Mount Sinai Jewish Center of Washington Heights

We have been members of this Synagogue for almost three years, and we love it! It is a warm community that is full of life and energy.
The sanctuary is packed almost every Shabbat, and there are many events going on during the week.
While there is a small elderly population, most of the people who attend are Modern Orthodox people in their 20s and early 30s. It is very singles-​friendly, and is also becoming increasingly baby/​kid-​friendly.
The membership is very active, involved and knowledgeable. It is very lively, and you can definitely expect to have the opportunity to meet new people if you check it out. Don’t be intimidated by the large crowd during kiddush, and just introduce yourself to someone explaining that you’re new.
We love this Synagogue, and hope it will follow us if we ever leave Washington Heights.

Going to shul is for davening, to come closer to Hashem, not for socializing or flirting. Proper attire and decorum is required. Sh’miras Shabbos. kashruth, taharas hamishpocho, limud Torah, good middos and derech eretz are all important for looking for davening partners. Walking around and having a good time;entertaining and being entertained is not allowed, as is mundane conversations while no services are going on. It is forbidden to socialize and talk during services. All 39 melochos of Shabbos must be up held or the minyan is not valid. The traditions of the elders are to be followed. Those are the important things to look for when joining a shul, not a community center.

Excellent Holocaust Library.
An older congregation has now attracted a younger crowd.

It always makes me nervous when I sit down to review a shul, and inevitably dozens of questions arise: Can you really «review» a synagogue? Is there criteria that are good to follow when considering a Jewish organization or house of worship? Do people review churches or mosques? Or … do people even read these reviews and does it make anyone say, «Sounds like a mighty fine shul, let’s hit that up this Shabbos!»
Back in Chicago I reviewed a few shuls and actually got some positive feedback and questions about them. When you’re shul shopping, it’s really important to find one that fits your hashkafah (where you are Jewishly, you know).
I was staying with a friend in Washington Heights and she said we could go wherever I felt comfortable going, and this shul seemed up my alley as I’m becoming more religious. So we went, and I was blown away — I’d never been to an Orthodox synagogue with so many people there, wandering in and out, davening and singing, kvetching and kvelling … it was a unique experience that left me wanting more. We went for Friday night and Saturday morning service if memory serves me right (Shabbos then was sort of a blur of food, people’s homes, and napping). The sheer volume of people there was something I’d never experienced before, but there were all sorts of Jews — black hats, yeshiva boys, girls scoping out boys and boys scoping out girls, yentas, the elderly, bitty old women, you name it, they had it. And it made for such an outstanding service. I found myself connecting to the service through the people and to Gd through the entire experience.
I recommend this shul to anyone out there who is either already Orthodox or who is looking at Orthodoxy as the destination on the derekh. It’s a welcoming place with friendly faces in a beautiful neighborhood.