Check out more about KKJ, our history, culture, and community.
Have a thought or Question? Feel Free to Reach Out!
Learn more about our community at Kehila Kedosha Janina (the Holy Community of Janina) and discover the nearly 2,300 year old history of the Romaniote Jews of Greece.
Meet our communal leadership and read our monthly newsletters. Explore our museum and join us at our unique Greek Jewish events. Explore our historic building erected in 1927 and restored to its original conditions. We are proud to be listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and a designated New York City Landmark since 2004.
About Us
Kehila Kedosha Janina, at the same location on the Lower East Side for the past 98 years, is the last remaining Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Our active community still conducts weekly services in the traditional Romaniote liturgy. ​
Join us for our weekly Shabbat and Jewish holiday services. Use our state-of-the-art facility to host a wedding, bar/bat mitzvah, family reunion, or other events.
Religious Services
Learn more about Greek Jewry and Jewish Life on the Lower East Side. Our museum is open to the public for guided tours by appointment on Sundays and during the week. Visitors are encouraged to email info@kkjsm.org to schedule your visit.
The museum serves as a repository for Greek Jewish history and culture. It also hosts a variety of events throughout the year including lectures, book signings, film screenings, and concerts.
Museum and Tours
News & Announcements
Our DNA, Our Story: The Jewish Genetic Discovery Foundation​
Sunday July 27 at 1pm
​​
Over the past 25 years, geneticists, genealogists, and historians have unlocked an extraordinary resource for understanding Jewish history: our own DNA. For the past five years, dedicated researchers from the US, Israel, Europe, and beyond have collaborated online to map genetic links between Jewish communities - Sephardim, Romaniotes, Ashkenazim, and others - tracing their shared ancestry back to the classical Roman world and ancient Judaea. Join us to learn more about this exciting new research from leading researchers Josh Lipson, Jeremy Kotlyar, & Eric Kolchinsky.
The Jews of Edirne - Presentation
​Sunday June 22 at 1pm
Join us when we welcome Professor Jacob Daniels for a presentation of his new book "The Jews of Edirne." Professor Daniels will explore how one of the world’s largest Sephardic communities dealt with the encroachment of modern borders as the Ottoman Empire declined in the early 20th century. Using Ladino, French, English, and Turkish sources, Daniels offers a new take on the ways in which ethno-religious minorities experienced the transition from empire to nation-state.
Please RSVP to Amarcus@kkjsm.org
Torah & Taverna Night
June 17 at 7:30pm
A Monthly Salon of Greek Jewish Culture, Thought, and Music​. Join us on Tuesday June 17 at 7:30pm for our monthly evening program Torah & Taverna Night! Each month features guest Jewish educators and musicians and offers an engaging evening of insights, live music, delicious Greek food, and more. Please RSVP to Amarcus@kkjsm.org
Reaping & Revelation - Shabbat Class led by Theo Canter
May 31 at 9:30am​
Join us on Saturday May 31 for a special Shabbat class in preparation for Shavuot led by KKJ Community Engagement Fellow Theo Canter. Theo will share insights on the fascinating agricultural, societal, and spiritual history of the holiday from a variety of sources across continents and millennia. Shabbat morning services start at 9:30am, followed by lunch at 12:30pm and the class at 1pm. Please RSVP to Amarcus@kkjsm.org
Our Story
Connect with Us
Have a question? Want to learn more about our history? Interested in joining our community?
Reach Out!
​Email:
Follow Us on Facebook, X, and YouTube!
