Astoria Center of Israel

Learn About the Astoria Center of Israel ACI offers Jewish religious, cultural, and education services, as well as providing a long history of civic leadership throughout our more than 75 year history. The rootsof The Astoria Center of Israel can actually be traced back to what some of us consider as our parent Shul, the former Congregation Mishkan Israel. Mishkan Israel, whose building was erected in 1906, stood next to our Shul from the time of our building inception in 1925 until a fire destroyed the Mishkan building in the 1980s. Records exist that can trace the beginnings of what became Congregation Mishkan Israel to the 1880s. So in a sense, we can say that the ACI has had a Jewish presence here in Astoria since before the turn of the twentieth century. Throughout the years, and under the leadership ( both clergy and lay ) of many devoted and creative people, ACI became and remains the dynamic Jewish spiritual, social, cultural, educational home to a multitude of people. Many still keep in contact with us from all over the world. We have always had excellent relations with other communal organizations in the area and have been a welcoming forum for civic events in Western Queens.