
Community Directory
B'nai B'rith of Lexington
Contact president, Austin Cantor, for additional information about the local B’nai B’rith chapter and upcoming activities.
Austin Cantor
Chabad of the Bluegrass/UK
Shabbat meal every Friday at 10 minutes before sunset. (Schedule may change during High Holidays.)
Contact the rabbi about study and other opportunities for prayer.
Lexington, KY 40508
Contact the rabbi or rebbitzin for more information.
Hillel
Welcome to the University of Kentucky Hillel
Your Jewish home for Shabbat, holidays, and life in Lexington. If you are a new or prospective student who is interested in speaking with a Hillel student about being Jewish at UK, email
Already a UK student? Join our Facebook group to get meal and event invitations.
Want to help? As we are asking the students to bake challah, roast chicken and serve 20+ students on a regular basis, we are asking you to help provide them the tools to do so.
Lexington Chapter of Hadassah
“THE WOMEN’S ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, INC.”
Find us on Facebook
ABOUT
“Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and commitment to its partnership with the land and people of Israel. It enhances the health of people worldwide through its support of medical care and research at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. Hadassah empowers its members and supporters, as well as youth in Israel and America through opportunities for personal growth, education, advocacy and Jewish continuity.”
TO JOIN OR TO REACH A REPRESENTATIVE:
GREAT PLAINS REGION
https://greatplains.hadassah.org
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
Ohavay Zion Synagogue
RABBI SHANI ABRAMOWITZ
Ohavay Zion Synagogue (OZS) is an egalitarian Conservative congregation in affiliation with The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
OZS is a welcoming and active congregation which holds events and activties for everyone as they strive to be a Beit Keneset (house of gathering), Beit Midrash (house of learning), and Beit Tefilah (house of prayer).
WORSHIP
Regular Service Times:
- Minyan on Tuesday afternoons at 5:45 pm.
- Friday evening rotating Kabbalat Shabbat services at 5:45 pm. Check OZS website for more details.
- Shabbat services are held every Saturday morning at 9:30 am. Kiddush lunch follows services.
GAN SHALOM PRESCHOOL
Contact: Amy Howe
Since 1998, Gan Shalom, Ohavay Zion Synagogue’s early childhood program, has been offering Lexington families an intimate, nurturing environment, making the first school experience an overwhelmingly positive one. Our primary goal is to provide quality care and education. We are STARS-rated and offer children ages 6 weeks through 5 years a stimulating, age-appropriate setting that supports and prepares them for a life-long love of learning.
OZS Religious School
https://www.ozs.org/religious-school
Contact: Joseph Eskin, Education Director religiousschool@ozs.org
Our children are the heart of our community, and our Religious School lives organically within the wider religious and social life of the synagogue.
Our program serves students from Pre-K through 12th grade. We aim to meet every child where they are and support their growth as individuals and as Jews throughout their years of learning with us. Through rich classes on Sunday mornings and Tuesday afternoons, engaging Shabbat and holiday experiences, and meaningful opportunities for tzedakah and communal gathering, our students learn the values, texts, and traditions that bring Judaism to life.
As students grow older, they engage in focused learning in preparation for b’nai mitzvah. Teenagers have the opportunity not just to engage in deeper Jewish learning, but also to contribute to the community as teachers and aides.
To get involved or for any questions, please reach out to our Religious School Director, Joseph Eskin, at religiousschool@ozs.org.
Temple Adath Israel
Rabbi David Wirtschafter – rabbiw@lextai.org
Temple Adath Israel (TAI) is a Reform Jewish congregation linked to a tradition of welcoming those searching for a community committed to honoring the dignity we all share as children of the one God by embracing these enduring Jewish values: AVODAH (Worship); TALMUD TORAH (Torah Study); TZEDEK (Social Justice); and KEHILAH (Community).
WORSHIP
Regular Service Times: Erev Shabbat Services every Friday evening at 7 pm.
TAI RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
https://www.lextai.org/religious/
Contact: Elissa Weinstein, Youth Education Director
Our Religious School is a warm, exciting, vibrant, and nurturing environment. Our goal is to create a community of learning and caring. It is our aim to enable students:
- to develop a positive Jewish identity;
- to apply Jewish ethical beliefs to daily life, and
- to gain a fundamental knowledge and understanding of Jewish practice, history, and language.
School is in session for 28 Sundays through the year. We have 100 students attending programs for 2 year olds through high school students.
We are now utilizing the URJ’s CHAI Curriculum for 2nd through 7th grades. This Curriculum is based on the premise that study, worship, and deeds of loving-kindness provide the framework with which Jews build their relationship with God, one another and the world. Accordingly, the curriculum is divided into segments that deal with Torah-study, Avodah-prayer, and G’milut Chasadim-deeds of loving-kindness.