Riverdale Jewish Center

What Riverdale Jewish Center does

Riverdale Jewish Center (RJC) is a non-profit Orthodox synagogue and community center founded circa 1954 in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, with 72 years of continuous operation evidenced by its 72nd Annual Dinner held in 2026. It serves a multi-generational Jewish membership base — anchored by over 100 families engaged in its Young Professionals Minyan — through daily minyanim, Shabbat and holiday services, lifecycle events (b'nai mitzvah, weddings, funerals), Daf Yomi and weekly shiurim, youth programming, and a Seniors Lunch & Learn series. Clergy includes Rabbi Larry Rothwachs alongside Rabbis Benoff, Zirkind, and Lowenthal, each leading specialized educational tracks. The organization is governed independently with no parent company or external equity ownership.

RJC operates its entire digital presence on ShulCloud, a proprietary content management system purpose-built for synagogues, which provides website hosting, membership management, donation processing, event registration, calendar functionality, and Zmanim (prayer time) scheduling. The platform also powers mailing list sign-ups and bulletin distribution. Beyond the digital layer, service delivery is overwhelmingly in-person at RJC's physical campus, which includes a main sanctuary, Beit Midrash, Social Hall, and Hashkama Room, with selective virtual programming delivered via Zoom. The marketing motion is community-led: word-of-mouth within the Riverdale Jewish community, supplemented by the website, email newsletters, and hosted community events.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring membership dues, tiered sponsorship donations (kiddush, learning, Seudah Shlishit, Semichas Chaver, Seniors Lunch & Learn at tiers ranging from $18 to $360), designated charitable funds (Chesed, Israel Relief, Fund for the Needy, Sefarim, Chevra Kadisha), one-time fees (Sheimot disposal at $36–$50 per bag/box), event room rental, and proceeds from the annual dinner. With approximately 9 employees on staff, RJC runs a lean operation that is economically sustained by its membership base and the broader Riverdale Jewish community.

Name

Riverdale Jewish Center

Legal name

Riverdale Jewish Center

Website

https://rjconline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Riverdale Jewish Center is a 72-year-old non-profit Orthodox synagogue and community center in Riverdale, Bronx, serving multi-generational Jewish families with daily minyanim, Shabbat services, lifecycle events, Torah learning, youth and seniors programming, and charitable funds, funded via membership dues and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Synagogue services
• Religious community center
• Jewish education programs
• Jewish lifecycle services
• Community membership dues

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for families and individuals to belong to the synagogue community and access religious services, programs, and facilities.
2. Donations and Tzedakah: Various donation funds including General Donation, Chesed Fund, Israel Relief Fund, Fund for the Needy, and honor/memory donations.
3. Program Sponsorships: Sponsorships for kiddush meals, learning programs, Shabbat events, and special occasions like Semichas Chaver.
4. Event Fundraising: Special appeals such as Tisha B'Av Fund for the Needy appeal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Riverdale Jewish Center is a synagogue and Jewish community center that delivers daily and Shabbat prayer services (minyanim), holiday observances, lifecycle event officiation, and a wide range of educational programming including weekly shiurim, Daf Yomi, recorded Torah classes, and youth education. It also operates young professionals and seniors programming, and supports its community through charitable funds (Chesed, Fund for the Needy, Israel Relief) and member services such as Sheimot disposal and event room rental.

Product overview

Riverdale Jewish Center operates a single integrated website powered by ShulCloud, a proprietary content management system designed for synagogues. The website serves as the primary digital platform for the multi-generational Jewish community, offering access to religious services, youth programming, learning and davening resources, community events, membership management, and donation capabilities. The site integrates event calendars, prayer time schedules (zmanim), donation forms, and member communications into one platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Synagogue Membership Annual membership providing Jewish families and individuals with access to prayer services (daily minyanim, Shabbat and holiday services), lifecycle event officiation, educational programming, community events, and use of RJC facilities.
• Young Professionals Minyan Dedicated prayer, Torah learning, and social programming for Jewish young professionals (20s-30s) on Shabbat and throughout the week, including Shabbat meals, networking, and community events.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ShulCloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationShulCloud provides the proprietary content management system powering the Riverdale Jewish Center website. The platform enables membership management, donation processing, event registration, calendar functionality, and member communications. ShulCloud is a specialized platform for synagogues (shulcloud.com).

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• SAR Academy: Riverdale-based Jewish day school that shares many member families with RJC. Not a direct competitor but a tightly linked institution whose enrollment trends directly affect RJC's family pipeline.

Direct peers

• Hebrew Institute of Riverdale: Orthodox synagogue and day school complex located in the same Riverdale neighborhood. Directly comparable on community model, multi-generational programming, and donor-funded operations.
• Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun: Upper East Side Orthodox synagogue with a similar multi-generational model, learning programming, and broad donation fund structure. Comparable as a NYC Orthodox congregation of similar scale.
• Lincoln Square Synagogue: Prominent NYC Orthodox synagogue known for extensive Torah programming and young-professional engagement — closely comparable on programming depth and demographic mix.
• Park East Synagogue: Manhattan Orthodox synagogue with a comparable dues-plus-donation revenue model, lifecycle event programming, and community-based member engagement.
• Congregation Beth Sholom (Riverdale): Local Riverdale synagogue serving the same neighborhood demographic; comparable on membership model, clergy-led programming, and community fundraising structure.
• Young Israel of Riverdale: Orthodox congregation in the immediate Riverdale vicinity with a similar dues-plus-donation revenue model and Shabbat, holiday, and lifecycle programming.

Broad incumbents

• 92nd Street Y: Large Jewish-affiliated community and cultural center on the Upper East Side offering programming, classes, and lifecycle events that overlap with — but are broader than — RJC's offerings.
• UJA-Federation of New York: Central Jewish communal funding body in NYC. Not a direct competitor, but a key allocator of dollars that flow through to synagogues like RJC and shapes member expectations.

Regional players

• Riverdale YM-YWHA: Jewish community center located in the same Riverdale neighborhood. Competes for Jewish family programming, youth engagement, and seniors services, though it is a JCC rather than a synagogue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riverdale-jewish-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Riverdale Jewish Center