What is Connect2Kehilla?

Connect2Kehilla is a free community SMS information accessibility program of Education on the Go Corp, a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 92-1172505). Text (888) 516-3399 with what you need and your ZIP code to instantly find kosher store information, minyan times, zmanim, community jobs, and emergency alerts. Works on any phone — no smartphone or internet required.

How do I search for community information by SMS?

Text "+1 (888) 516-3399" with your request — for example: "specials 11213" (kosher store specials by ZIP), "minyan Crown Heights" (davening times by area), or "zmanim 11225". You will get an instant reply with relevant community information.

Is Connect2Kehilla free?

Yes — Connect2Kehilla is 100% free for everyone. There are no paid tiers, no subscriptions, and no premium placements. Business listings are completely free. Connect2Kehilla is supported entirely by voluntary tax-deductible donations to Education on the Go Corp, our parent 501(c)(3) public charity. Standard carrier text message rates may apply.

What areas does Connect2Kehilla serve?

We serve Brooklyn (Williamsburg, Crown Heights, Boro Park, Flatbush), Monsey, Monroe/Kiryas Joel, Lakewood, Five Towns (Cedarhurst, Lawrence), Teaneck, Passaic, Staten Island, and surrounding Jewish communities.

What can I find besides community information?

Text "mincha 11225" for minyan/shul times, "zmanim 11213" for daily halachic times (sunrise, sunset, plag, Shma, Sefirat HaOmer), "SPECIALS" for kosher grocery information, "JOBS" for community work boards, or "MENU" to see all options.

How does Connect2Kehilla sustain itself as a free nonprofit program?

Connect2Kehilla is a program of Education on the Go Corp, a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 92-1172505). All operating costs are covered by voluntary tax-deductible donations from supporters. Visit /donate to support the program.

Does Connect2Kehilla work on flip phones?

Yes — any phone that can send SMS works, including kosher flip phones without internet. The program is specifically designed for users without smartphones.

What languages are supported?

English, Hebrew (עברית), and Yiddish (אידיש). Search queries work in all three languages.

Is Connect2Kehilla approved by Rabbonim?

Yes. Connect2Kehilla is proud to be recognized by the Beis Din of Crown Heights as a valuable and appropriate service for the community. We maintain the highest standards of technology use as outlined by our Rabbonim.

Connect2KehillaText Us

Our Service

Every SMS command, in one place

Text (888) 516-3399 with any of the keywords below. Add a ZIP code or neighborhood to make results local — no internet, app, or browser required.

Business search

Find stores, offices, restaurants, and services.

Daily needs

Specials, minyan times, jobs, zmanim, and calendar help.

Community updates

Simchos, news-style announcements, charity, and subscriptions when posted.

Find a Business or Service

Free text search across thousands of kosher-friendly businesses and local services. Just type what you need plus a ZIP code or neighborhood.

SEARCH

Find any business

Type a service or business name plus a ZIP or neighborhood. Connect2Kehilla returns concise SMS results with phone numbers and addresses when available.

Examples

▸ plumber 11213
▸ electrician 11225
▸ dentist Williamsburg
▸ pharmacy Crown Heights
▸ Lemofet Glass

Add your business →

RESTAURANT

also: RESTAURANTS / KOSHER FOOD / EAT

Find a kosher restaurant near you

Search for kosher restaurants, cafes, pizza shops, sushi spots, bakeries, takeout, caterers, and more — by ZIP code or neighborhood. Results include phone, address, and (where available) the hashgacha (kashrus certification: OU, Star-K, OK, Vaad Queens, Vaad 5T, CHK, etc.).

Examples

▸ restaurant 11213
▸ kosher restaurant near me
▸ pizza 11225
▸ sushi Crown Heights
▸ dairy restaurant Monsey
▸ cafe Boro Park
▸ meat restaurant Five Towns

Browse certified restaurants by hashgacha →

A / H

also: ADDRESS / HOURS

Address & hours

After you receive a list of businesses, reply A or ADDRESS to get the full address. Reply H or HOURS to get the hours of operation.

Examples

▸ A
▸ ADDRESS
▸ H
▸ HOURS

Simchos & Community News

Stay informed about simchas, l’chaims, and community announcements when they are available — and submit your own for review.

SIMCHA

Mazel Tovs & engagements

Get recent engagements, weddings, births, bar/bat mitzvas in your area when posted — or submit your own for review.

Examples

▸ SIMCHA 11225
▸ SIMCHA Crown Heights
▸ ADD SIMCHA

📬 Subscribe: SUBSCRIBE SIMCHA

Post a Mazel Tov on the web →

LECHAIM

L’chaim events

Get l’chaim announcements in your community — date, time, and address when available. Post yours for free.

Examples

▸ LECHAIM 11225
▸ LECHAIM Williamsburg
▸ ADD LECHAIM

📬 Subscribe: SUBSCRIBE LECHAIM

Davening, Zmanim & Calendar

Halachic times, Shabbos candle-lighting, Sefiras Ha’Omer, Rosh Chodesh, fasts, and Birkat Levana — all by ZIP.

