Bnai Jeshurun

What Bnai Jeshurun does

B'nai Jeshurun (BJ) is an independent, non-affiliated Jewish synagogue and community founded in 1825 on Manhattan's Upper West Side, currently operating across a two-building campus at 88th and 89th Streets between Broadway and West End Avenue. It serves approximately 1,900 member households through a comprehensive program of prayer, education, lifecycle pastoral care, social justice, and community engagement. Core offerings include weekly Shabbat services (Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat Morning), a daily minyan (Shaharit and Minha), Kadima@BJ Hebrew school for K-8th grade, the Aviv 20s & 30s young-adult program, adult learning, the Micki Levin Concert Series, lifecycle event support, volunteer and social action programs, and the BJ Havurah Initiative of member-led small groups with 500+ participants.

The organization operates a multi-access prayer platform that combines in-person worship at its historic 1918 Moorish Revival sanctuary with virtual participation via Zoom (daily minyan), YouTube and Facebook Live (Shabbat services), and a Found in Translation weekly D'var Torah podcast distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Supporting technology includes an online music library with Hebrew text, transliteration, and English translation; Google/Outlook/iCalendar event subscription; an Airtable-backed space rental inquiry workflow; and Givebutter as the donation, membership-payment, and event-registration processor.

BJ is governed as a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization under a Board of Trustees, with spiritual leadership provided by a rabbinic team anchored by Rabbi Roly Matalon (40 years) and Senior Rabbi Felicia L. Sol (since June 2021), alongside Rabbi Rebecca Weintraub, Hazzan Ari Priven, and Senior Rabbinic Fellow/Director of Aviv Joe Blumberg. Day-to-day operations are led by Executive Director Steven Melzer. Revenue is generated from sliding-scale membership dues, philanthropy including the Kol Nidre Partnership Appeal and the $40 million Sacred Space, Sacred Future Bicentennial Capital Campaign (2025), space rentals of the Sanctuary (up to 700 capacity), Frankel Hall, Reception Room, gym, chapel, classrooms, and rooftop terrace, Kadima@BJ tuition ($2,000-$2,400 per student), Kiddush sponsorships, and endowment income. Total annual operating budget is approximately $12.8 million.

Name

Bnai Jeshurun

Legal name

B'nai Jeshurun

Website

https://bj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1825

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Sliding scale membership dues aligned with household self-reported income and financial capacity. Covers pastoral care, lifecycle support, High Holy Day access, programming, and space rental priority. Annual operating budget approximately $12.8 million.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: General fund donations, Kol Nidre Partnership Appeal, Bicentennial Capital Campaign ($40 million goal), and other designated funds. Online donations processed through Givebutter platform.
3. Space Rentals: Rental revenue from Sanctuary, Frankel Hall, Reception Room, Multi-Use Room, Rabbi Rachel Cowan Chapel, 3rd Floor Gym, Kitchen, and Rooftop Terrace. Available to members and non-members for weddings, b'nai mitzvah, corporate events, concerts, and other gatherings. Kosher catering required.
4. Religious Education Tuition: Kadima@BJ Hebrew school tuition for grades K-6: $2,400 for K-3, $2,000 for grades 4-6 (2025-2026 school year). Includes retreat costs. Haverim (7th grade) and Bogrim (8th grade) programs. Financial aid available.
5. Event Sponsorship: Kiddush sponsorship at various levels to honor or memorialize individuals and celebrate milestones.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

B'nai Jeshurun is a non-affiliated synagogue delivering weekly Shabbat services, daily prayer (Minyan), Hebrew and adult Jewish education, lifecycle pastoral care, social justice programming, and a music/concert series to a community of nearly 1,900 member households. It complements in-person programming with multi-access delivery via Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live, and earns supplementary revenue through facility rentals and a Hebrew school (Kadima@BJ).

