Riverdale Judaica moves to new location while practicing old tradition

[Wilhelm] just has a different view of the world and puts things in perspective for you.”

Victor Stein, Riverdale Judaica customer

After decades of serving the local community, Riverdale Judaica has relocated to a new space farther north on Riverdale Avenue, marking a new chapter for the local Jewish home goods business.

Owner Yisroel Wilhelm, who has lived his entire life in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, continues to provide a vast selection of Jewish decor items including Hanukkah menorahs, mezuzahs, Hamsa hands, which represent protection and strength and Jewish prayer books as well as plates used for Rosh Hashanah and Passover Seder kept safe inside glass display cases.

The brightly illuminated store shed light on the many items Riverdale Judaica has to offer, which included a collection of children’s and self-improvement books.

Having moved approximately 23 blocks north from 3706 Riverdale Ave. into his new location at 5691 Riverdale Ave. late last month, Wilhelm looks forward to duplicating the same success which kept him in business for 30 years, at this new location.

“I just wanted to help Jewish people in the community and provide them with home items they might need,” Wilhelm said when asked what his inspiration was to start his business 30 years ago.

Wilhelm said he hopes to get more involved in social media to continue to grow the business and reach more people in the borough and throughout the city.

“Everybody is on social media now,” Wilhelm said. “But I’m still trying to keep an old-fashioned feeling and neighborhood-type identity with this store.”

He picked the location because of its proximity to SAR High School, a modern Orthodox Jewish day school located just north of the Jewish home goods store, where students frequently visit after school to purchase items of Jewish tradition and culture that can be added to their households, according to Wilhelm

Riverdale Judaica was previously located on West 236th Street and Riverdale Avenue for 30 years, with the last location at 3706 Riverdale Ave. established in the mid-1990s.

When asked why he moved to a new location, Wilhelm said parking is easier for his customer base who travel from other sections of Riverdale, the Bronx, Westchester County and Connecticut.

Additionally, Wilhelm said he has a great appreciation for the several Kosher establishments in that section of Riverdale.

One Riverdale Judaica customer not only sees Wilhelm as a great business owner, but as a spiritual guide for the community.

“Wilhelm knows the Torah, he knows Jewish history, but he’s also just a very knowledgeable person who can provide a lot of insight,” Victor Stein said, a Holocaust survivor and customer of the shop for the past five years.

“I would describe him as a gem and a treasure to the community – he just has a different view of the world and puts things in perspective for you,” Stein added. 

On Thursday, Feb. 6, Riverdale Judaica announced via Facebook that longtime customer and friend, Judah Schorr, blessed the new location with a mezuzah – a scroll placed on the door frames of Jewish homes containing the commandments in the Torah and a reminder of God’s protection.

“It was our honor and privilege to have [Schorr] put up the mezuzah on the door of the new Riverdale Judaica location because of his friendship and help in making this dream happen,” the Facebook post read. With others commenting “mazel tov,” a Hebrew phrase meaning good luck.

Riverdale Judaica is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and closed on Saturdays for the Sabbath.

As Riverdale Judaica embarks on its next chapter, Wilhelm remains committed to preserving the heart of his business while embracing modern opportunities to serve both his loyal community and future generations.