News and Updates from the Community

Dear Friends,

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l was not only a world renowned Jewish thinker and leader. He was also a close and dear friend of the Jewish community in downtown Manhattan - of the students at NYU's Bronfman Center where he was the Ira Rennert Global Distinguished Professor of Judaic Thought and of the many local communities where he taught regularly on his visits to New York.

To mark the upcoming yahrzeit, the Downtown Va'ad invites the downtown Jewish community to an evening of Rabbi Sacks' Torah on Monday October 25th. The event will take place at the Sixth Street Community Synagogue, 325 East 6th Street and, will feature chavruta learning of materials specially prepared for the event by the Office Of Rabbi Sacks as well as reflections on Rabbi Sacks and his Torah from educators, rabbis and scholars of the downtown Jewish community.

This event is restricted to the fully vaccinated. Masks are required.
We ask that you please register here.

Tentative Schedule:
7:00 PM - Maariv
7:15 PM - Welcome Remarks
7:20 PM - Introduction to Topics and Chevrutot
7:50 PM - Refreshment break
8:00 PM - Professor Moshe Halbertal: "The Conversation We Didn't Get To Have: A Religious Response To Crisis"
8:25 PM - Additional words from Dr. Mijal Biton and Rabbi Joe Wolfson

You may, of course, join us via Zoom. (Approximately 30 minutes of this event will be independent/chevruta study.) The materials are available here.

With best wishes,

Rabbis Joe Wolfson & Gavriel Bellino


The Downtown Va'ad, an Orthodox rabbinic network, was established in 2013 to advance the welfare and flourishing of the Downtown Jewish community.

Participating Communities:
Sixth Street Community Synagogue
OU-JLIC Downtown Student Community
Downtown Minyan
Stanton Street Synagogue
Magen David of Manhattan
Hudson Yards Synagogue
Congregation Talmud Torah Adereth El