Congregation Emanu El | Houston Reform Synagogue

Houston Reform synagogue serving a broad Jewish community

About Congregation Emanu El

Congregation Emanu El is a Reform synagogue in Houston affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism. Founded in 1944, it offers worship, Jewish learning, community programs, social action, pastoral support, and family activities for more than 1,600 member households. Rabbi Oren Hayon has served as senior rabbi since 2015. emanuelhouston.org

What they do

Congregation Emanu El provides Jewish worship, education, lifecycle and pastoral support, community-building programs, volunteer opportunities, and social-justice initiatives. Its current programming includes the Shalva Project, created with Alexander Jewish Family Service to provide mental-health support, and The Gathering Place, a program offering connection for people living with early to moderate memory loss while giving family caregivers respite. emanuelhouston.org

Who they serve

The congregation serves Jewish individuals and families across Houston, including people of different ages, abilities, backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and family configurations. Its membership materials describe a community of more than 1,600 households, while its programs also engage caregivers, people experiencing dementia or memory loss, interfaith families, and the wider Houston community. emanuelhouston.org

Recent signals

The congregation currently promotes The Shalva Project, a partnership with Alexander Jewish Family Service that provides mental-health support, healing, community, and connection for congregants. emanuelhouston.org
The congregation’s current site highlights The Gathering Place, a year-round program for people with early to moderate Alzheimer’s, dementia, or memory loss that also provides respite for family caregivers. emanuelhouston.org
Emanu El held a March 26, 2026 celebration marking Rabbi Oren Hayon’s tenth year as senior rabbi. emanuelhouston.org
The congregation’s current membership materials report more than 1,600 member households. emanuelhouston.org

Reasons to get in touch

The Gathering Place gives the congregation an established connection to dementia, memory loss, and caregiver respite; useful conversations could focus on how faith communities support families navigating those circumstances. emanuelhouston.org
The Shalva Project shows an active partnership with Alexander Jewish Family Service around congregant mental-health support, creating a basis for discussing coordinated pastoral and social-service care. emanuelhouston.org
The congregation marked Rabbi Oren Hayon’s tenth year as senior rabbi in March 2026, making leadership continuity and the next phase of congregational priorities relevant topics. emanuelhouston.org
Emanu El’s membership and programming span multiple generations and family configurations, which may make intergenerational engagement and accessible community programming useful subjects for discussion. emanuelhouston.org

Questions worth asking them

How has The Gathering Place shaped the way Emanu El supports congregants living with memory loss and the family members caring for them?
What needs led Emanu El to establish the Shalva Project with Alexander Jewish Family Service, and how is the partnership developing?
After Rabbi Hayon’s first decade as senior rabbi, what congregational priorities are most important for the next several years?