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MANHATTAN SEPHARDIC CONGREGATION

New York, NY · EIN 133507561 · Form 990 · FY2020 · Small ($100K-$1M) · sepharad.org
revenue
$808K
expenses
$780K
net assets
$3.2M
employees
5
volunteers
10
program ratio
100%
mission · from form 990

Religious organization with higher learning and youth club

profile · synthesized from sources

Orthodox Sephardic congregation based in New York City, founded in 1990, that preserves Moroccan Jewish customs and prayer traditions. The organization offers daily and Shabbat services, religious learning programs for adults and children, holiday observances, and community events. It serves as a spiritual and cultural center for Jews of all backgrounds, with a focus on intergenerational transmission of Sephardic heritage.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Children's Program
Children's programming during Shabbat and holiday services, including special events like the reading of the Ten Commandments
Lag BaOmer Celebration
Annual community celebration with food, drinks, live music, and candle lighting, open to the entire congregation
Midnight Study (Tikun)
All-night Torah study session on Erev Shavuot featuring multiple speakers and scholars
Thursday Night Class with Marc Hazan
Weekly class for men and women studying Ben Ish Hai and the Book of Proverbs, held on Thursdays at 6:30 PM
Women's Torah Class
Weekly Torah study for women led by Rachel Benchimol, focusing on the weekly parsha
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Jewish Holiday and Shabbat Community Events 3 activities
    • Hosts High Holidays and festival religious services
      Organizes and hosts religious services for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Shavuot, and Lag BaOmer at its New York, NY facility. Activities include public readings such as the Ten Commandments on Shavuot, midnight study sessions (Tikun Leil Shavuot), and community celebrations with prayer and music. High Holiday seating is available to community members by confirmation.
    • Hosts regular religious services and Shabbat observances
      Provides daily prayer services, Shabbat observances including Seudah Shlishit meals on Shabbat afternoons, and regular evening prayers. These services are ongoing and form a core part of congregational life.
    • Organizes community social and cultural events
      Hosts social gatherings such as ice-cream parties on Shavuot and the annual Lag BaOmer celebration featuring live music, food, drinks, and community prayer. These events foster community engagement and cultural continuity.
  • Church and Congregation-Based Financial Aid 1 activity
    • Operates a charitable fund to support individuals in need
      Maintains a special charity fund to provide financial or material assistance to individuals within the community who are in need. The fund is part of the congregation’s broader religious and communal support mission.
  • Structured Jewish Text Study Programs 1 activity
    • Provides weekly Torah and religious education classes
      Offers weekly educational programming including Torah classes on the weekly Parsha for women, a Thursday night Torah class led by Marc Hazan, and weekly study sessions on Ben Ish Hai and the Book of Proverbs for men and women. These classes are followed by prayer services and are part of ongoing religious education.
financials · form 990 · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$808K
Contributions & grants$808K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$780K
Program expenses100%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$365K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.21M
Cash$398K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$3.21M
Liquid reserves6.1 mo
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020

Who runs it

paid leadership · 5
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Raphael Benchimol Rabbi 48 $108K
Arash Nefas Director 40 $55K
Marc Hazan Cantor 40 $50K
Gerardy Fortuna Maintenance 40 $36K
Chalom Sibony Bookkeeper 30 $35K
relationships · 8

Who they work with

  • Chava Press Partner — Community member who prepared the Seudah Shlishit meal during Shavuot.
  • Chava Press Partner — Prepared the Seudah Shlishit meal for the congregation.
  • France Government — Hosts dignitaries and scholars from France as part of its programming and community engagement.
  • Israel Government — Hosts dignitaries and scholars from Israel as part of its programming and community engagement.
  • Marc & Ofra Hazan Partner — Provided snacks for the Shavuot midnight study session in memory of family members.
  • Marc Hazan Partner — Leads weekly educational classes on Ben Ish Hai and the Book of Proverbs.
  • Morocco Government — Hosts dignitaries and scholars from Morocco and preserves Moroccan Jewish customs and prayer traditions.
  • Ofir Sofer Partner — Hosted the Minister of Aliyah and Integration for a Shabbat service.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Faith-Based Spiritual and Material Engagement
    methodology: faith-based_education_and_youth_development
    By integrating religious practice with charitable giving, communal meals, and educational programming, the congregation strengthens spiritual commitment and community cohesion because shared rituals and service create mutual responsibility and deeper connection.
  • Intergenerational Cultural Preservation
    methodology: cultural_preservation_through_community_engagement
    By preserving Moroccan Jewish customs and prayer practices through communal worship, education, and intergenerational programming, the congregation strengthens cultural continuity and community identity because shared tradition fosters belonging and transmission to future generations.
  • Religious Learning Integrated with Communal Life
    methodology: weekly-parsha-study
    By combining weekly Torah study centered on the Parsha with communal gatherings and shared refreshments, the congregation deepens religious engagement because connecting sacred texts to daily life and social connection fosters inclusive and sustained participation.