Jewish Life in NYC: A Guide for Hunter Hillel Alumni

Base is like your favorite neighborhood hangout – if your favorite hangout was a rabbi’s house where you gather for Shabbat dinners, have thought-provoking discussions, and ask all your questions about Judaism (yes, even the tricky ones).  Bases are pluralistic communities, meaning there’s no “one right way” to do Judaism here. Relationships take center stage – whether it’s with peers, rabbis, or Jewish life itself. It’s where tradition and real life meet, creating connections as dynamic and diverse as the people who walk through the door.

There are three BASE Houses in New York: 

• BASE Downtown - Rabbi Sion Setton

• BASE Harlem - Rabbi Dimitry Ekshtut

• BASE Upper West Side - Rabbi Danny Stein and Tamara Stei

Moishe Houses and Moishe Pods (pronounced moy-shuh) are home-based hubs for Jewish young adults, created by Jewish young adults. Each Moishe House and Moishe Pod is as unique as its Residents. From Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations to community service projects and casual get-togethers, every program is designed to bring people together in meaningful and memorable ways.  Attending a Moishe House program is like showing up at your friend’s place: laid-back, welcoming, and filled with the kind of warmth you can’t fake. It’s the type of place where you can come as you are and people can’t wait to get to know what makes you, you. You don’t need to know all the traditions or have every answer—just bring your curiosity, your questions, and maybe a knack for knowing when the challah is ready.

There are many Moishe Houses across New York City: 

• NYC – Harlem

• NYC – Midtown

• NYC – Lower Manhattan

• NYC – Murray Hill

• NYC – Park Slope

• NYC – Queens Bukharian

• NYC – Queens LIC

• NYC – RSJ

• NYC – Upper East Side

• NYC – Upper East Side – Persian – Pod

• NYC – Upper West Side

• NYC – Williamsburg

• NYC – Brooklyn NAIM

• NYC – Manhattan NAIM

UJA Young Leaders brings changemakers in their 20s, 30s and early 40s together to build community, volunteer, and make an impact. We come from different backgrounds. We work in different industries. But we share common values.

Set in a six-story space in Manhattan’s buzzing East Village, The Brownstone brings together Jewish college students and young professionals — no pressure, just opportunity. Hosting tens of thousands of young Jews since opening its doors in 2012, The Brownstone NY makes New York City feel just a little bit smaller. We partner with local, national and international organizations to create joint programming or host in-house events

The Neighborhood is a creative and inclusive Jewish community. Together, we actively learn, grow, and deepen connections with ourselves, our neighbors, and our world. We are curious and present while steeped in our history and crafting our collective future. The Neighborhood is popping up to produce programs in partnership with venues across Brooklyn. We continue to look for a permanent location to amplify our work.

A social club for Jewish women in their 20s and 30s, focusing on mostly secular cultural events.

The Wandering Jews of Astoria is a pluralistic group of Jewish-minded individuals set on bringing Jews together in and around Astoria, Queens. Our programming is intended for people in their 20s to 40s. Each month we have a peer-led Shabbat service and potluck at a member's home or through Zoom, and we also have other events, such as Happy Hour, Game Night, Book Club, Trivia, Ultimate Frisbee, and Movie Nights.

A cafe and bar with an Israeli owner, offering Jazz nights, and Israel and Jewish-themed events. 

We are a collective of young Jewish artists, painters, writers, poets, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and creative souls of all kinds in New York City, ushering in a new generation of artistry. Our movement arrives at a moment in American Jewry when artistic pursuits are not considered to be integral to religious life. At Havurah, we are reclaiming a Jewish tradition tracing back to Bezalel that sees art as a mechanism for engaging with the divine and, consequently, as crucial to spiritual practice. We believe that every Jewish society needs to foster artistic inclination in order to enrich the spiritual lives of its members.