BROOKLYN HEIGHTS SYNAGOGUE HOMELESS SHELTER
Turning Faith Into Action

For over 40 years, Brooklyn Heights Synagogue (BHS) has been a place of refuge and care for our city's homeless. 

As a founding member of the New York City Emergency Shelter Network, we’re proud to operate a homeless shelter four nights a week (Monday-Thursday) that provides up to 10 men with a hot meal, a safe place to sleep, and—just as importantly—a sense of community and dignity.   

Prior to their arrival at our Shelter, CAMBA, Brooklyn’s largest social service agency, ensures that all shelter guests are all screened for the following: visual assessment for alcohol and drug sobriety and general hygiene, health assessment including respiratory and COVID symptoms and TB, psychiatric and psychosocial evaluations by a competent professional as well as screening all guests for weapons and contraband prior to leaving CAMBA's drop in center.

The men we serve come from all walks of life, united by the shared hardship of homelessness. Some are working during the day but lack a safe place to return to at night. Without our beds, many would have no alternative.

With the exception of an overnight security guard, our shelter is entirely powered by volunteers, from BHS members to our extended network of friends, including other local synagogues, churches, schools, and community groups.

From home-cooked meals delivered daily by members of the community to friendly faces serving and joining our guests for dinner, to our dedicated overnight volunteers who spend the evening to ensure everything goes according to plan, Brooklyn Heights Synagogue is more than a house of worship—it’s a home for those who need one most.

Thank you so much to those who have volunteered for Shelter. Whether you purchased items for the pantry, signed up as an evening coordinator or to prep/serve dinner, or volunteered overnight, your contribution makes a big difference to the community we support. We’re deeply grateful for the collective spirit that makes this program possible. View our FY2024 Shelter Season volunteers here.