Woodburn Shul

Join us as we explore and say Shema in different, unique Shuls around the world. Next stop: The Woodburn Shul Woodburn is burning. Not just with heat with Yiddishkeit. Tucked away in the Catskills, the Woodburn Shul was built in 1920 in a rare Carpenter Gothic wooden style, almost unheard of for synagogues in the U.S. But what’s even more rare? The energy this place holds. Once nearly abandoned, in 2010, Rabbi Mordechai Jungreis of the Nikolsburg Chassidic dynasty breathed new life into it. What was once a quiet shul with just a few dozen attendees has now become a spiritual gas station with over 80,000 visitors every summer. Minyanim run every few minutes. Doors open nearly 24/7. Free food. Hot coffee. Cold ices. Warm hearts. No judgment. No barriers. Just home. “It’s not our shul. It’s your shul. And you’re always welcome.” More than just a synagogue, the Woodburn Shul is the beating heart of Jewish life in upstate New York. If you’re ever in the Catskills, you have to experience it.