Founded in 1954, the congregation is a member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and is led by Rabbi Barry Dov Katz, who was appointed to the position in 1998.

On the morning of October 8, 2000, the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year, two Molotov cocktails were thrown, but did not ignite, at the synagogue's door.

[1][2][3] 21-year-old Mazin Assi was found guilty on seven counts of weapons possession, harassment and attempted arson, along with hate crimes violations and received 15 years in prison.

[4][5][6] Separate trials for Assi and Alfaqih took place in the Bronx County Courthouse, but the respective juries heard the same testimony and saw the same evidence.

Assi was defended by attorney Stanley Cohen[7] and Lynne Stewart[8] and appealed his sentence, arguing that the hate crime law had not gone into effect on the day of the attack.