Sutton Place Synagogue

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Sutton Place Synagogue is a traditional Jewish congregation in Midtown Manhattan, located at 225 East 51st Street in New York City. It began in 1901 as Congregation Beth Hamedrash Hachodosh Talmud Torah and later bought a building at 221 East 51st Street in 1906.

In 1965 the synagogue announced plans to create a Jewish Center for the United Nations, a project supported by U.S. Senator Jacob K. Javits and Ambassador Arthur Goldberg. The campaign began with an inaugural dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria. Abby Rockefeller later donated land for Greenacre Park in 1971, and the congregation moved to a temporary building on East 52nd Street while a new home was built on 51st Street. On September 3, 1975, the new synagogue opened at 225 East 51st Street and was renamed Sutton Place Synagogue – The Jewish Center for the United Nations.

From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, the synagogue grew as a destination for singles, couples, and families. Rabbi David Kahane, who led the community starting in 1981, started a Jewish Town Hall that drew notable speakers such as Cardinal John O’Connor, Jackie Mason, Elie Wiesel, Henry Kissinger, and Ariel Sharon. In 1985 the synagogue purchased 229 East 51st Street, which became the Sachs Family Educational Center, housing the Kaplan Nursery School and the Nathaniel and Fanny Stricks Jackson Religious School.

Over the years the synagogue was led by several rabbis, including Rabbi David B. Kahane, who was a long- serving spiritual leader and visited Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in 1951. He suffered a stroke in 1991 and died in 1996. His son, Rabbi Reuven Kahane, led for a few years before moving to Jerusalem. Rabbi Richard Thaler led from 1994 until his death in 1997, followed by Rabbi Allen Schranz from 1998 until 2015. Since 2012, Rabbi Ain has led the congregation. In 2023, Rabbi David Levy joined as a second rabbi and serves as Director of the Block Center for Jewish Exploration and Education, with Cantor Luis Cattan as the musical leader, both working with Rabbi Ain. The synagogue remains active, serving local and international Jewish communities.