Product overview

B'nai Jeshurun (BJ) is a non-affiliated Jewish synagogue and community center offering a comprehensive suite of spiritual, educational, and social programs. The core offerings include weekly Shabbat services (Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat Morning Services) and Daily Minyan prayers available in-person and via Zoom. Educational programs span Adult Learning, Kadima@BJ Hebrew School (K-8th grade), and Aviv 20s & 30s programming. The congregation emphasizes music through its Music program and Micki Levin Concert Series, and offers a weekly Sermons & Divrei Torah podcast distributed on major podcast platforms. Social impact programs include volunteer and social justice initiatives. Lifecycle support covers pastoral care, B-Mitzvah, weddings, and mourning rituals. The organization also generates revenue through space rentals of its historic campus facilities, and operates a membership program with sliding-scale dues. The Bicentennial Capital Campaign (Sacred Space, Sacred Future) supports building renewal and endowment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shabbat Services

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GivebutterminorOthersGivebutter is BJ's online charitable giving platform partner. Donations are processed through Givebutter, which appears on confirmation emails and bank statements. All acknowledgements and tax statements are issued by BJ.
• YouTubecoreTechnology or IntegrationYouTube serves as the primary livestream platform for Shabbat services and on-demand sermon recordings. BJ maintains an official YouTube channel (youtube.com/c/BjOrgNYC) for service broadcasts and content library.
• FacebookcoreTechnology or IntegrationFacebook Live used as a secondary platform for Shabbat service broadcasts and live content. BJ maintains Facebook page at facebook.com/bnai.jeshurun/.
• Rabbinical AssemblyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRabbinical Assembly provides Siddur Lev Shalem (used for Shabbat services) and Sim Shalom (used for Daily Minyan) as downloadable PDFs. These Conservative movement siddurim are made available to BJ members for home use.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Congregation Habonim: Manhattan Reform synagogue with similar liberal, inclusive ethos and programming breadth for families and adults — a smaller-scale but philosophically adjacent NYC peer.
• Park Avenue Synagogue: Large, prestigious Manhattan Conservative synagogue with similar high-dues member scale, comprehensive religious education, lifecycle programming, and significant real-estate footprint — a near analog to BJ on the Conservative side of the spectrum.
• Congregation Emanu-El: The largest Reform synagogue in NYC and one of the largest in the world, housed in a landmark Manhattan building. Directly comparable to BJ in scale (multi-thousand households), historic age, and broad programming across worship, education, music, and social action.
• Stephen Wise Free Synagogue: Major Manhattan Reform congregation with a similarly strong social-justice orientation, large membership, and broad programming — overlaps BJ on progressive values, music-forward worship, and adult learning.
• Congregation Shearith Israel: The oldest Jewish congregation in the United States (founded 1654), based in Manhattan. Directly comparable as a historic NYC synagogue and is the very congregation from which BJ's founders seceded in 1825, making it the closest historical peer.
• Central Synagogue: Large Reform congregation in Midtown Manhattan with comparable multi-generational programming, robust social justice agenda, and substantial event-venue infrastructure — closely aligned with BJ's operating model and member-base profile.
• Lincoln Square Synagogue: Large, prominent Manhattan synagogue (Modern Orthodox) known for high-engagement membership and comprehensive programming. Comparable in scale and ambition though denominationally distinct from BJ's non-affiliated approach.

Regional players

• Congregation Beth Elohim: Large, historic Brooklyn Heights Reform congregation with comparable programming depth and social-justice profile. Same broader NYC market but geographically distinct, serving Brooklyn rather than Manhattan.
• IKAR: Los Angeles-based non-denominational Jewish congregation recognized for progressive values, creative engagement with unaffiliated Jews, and music-rich services. Operates in a different geography but is closely aligned with BJ's egalitarian, post-denominational model.

Emerging players

• Romemu: NYC-based Jewish Renewal congregation known for inclusive, spiritually eclectic, music-forward worship — significant philosophical overlap with BJ's emphasis on music, inclusivity, and accessible spirituality for younger Jews.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BjOrgNYC
• Facebookfacebook.com/bnai.jeshurun
• Instagraminstagram.com/bj_nyc
• Xx.com/bjnyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bjnyc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Bnai Jeshurun