|N|73|54|46|W|region:US-NY_type:landmark|display=title,inline}} | coordinates_footnotes = | heritage_designation = | architect = | architecture_type = | architecture_style = | founded_by = [[Yeshiva University]] | creator = | funded_by = | general_contractor = | established = 1954 {{small|(as a congregation)}} | groundbreaking = | year_completed = | construction_cost = | date_demolished =  | facade_direction = | capacity = | length = | width = | width_nave = | interior_area = | height_max = | dome_quantity = | dome_height_outer = | dome_height_inner = | dome_dia_outer = | dome_dia_inner = | minaret_quantity = | minaret_height = | spire_quantity = | spire_height = | site_area = | temple_quantity = | monument_quantity = | shrine_quantity = | inscriptions = | materials = | elevation_m =  | elevation_footnotes = | nrhp = | designated = | added = | refnum = | delisted1_date = | website = {{URL|rjconline.org}} | module =  | footnotes = }} The '''Riverdale Jewish Center''', abbreviated as '''RJC''', is a [[Modern Orthodox Judaism|Modern Orthodox]] [[synagogue]] located at 3700 Independence Avenue, in the [[Riverdale, Bronx|Riverdale]] neighborhood of [[the Bronx]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States.<ref name=Freedman>{{cite news |author=Freedman, Samuel G. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/us/30religion.html?_r=1 |title=Two Rabbis Find They're Separated Only by Doctrine |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 30, 2009}}</ref>

== History == The synagogue was founded by the Communal Services Division of [[Yeshiva University]] and has always identified itself as a bastion of that institution.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Its rabbis have included its founder Jacob Sable, [[Irving Greenberg]], Yehezkel Hartmann, Joshua Shmidman, Abner Weiss, and [[Jonathan Rosenblatt]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2014/11/18/8d11b58e-6f63-11e4-893f-86bd390a3340_story.html |title=American victims of synagogue attack include rabbi from 'family of princes' |author1=Ohlheiser, Michelle |author2=Boorstein, Abby |date=2014-11-18 |author3=Larimer, Sarah |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |access-date=2016-03-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://jewishlinkbwc.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=7693:rjc-rabbi-rosenblatt-to-step-down&Itemid=584 |title=RJC: Rabbi Rosenblatt to Step Down |website=The Jewish Link of Bronx, Westchester & Connecticut |date=3 March 2016 |access-date=2016-03-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424211835/http://jewishlinkbwc.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=7693:rjc-rabbi-rosenblatt-to-step-down&Itemid=584 |archive-date=2016-04-24}}</ref>

In May 2015, ''[[the New York Times]]'' claimed that Rosenblatt had a history—in the 1980s and 1990s—of inviting teenage boys to play squash or racquetball, often accompanied by sitting in a sauna naked together.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/nyregion/fresh-debate-over-whether-a-rabbi-acted-inappropriately.html |title=Debate over the Rabbi and the Sauna |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=29 May 2015 |last1=Newman |first1=Andy |last2=Otterman |first2=Sharon |access-date= }}</ref> There were no allegations of sexual touching or criminal conduct,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://riverdalepress.com/stories/DA-found-no-criminal-conduct-by-Rabbi-Rosenblatt,59338 |title=DA found no criminal conduct by Rabbi Rosenblatt |website=The Riverdale Press |last=Shahrigian |first=Shant |date=2 March 2016 |access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> and Rosenblatt retained his position as rabbi of the RJC.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/nyregion/rabbi-who-had-naked-chats-in-sauna-intends-to-keep-his-job-at-riverdale-jewish-center.html |title=Rabbi Who Had Naked Chats in Sauna Intends to Keep His Job at Riverdale Jewish Center |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=29 June 2015 |last1=Newman |first1=Andy |access-date=December 8, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Yoffie, Eric H. |url=https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2015-08-21/ty-article/.premium/keeping-sauna-rabbi-shames-us-all/0000017f-e7e2-d62c-a1ff-fffbb9cc0000 |title=By Keeping 'Naked Sauna' Rabbi, Riverdale Jewish Center Is Failing Its Community |work=[[Haaretz]] |date=August 21, 2015 |access-date=December 8, 2023 }}</ref>

The senior rabbi is Rabbi Dovid Zirkind, and the assistant rabbi is Rabbi Tzvi Benoff.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rjconline.org/leadership |title=Leadership |work=Riverdale Jewish Center |date=n.d. |access-date=December 26, 2022 }}{{self-published inline|date=December 2023}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=December 2023}}

The [[charter school]] Atmosphere Academy uses part of the building for 8th-grade classes during the week.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

== Attacks on the synagogue == In the [[2009 New York City bomb plot]] the [[New York City Police Department]] foiled a plot by American Muslims to bomb the synagogue.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Hernandez, Javier C. |author2=Chan, Sewell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/nyregion/22terror.html?hp |title=N.Y. Bomb Plot Suspects Acted Alone, Police Say |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 21, 2009 |access-date= }}</ref> On May 30, 2009, New York Governor [[David Paterson]] announced he would give the Center and the [[Riverdale Temple|Riverdale Reform Temple]] $25,000 each to improve their security.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://jta.org/news/article/2009/06/02/1005549/paterson-gives-25k-each-to-synaguges-that-were-targeted-in-ny-terror-plot |title=Targeted Bronx synagogues to get security funds |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510001122/http://www.jta.org/news/article/2009/06/02/1005549/paterson-gives-25k-each-to-synaguges-that-were-targeted-in-ny-terror-plot |archive-date=2012-05-10 |work=[[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]] |date=June 2, 2009 |access-date= }}</ref>

In 2021, the synagogue was subject to vandalism, including rocks thrown through the synagogue's windows.<ref>{{cite news |author1= |author2= |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/bronx-synagogue-vandal-strikes-again-at-riverdale-jewish-center-666491 |title=Bronx synagogue vandal strikes again at Riverdale Jewish Center |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=April 27, 2021 |access-date=December 8, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Silow-Carroll, Andrew |author2= |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bronx-synagogue-vandal-strikes-riverdale-jewish-center-in-latest-attack/ |title=Bronx synagogue vandal strikes Riverdale Jewish Center in latest attack |work=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=April 28, 2021 |access-date=December 8, 2023 }}</ref>

==Notable members== * [[Irving Greenberg]]{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} * [[Joe Lieberman|Joseph Lieberman]]{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{official website|http://www.rjconline.org/}}

[[Category:Synagogues in the Bronx]] [[Category:Modern Orthodox synagogues in New York City]] [[Category:Riverdale, Bronx]] [[Category:1954 establishments in New York City]] [[Category:Jewish organizations established in 1954]] [[Category:20th-century synagogues in the United States]]