A synagogue is a special place because it nurtures three things that Jews have sought for themselves and their families, three things that infuse life with a sense of meaning and fulfillment: Community, Learning and Spirituality.

The Value of Community
Beit k’nesset means “house of gathering,” a center where Jews gather to form a community. The beit kenesset is the place to celebrate life-cycle events with family and friends; to come together to support one another in times of crisis; to rally together to help others in need; or just to bring friends together and meet new ones.

The Value of Learning
Beit midrash means “house of study,” a center where Jews come together to study. At the beit midrash, Jews study Torah, prayer, history and Jewish responses to contemporary issues like social justice, parenting, ethics and much more, thus empowering ourselves to transmit our precious legacy from one generation to the next.

The Value of Spirituality
Beit t’filah means “house of prayer,” a center to create sacred time and space. When Jews join together to pray, the individual becomes linked with the Divine and members of a community are linked to one another. There is no better place than the synagogue sanctuary to seek out and engage God in our struggles and challenges, to find solace and peace.

A Bohemian rabbi, Isaac Mayer Wise, introduced Reform Judaism to the United States in 1846. He brought with him a new Jewish orientation emerging in Central and Western Europe to reforming Judaism—that is, to introduce modifications to make Judaism relevant and meaningful in an emerging modern society. The early Reformers were the Jewish theological innovators of their generation.

Today, this proud tradition continues! The Reform movement and its synagogues are the spiritual and communal homes for the largest number of Jews in North America. Some of the movement's guiding principles include:

• immersion in study (Torah), prayer (avodah) and the performance of good deeds (gemilut chasadim);
• personal responsibility for religious choices based upon knowledge and commitment;
• a commitment to tikkun olam—the repair of the world in partnership with God—through acts of social justice;
• full equality of women and men in all aspects of synagogue leadership and religious life (the Reform movement ordained the first woman rabbi in 1972);
• welcoming all who wish to celebrate Jewish life—singles, families, gay/lesbian Jews, interfaith couples, retirees and young adults; and
• developing and maintaining close links with the State of Israel and its citizens.
  

Central Synagogue of Nassau County is more than a congregation; we are a community of friends and an extended family. We are an inclusive congregation, reflecting the diversity of the American Jewish community. Those who choose to make our synagogue a part of their lives will find themselves welcomed by fellow congregants, and inspired and enriched by our shared Jewish life. We invite you to explore our website and to visit us in person to learn more about our congregational community.

What does Central have to offer?

• Shabbat and holiday services and programs, including family and tot Shabbat services
• a source of friendship and community, including Sisterhood, Brotherhood, and a Free-Birds group
• a myriad of innovative programs and creative workshops
• weekly Torah and Talmud study
• religious school and a monthly Torah for Tots program
• yoga classes
• walking groups
• and much more

To request a membership package, call 516-766-4300 or email srosenberg@centralsy.org.