A Community
For Everyone
South Florida is one of the world’s most dynamic and exciting places, and Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center embodies that global flavor. The breadth and diversity of our congregation ensures there is a comfortable home for everyone. Our mutual love and respect for one another ensures we all come together in fellowship.
A Center Of Jewish Civic Identity
and Community Service
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Since our founding as a modest store-front shteibel in 1976, the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center has lived up to its name: a center for Jewish life. Public intellectuals, foreign leaders, elected officials, distinguished professors, and newsmakers from around the world have found our congregation to be a thoughtful participant in the local, national, and global civic discussion. Local mayors, lawmakers, and other government leaders spend time with our congregation because they know us to be intellectually curious and meaningfully engaged. As a result, American Presidents, Israeli Prime Ministers and hopefuls for both offices have visited our congregation. And because we believe American Judaism is part of a robust and mutually-supportive community, we are a center for community service: hundreds of us gather routinely to build holiday meal kits, host food drives, and lead interfaith solidarity events that ensure our Muslim and Christian neighbors – as well as fellow Jews in other congregations – can celebrate their faith without fear of persecution.
Praying in Your Language
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Judaism transcends nationality and language, and so does our congregation. As a leading congregation in the global Conservative/Masorti movement, our services are centered with Hebrew prayers and traditional readings from the Torah and Haftarah when appropriate. Participants in our egalitarian daily minyan, in which both women and men are counted equally, will recognize the nusach/melodies of our parents, grandparents, and ancestors. Our Shabbat and holiday services are conducted in English with explanatory commentary on the liturgy and sermons, study sessions, or dialogues from one or both of our rabbis. On the High Holidays, we host a popular, clergy-led service in Spanish, bringing the melodies, languages and traditions of Latin America. Portugese, Hebrew, Russian, French, and other languages frequently echo in our halls as we continue our commitment towards a diverse and inclusive kehilah/community.
Explore Events and Programs
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More than ever, Judaism is practiced today in many ways. The Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center is constantly evolving to meet those needs. Through the creativity and passion of our members, we have built an unmatched menu of events and programs. Art aficionados will find a regular schedule of movie screenings and book clubs. Musicians can join our choir, home chefs participate in master-class cooking demonstrations, and fitness buffs sign up for our Peleton group. Our social calendar is underpinned by vigorous sisterhood and brotherhood groups, planning everything from casino-night fundraisers to Scotch-tasting Talmud sessions. No matter how you connect with your Judaism, Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center is ready to be your synagogue home.
Lifelong Learning
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Questions, far more than answers, are the defining element of Judaism. Our congregation is passionate about knowledge, study and reflection. We learn ancient texts and debate how they still speak to us in modern times. As a hub of lifelong learning, the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center commits itself to being a living classroom at every phase of life: our Tauber Academy provides a sought-after full-day early-childhood program from newborn through kindergarten. Our supplementary “Hebrew’s Cool” youth education leverages music, drama, cooking, dance, storytelling, and community service to infuse our children with a love of Judaism. B’nai mitzvah students and teens grades 7 to 10 plan a wide range of social and cultural events before, during and after their milestone moment. Adult education is the rising star of our learning programming, with a growing list of a wide range of one-time classes, multi-session programs, and ongoing series. We’re the Maccabees religious fanatics or heroic warriors? What does the story of Sarah’s servant Hagar teach us about dealing with strangers? How do Jewish ethics help us think about pandemic response? In our congregation, our hearts and minds are always growing and expanding.
Celebrate Arts and Culture
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Artistic creativity has always been intertwined with Judaism, and our congregation embraces that relationship. National authors of both fiction and nonfiction routinely appear for special events. We screen thought-provoking films about Jewish identity and history. Our musical performance span across eras and genres. And, of course, food is central to both our cultural heritage and Miami’s international reputation, allowing us to regularly feature interactive cooking events with important chefs. In art, as in Judaism, we challenge ourselves to ask meaningful questions while enjoying the company of our friends and neighbors.