ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATION

OFFICERS

Rabbi Howard Matasar

Sid Brown, President

Claire Garfinkel, Administrator

About us

Congregation Zvi Jacob is an Orthodox Jewish Synagogue with a history of serving Utica and the Mohawk Valley region in Upstate New York for over a century. Its founding dates back to 1869 with the establishment of the first permanent Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Utica, NY, the House of Jacob. By the early 1900s, several other Orthodox congregations were established including House of Israel, House of David and Tifereth Zvi. In 1950, House of David merged into Tifereth Zvi. Subsequently, in 1979, Tifereth Zvi Congregation and House of Jacob merged to establish the present-day Congregation Zvi Jacob. It is the only Orthodox Jewish synagogue remaining in Utica, New York.

We are a small but active congregation with a good mix of young families and seniors. The past 5 years have seen the arrival of a number of young families which are invigorating the life of the congregation. This includes the additions of Bukharian, Russian, and Spanish-Portuguese Jewish families to our established Ashkenazi community.

The Congregation oversees several historic and active Jewish cemeteries in the community and its members are active in the life of the local Jewish Community Center.

Service Times and Yom Tovs

DO WE HAVE SERVICES THIS SHABBAT? WHAT IS THE TIME SCHEDULE FOR THIS SHABBAT?

Yearning for our future Beit Hamikdash before we mourn the destruction of the prior ones

Services are on Saturday mornings at 9:30 am.

Shabbat June 2nd Parsha Naso

We have a minyan this Shabbos.

Candle lighting Erev shabbos begins 8:16 pm

Shabbat ends 9:25 pm Saturday evening

Eruv only on shul grounds.

Masks are no longer required for services

PLEASE CHECK HERE EACH FRIDAY AT NOON TO SEE IF WE HAVE SHABBOS SERVICES

Yearning for our future Beit Hamikdash before we mourn the destruction of the prior ones

On July 17 (17 Tammuz) we begin the three weeks of mourning the destruction of the first and second Beit Hamikdash. In this short video we are inspired by what may be our Third Temple

Community

Davening

Celebrating

Davening

We provide a home for those seeking to observe the mitzvot in an Orthodox Jewish tradition in the Mohawk Valley.

Learning

Celebrating

Davening

Our shul has a library that includes a vast selection of books on Jewish topics of interest as well as full sets of Talmud Bavli, Mishna, and Midrash. This year Rabbi Matasar has been teaching Tractate Sukkah. He began a class on Ein Yaakov Moed Katan / Chagigah on April 29, 2023 after services. This class is in memory of the late Dr. David Block, former member whose grandfather taught the class decades ago. Rabbi Charitonow has a weekly Tuesday parsha class as does Dr. Giora Katz.

Celebrating

Jewish family milestones

In the middle of the Mohawk Valley, our community is tight but welcoming of all Jews taking out time during the year to not only daven as a community but also celebrate and build up our bonds as a community

Jewish family milestones

Places to stay walking distance from our shul

Jewish family milestones

An Orthodox Jewish community in rural Upstate New York sounds like a dying proposition yet we are growing this year celebrating three bar mitzvahs and one bat mitzvah!

Mazel Tov and Thanks!

Places to stay walking distance from our shul

Thanks to the Usher Family for their generous gifts of Bimah, stands and Torah Covers. Congratulations to Nathan Pinkhasov on his Bar Mitzvah several weeks ago. Mazel tov to Lenny Guner on the birth of his first grandson, Aldo Adam Mizrachi.

Places to stay walking distance from our shul

Burrstone Inn

1777 Burrstone Rd, New Hartford, NY 13413 (315) 797-2131

Rosemont Inn Bed & Breakfast

1423 Genesee St, Utica, NY 13501 (315) 797-9033