| The Altneu | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Modern Orthodox Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Upper East Side,Manhattan,New York City,New York |
| Country | United States |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | 2022(as a congregation) |
| Construction cost | $34.5 million (purchase cost) |
The Altneu is aModern Orthodoxsynagogue located on theUpper East Side ofManhattan inNew York City,New York, United States. The synagogue informally formed in late 2021 after the departure of Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt from thePark East Synagogue, and officially launched in early 2022.
Park East Synagogue, a 133-year-oldModern Orthodox synagogue on theUpper East Side of New York City, had been led by Senior RabbiArthur Schneier for over 50 years. In a letter sent to synagogue membership on October 4, 2021, a group of congregants expressed concern with the synagogue's trajectory and announced a committee to revitalize the synagogue, along with Assistant Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt, the son of RabbiPinchas Goldschmidt. Less than two weeks later, Goldschmidt was fired by Park Avenue on October 15.[1]
By late October, Goldschmidt began hosting his ownShabbat services at locations on the Upper East Side, with at least 80 people attending.[2]
Goldschmidt and his wife Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt announced the Altneu, a portmanteau of the Yiddish words for "old" and "new" on February 15, 2022.[3]
In the synagogue's early days, they rented venues throughout the East Side of Manhattan, such as theAsia Society,Pierre Hotel,Explorers Club, and theHarold Pratt House. In April 2024, the synagogue announced that it had purchased theThomas Lamont mansion for $34.5 million.[4]
One of the synagogue's first initiatives was supportingUkrainian refugees. Synagogue members raised over $35,000 and the synagogue donated $15,000 to pay for the wedding ceremony of Ukrainian Jewish refugees in Israel.[5]
After theOctober 7 attack in 2023, the synagogue launched aJewish matchmaking initiative to emphasize Jewish identity and continuity.[6]
