Jewish Congregation of New Paltz
Kehillat Ahavat Achim
Introducing JCNP
Since our founding in 1964 and subsequent affiliation with the Reconstructionist Movement in 1984, Kehillat Ahavat Achim, the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz, has been a vibrant, egalitarian and intergenerational community, open to all Jews (by birth and by affiliation): singles, families, LGBTQ, interracial, interfaith couples and families. We are a place of prayer where individuals with varied spiritual goals and leanings find a comfortable home, and we are committed to creative education and meaningful Jewish study for our children and adult members. JCNP is in a vibrant community that leverages its proximity to a vast array of amenities to bolster the intellectual and spiritual life of congregation.
Services and Torah Study
Selections from our choir, Chai Notes
Lo Yisa Goy
Heal Us Now
Rabbi Adam Cerino-Jones to Become new JCNP Rabbi in August
The Jewish Congregation of New Paltz is pleased to announce that effective August 1, 2022, Rabbi William M. Strongin, the spiritual leader of Kehillat Ahavat Achim (JCNP) since 1984, will become Rabbi Emeritus. We are also excited to announce that Rabbi Adam Cerino-Jones has agreed to become the new JCNP rabbi.
In addition to leading JCNP for many years, officiating countless Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, and other life-cycle events, Rabbi Bill Strongin has been a community leader and a prolific writer. He has published many articles and book reviews in magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals on subjects including Ancient and Medieval Jewish History, Biblical and Talmudic studies, Comparative Theology, Science and Religion, and Holocaust studies. He is, however, most proud of the liturgical works he has authored for JCNP. The JCNP community is grateful for his many years of service to the congregation, and we are delighted that he and his family will remain key members of our congregation as we begin this new chapter.
Rabbi Adam Cerino-Jones will be assuming his new role on August 1st and will continue JCNP’s tradition of service and inclusiveness. He believes that a synagogue should be a place “where all Jews, Jew-adjacent loved ones, and those interested in Judaism should not only feel welcome and safe, but heard, respected, and valued. This means meeting people where they are and accompanying them on whatever the path of their life looks like.” Rabbi Adam is a recent graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RCC) who has been involved with multiple congregations, Jewish Student Unions, and served as hospital chaplain in an oncology unit. He also has more than 15 years of musical training and won the Evelyn R. Mehlman Jewish Music Award for 2020-21.
Rabbi Adam and his wife Katherine will be moving to the area this summer. We look forward to giving them a warm welcome and introducing them to the community at large. Stay tuned for further details on upcoming events.