Kehila Kedosha Janina

 

Last Shabbat I was in New York City and chose to visit Kehilla Kadosha Janina, the world’s largest remaining Romaniote Jewish congregation on the lower East side of Manhattan. It is a tiny historic synagogue in the midst of Chinatown and I was there for the whole 3-hour service, Torah service, Mincha and authentic Greek oneg after. Complete with bottles of Ouzo for kiddush!

There were four women in the upstairs women’s section with a perfect view looking down on the bimah located directly below the big open space surrounded by old wooden pews and lots of chairs.

There was a minyan of men, maybe a dozen, I could not see them all from upstairs, and several of us were visitors. 

In other words, the world’s largest congregation is not very large!

The Romaniote (name comes from the Eastern part of the Roman empire where Greece was located back then) came before the Sephardim and Ashkenazim. Yes! That is why I wanted to go there and learn about these early Jews, whose numbers were decimated in the Holocaust and so few remain. Maybe 1000 left in Greece, a few scattered elsewhere, and Kehila Kadosha Janina in NYC.

There was not a lot of singing in the service and the Torah that was used (selected from seven in the ark) was typical of their unique style. The scroll is fastened inside and does not come out of its case. It is rolled up inside and the whole case tips back against a rack when opened for reading, never lies flat, which is considered disrespectful.

The people were so friendly. I had emailed the president as requested of visitors on their website, and when I walked in a couple minutes before services were scheduled to begin he said. “Hello, Mia.” I said, “Oh wow, are you psychic?” he replied, “No, I knew it had to be you because you are on time.” Meaning nobody else usually is.

An unforgettable Shabbat!