Membership Information
JCCH invites you to join our community. We hope you will become an active part of the life of our congregation whether through prayer, learning, social action, or any of the many ways you can participate here. Every member’s participation serves to strengthen our entire community.
JCCH is an inclusive, egalitarian congregation. Our members include people of diverse ages, backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, income levels, and approaches to religious practice and thought. We are individuals. We are single parent, double parent, interfaith, multiracial, empty nester, blended families, and more. Whoever you are — we welcome you to learn, pray, and create a community with us.
JCCH is a Conservative synagogue with a diverse and growing membership. Our congregation is engaged, dedicated, and enthusiastic about their Jewish journeys and explorations. Anyone wishing to learn more about Judaism, grow spiritually, and live Jewishly will find a warm and supportive place at JCCH.
If you are interested in finding out more about membership, contact the JCCH office at 914-835-2850.
See below for additional information on the warm welcome interfaith families may expect at the JCCH.
Interfaith at the JCCH
The Jewish Community Center of Harrison is a religiously progressive and Conservative-affiliated congregation that is proud to warmly welcome interfaith families where one parent is Jewish.
- A significant and growing number of our younger families, in particular, include one Jewish and one non-Jewish parent. In other words, you won’t be the only such family!
- Non-Jewish spouses are full-voting members of the congregation (this is not the case in all congregations).
- We offer special learning opportunities – including on the High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) for individuals with little or no Jewish background.
- Our programmatic offerings (community service, recreation, social, educational) are equally open and equally appropriate for Jews and non-Jews.
- For years, we have welcomed supportive non-Jews to serve on our Board of Trustees and committees. (At present, two of our trustees are not Jewish.) Their perspective adds immeasurably to the work of our community.
- Our prayerbooks (Siddurim) and Bibles include English translation as well as the transliteration of most prayers.
- Throughout our Jewish ritual practices, there are opportunities for the non-Jewish spouse to participate actively or to observe respectfully. Significantly – and not the case everywhere – non-Jewish parents participate fully in the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony for their child, including at the Torah table/Bimah.
Our clergy as well as members of our interfaith families—are available to speak with you via phone or in person to help you and your entire family feel fully comfortable in our special community!