K’hal Adath Jeshurun

This congregation has its origins in Frankfurt, Germany. It was there founded in 1851 under the leadership of Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch. It was formed out of the remnants of the Orthodox population of the city after its decimation by the Reform movement (which is to say that the majority abandoned their faith for it).

The small portion of this community that escaped the destruction of Europe settled here in Washington Heights. Rather than joining an existing congregation, they formed their own small one, as they followed the Western Ashkenazic Nusach rather than the more prevalent Eastern Askenazic one.

At first, the Minyan only met on Shabbat. When Rav Dr. Joseph Breuer, the grandson of the aforementioned Rabbi Hirsch, immigrated to New York City, he was asked to become the Rav of their congregation. He immediately offered the use of his own home for the weekday Minyanim. Around this time, they decided to take on the name of the vanished Frankfurt shul, K’hal Adath Jeshurun.

As time passed, they added many new buildings and functions to their shul. In 1944, in the middle economic troubles and World War II, they both built a mikveh and established a Yeshiva.

Today, the congregation boasts, in addition to its prayer facilities, various educational institutions, a social hall, a Beyt Midrash, a Chevra Kadisha, and a Kashrus supervision service.