For many decades, there stood a Catholic school named St. Agnes Seminary on the corner of Avenue R and East 23rd Street in the Madison section of Brooklyn. Over the years, the noticeable demographic shift in the neighborhood could no longer be denied. The predominantly mixed neighborhood of both Christians and non-religious Jews was gradually disappearing, while a dramatic rise in the growth of the Orthodox Jewish community was taking shape.
St. Agnes Seminary was gasping for air, as its enrollment had dwindled and its parishioners were moving away by the droves. A decision was finally made to sell St. Agnes. The building has now become the new home of a Mikdash Melech Yeshiva elementary school for girls up to 3rd grade, and a brand new Sephardic shul called the Madison Torah Center.
The synagogue, which officially opened its doors for Shabbat services on Parshat Noach, has become an exciting new addition to the neighborhood, and plans are underway to make it into a vibrant place of Torah learning.
Said Rabbi Shmuel Ani of Mikdash Melech, “We are thrilled to announce the opening of a fully functioning Sephardic shul with daily and Shabbat minyanim in the heart of Madison. This building that now houses the Madison Torah Center was the former home of a Catholic seminary, so we invested the funds necessary to remove all vestiges of Christian worship. All the crosses, statues and various idols had to be removed and now our new home is looking more like a true Beit Knesset. We thank Hashem for giving us the wherewithal to proceed with this most important project for our Sephardic brethren.”
According to Rabbi Ani, the daily prayer schedule is as follows: From Monday through Friday, daily morning classes will begin at 6:30 am to be followed by Shaharit at 7:15 am. Evening classes will begin at 9:00 pm, followed by Arbit at 9:45 pm. On Sunday, morning classes will commence at 7:30 am, followed by Shaharit at 8:15 am. Breakfast will be served daily after Shaharit.
The Shabbat schedule is: Minha on Friday afternoon at candle lighting time, followed by the Friday night drasha to be given by the illustrious Rabbi David Maslaton. Shaharit on Shabbat morning will begin at 8:30 am, followed by Kiddush and classes at 10:45 am. Minha on Shabbat afternoon will begin 30 minutes before sunset to be followed by Seudah Shlishit, Drasha and Arbit. Havdalah will begin 45 minutes after sunset.
Rabbi Refael Mizrachi, the assistant rabbi of the new synagogue, announced that, “Rabbi Isaac Cohen will assume the position of Ba’al Koreh as well as leading a children’s learning program for boys up to 3rd grade. Rabbi Yehoshua Sananes will be leading another learning program for boys ages 8-12. Both learning programs will take place after Mussaf and Arbit.”
Abe Ades, a congregant of Madison Torah Center commented that, “The atmosphere at the Madison Torah Center radiates with such genuine warmth. You always see friendly, smiling faces and it is such a wonderful place to pray and learn. I attend the morning classes and they carry me through my day. I really couldn’t be happier.”
Another congregant, Shai Masri said, “I was one of the original members of the Madison Torah Center, and I really think that this synagogue fulfills a unique niche in our community. When you pray and learn there, you feel like you truly belong. It is sort of a boutique shul, permeated with a genuine sense of warmth and love of Torah. The fact that it’s a close-knit and exuberant congregation makes it even more special. I would describe this synagogue as a traditional Syrian shul with an active Beit Medrash, filled with young people. My son is 11 and he participates in the Torah learning class for boys and he really enjoys it. He’s very happy and is eager to attend synagogue and to engross himself in his learning.”
A most unique feature of the Madison Torah Center is that it is the only synagogue in Flatbush that has its own parking lot.
Rabbi Mizrachi added, “We welcome every Jew in Brooklyn and other areas to come and pray and learn Torah with us. With our programs for women and children as well, we hope to develop, with Hashem’s help, a family-oriented synagogue with daily activities and a full year-round schedule.”
For more information on the Madison Torah Center, please call: (646) 236-9609.
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Fern Sidman is an investigative journalist and prolific writer whose articles have appeared in many Jewish publications. She is currently editing a book on Jewish parenting.
