As real estate prices continue to climb across New York City, smaller Jewish congregations are facing a new challenge: finding an affordable home.

For Rabbi Adam Mintz of Kehilat Rayim Ahuvim, a Modern Orthodox congregation on the Upper West Side, the search for a synagogue space was anything but simple. The community needed a room large enough for 80 worshippers, a separate area for kiddush lunch, and — crucially — a landlord willing to rent on Friday nights, Saturdays, and holidays.

“You can’t go on StreetEasy and find a synagogue space exactly as you want it,” Mintz said.

A Creative Partnership

After months of searching, the solution came unexpectedly. A congregant suggested renting from the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), whose West 72nd Street building fit every need. Mintz called it “a win-win.” His congregation secured a below-market lease, and NCJW gained a new income stream while supporting another Jewish organization.

Mintz later dubbed the experience the “edifice complex” — a reminder of how complicated synagogue real estate can be in Manhattan.

Rents Rising, Creativity Growing

Jewish historian David Kaufman, author of Shul with a Pool, says the situation is part of a larger trend. “As real estate prices have gone sky high, congregations have had to get creative,” he explained.

Today, some synagogues operate out of classrooms, storefronts, or schools. In Harlem, Kehillat Harlem meets in a rented storefront. In Brooklyn, Prospect Heights Shul uses classrooms at Luria Academy.

Yet renting space doesn’t solve every problem. Congregations like Darkhei Noam, once housed in the Manhattan Country School, were forced to relocate when landlords closed or changed ownership. Their search ended temporarily with a one-year lease at the Trevor Day School.

“The cost can be prohibitive,” said former board co-chair Paul Wachtel. “It’s hard to rent space that you only use a few days each week unless you find a partner.”

A New Model for Urban Congregations

Mintz believes partnerships with larger Jewish institutions could offer a long-term solution. After 21 years at NCJW, his congregation recently moved into the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, rebranding as The Shtiebel @ JCC.

The move, he said, has been energizing. “It’s probably the busiest Jewish building in Manhattan,” Mintz said. Attendance has grown, and the group now shares resources like the JCC’s rooftop sukkah.

He hopes the model will spread. “Whether it’s synagogues looking to rent from Jewish buildings or big synagogues renting out space to smaller ones, it only strengthens the community,” he said.

Kaufman noted that the arrangement is relatively new in synagogue history. While Jewish organizations like the Educational Alliance once hosted congregations, “a modern synagogue leasing space inside another Jewish institution, that’s something different,” he said.

For New York’s smaller congregations, that difference might make all the difference.

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Read the full article from the original source:
JTA – Many smaller NYC congregations rent their space. As real estate prices soar, how do they find a home?
Source: JTA, October  2025