The new Upper East Side synagogue—which is changing the face of Judaism in New York—hosted hundreds of members, Herzog, US Senator John Fetterman, and Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s US Special Envoy to the Middle East.

(Courtesy of the Altneu Synagogue) The Altneu Synagogue celebrated its historic grand opening on Sunday, Jan. 26 with a momentous dedication ceremony attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, along with U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-Penn.) and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. More than 600 synagogue members also joined the celebration, marking a new chapter for Jewish life in Manhattan.

“Manhattan is the train station for some of the most ambitious Jews of the world. Even President Herzog spent time here,” said Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt. “This city, and this shul, is the breeding ground for leadership.”

“We owe eternal gratitude to dozens for blood, sweat and tears, to hundreds for rolling up their sleeves and helping us build, to thousands who participated,” said his wife and co-founder Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt. “As a community, we have done the impossible together, which makes us wonder, what can we do next? Perhaps this is not just a synagogue. Perhaps it is a movement, an awakening in one of the darkest chapters of Jewish history in the last 80 years.”

“Altneu comes from the beautiful novel which Theodore Herzl wrote—‘Altneu Land’—old and new,” said Herzog in his remarks. “I think what we’re doing here is incredible, that we are reviving the old with something new. This is all a credit to the leaders of this beautiful community, first and foremost to [Altneu President] Alex Tsigutkin and … to Rabbi [Benjamin] Goldschmidt, who is following in the footsteps of his illustrious father, who was the Chief Rabbi of Moscow and the head of the European Rabbis.”

Herzog continued: “Tomorrow, we will mark 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz death factory—the worst place in history—marking the International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the United Nations. I will be representing the nation of Israel and the people of Israel. And I find it only symbolic that following the October 7th massacre with an eruption of huge antisemitism, we will reflect on the lessons of the Holocaust, we will reflect on the lessons of October 7th, and we will reflect on the fact that despite it all, we are a very strong and united nation, committed to doing good in the world, and the fact of the matter is that despite all odds, in the most difficult time since World War II to Jews the world over, we are building another Jewish community and another Jewish community and another Jewish community right here.”

“It’s an incredibly big, big honor for me to be here, being a very, very, very small part of this really big night for your congregation,” said Fetterman on stage at The Altneu. “So really for me, I would just hope you all know that when I leave tomorrow back to Washington, D.C., my commitment and my promises that my voice and my vote is gonna follow Israel through.”

“It’s really my honor to be here tonight, and it’s my blessing to be with you, and it’s my blessing to have been appointed by President Trump to do this really important and significant job,” said Witkoff.

“Today, the dedication of Altneu Synagogue marks a moment of resilience for our community,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a statement. “This ribbon cutting comes at a crucial time for Jews in our city. Whether on our streets or on college campuses, I will always speak out against antisemitism. As mayor of New York City, it is my duty to stand up for all New Yorkers. For the largest Jewish population outside Israel, that means standing with our nation’s ally despite calls for its destruction, and ensuring the safety of our Jewish community when it’s under threat. While I may not share the same faith, we share the same fate—turning pain into purpose. The dedication of this synagogue and the formation of this community creates a bond that links the legacy of our past with the promise of a brighter future—for Jews in New York City and around the world.”

Founded in 2021, the Altneu has welcomed hundreds of member families from all over New York City into a traditional and creative house of worship. What started with nothing has now grown to more than 550 member families and a permanent home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Rabbi Goldschmidt was born in Jerusalem and raised in Moscow. He studied in Bnei Brak’s Ponevezh Yeshiva, Jerusalem’s Chevron Yeshiva, and continued his postgraduate studies at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey, and at Yeshivas Ohr Reuven in Suffern, New York. He received rabbinic ordination from Rav Dovid Cohen and Rav Yosef Chevroni of the Chevron Yeshiva (Givat Mordechai) and Rav Betzalel Rudinsky of Yeshivas Ohr Reuven.

About The Altneu

Since its founding in the fall of 2021, The Altneu Synagogue has broken every stereotype and defied all expectations.

At The Altneu, the doors are open wide to Jews of all backgrounds, ages and walks of life. Step inside the synagogue on any given Shabbat and witness a beautiful fusion of tradition and modernity. Jews who are religiously observant from birth sit side by side with Jews exploring Judaism for the first time, all finding their place within its welcoming home.

This is a place to grow in Judaism and create meaningful relationships with Jews from all walks of life, to “make the old new and make the new holy,” in the words of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook.

It’s the promise of a future. The Altneu is changing the Jewish landscape of Manhattan.

Visit The Altneu online at thealtneu.org, on Instagram @altneusynagogue, Facebook and YouTube