ZMANIM

Daily zmanim by ZIP

Sunrise (netz), shkiah, candle-lighting, plag haminchah, sof zman shema — calculated for your ZIP.

Examples

▸ ZMANIM 11225
▸ ZMANIM Crown Heights

Web view →

CANDLE

Shabbos candle lighting

The exact candle-lighting time for this Erev Shabbos at your location, plus Motzei Shabbos.

Examples

▸ CANDLE 11225
▸ CANDLE 11211

SFIRA

Sefiras Ha’Omer

Today’s Omer count with the proper bracha text. Subscribe for a daily evening reminder.

Examples

▸ SFIRA

📬 Subscribe: SUBSCRIBE SFIRA

ROSH CHODESH

also: Note: write full words, not RC

Next Rosh Chodesh

Date and day(s) of the upcoming Rosh Chodesh. Subscribe for a monthly reminder.

Examples

▸ ROSH CHODESH

📬 Subscribe: SUBSCRIBE ROSH CHODESH

FAST

Next public fast

The next fast day (Tzom Gedaliah, Asarah b’Teves, Taanis Esther, Shiva Asar b’Tammuz, Tisha B’Av) with start and end times.

Examples

▸ FAST
▸ FAST 11225

BIRKAT LEVANA

also: Note: write full words, not BL

Kiddush Levana window

The opening and closing times of the current month’s Kiddush Levana window.

Examples

▸ BIRKAT LEVANA

📬 Subscribe: SUBSCRIBE BIRKAT LEVANA

MINYAN

Minyan times — shacharis, mincha, maariv

Find the nearest minyan by ZIP, neighborhood, or shul name. You can also search by tefillah name directly.

Examples

▸ MINYAN 11225
▸ MINYAN 770 Eastern Pkwy
▸ shacharis Crown Heights
▸ mincha 11213
▸ maariv Williamsburg

Add your shul: text ADD MINYAN

Jobs & Workforce

Find work or post a job. Free for both sides. ZIP-coded so notifications stay relevant.

JOBS

Job board

Walks you through a menu: looking for work, hiring, or posting a job. Includes specialized categories like babysitter, cleaning, para, home attendant, cook, tutor, driver, mover, etc.

Examples

▸ JOBS
▸ JOBS 11225
▸ JOBS Crown Heights
▸ ADD JOB
▸ HIRE driver Crown Heights

📬 Subscribe: SUBSCRIBE JOBS 11225

Web view of all jobs →

Specials & Deals

Weekly grocery and store specials from the kosher supermarkets in your area.

SPECIALS

Kosher grocery deals

Get a list of stores in your area. Reply with the store number to see this week’s deals. Updated every Thursday morning before Shabbos shopping.

Examples

▸ SPECIALS 11225
▸ SPECIALS Williamsburg
▸ SPECIALS Lakewood

Charity, Gmach & Shidduch

Tzedaka, free-loan offers, and matchmaking services — all accessible by SMS.

CHARITY

Tzedaka & donations

Search for charity organizations by category and area. List your nonprofit (free for registered organizations).

Examples

▸ CHARITY food 11225
▸ CHARITY medical Crown Heights
▸ DONATE [organization name]
▸ ADD CHARITY

📬 Subscribe: SUBSCRIBE CHARITY 11225

Submit a charity →

GMACH

Free-loan services

Subscribe to nearby Gmach offers — baby items, wedding goods, money, medical, furniture, food, and more. Each offer includes a contact and pickup info.

Examples

▸ SUBSCRIBE GMACH 11225
▸ UNSUBSCRIBE GMACH

📬 Subscribe: SUBSCRIBE GMACH 11225

SHIDDUCH

Matchmaking & singles

Three options: looking for a shidduch, a shadchan registering, or submitting a resume. All info is kept private.

Examples

▸ SHIDDUCH
▸ SHIDDUCHIM

Full matchmaking site →

Subscriptions & Account

Subscribe to topical alerts. Manage what you receive. Stop anytime with a single keyword.

MY SUBS

View your subscriptions

Lists every alert topic you’re currently subscribed to.

Examples

▸ MY SUBS

UNSUBSCRIBE

also: UNSUB <topic>

Unsubscribe from a topic

Pass a topic to stop one feed, or send UNSUBSCRIBE alone to stop all alerts at once.

Examples

▸ UNSUBSCRIBE SIMCHA
▸ UNSUB GMACH
▸ UNSUBSCRIBE

HELP

Compliance auto-reply

Carrier-required help message: pointer to support and STOP/MENU keywords. Msg & data rates may apply.

Examples

▸ HELP

STOP

Opt out completely

Stops every message from Connect2Kehilla. Send START to resubscribe.

Examples

▸ STOP
▸ START

List Your Business or Community Service

Get into our community directory so kosher-phone users can text-find you. 100% free for all kosher-friendly businesses, services, and community organizations — no tiers, no fees.

ADD BUSINESS

Submit a business by SMS

You’ll get a step-by-step template asking for name, category, phone, address, email, hours, and whether you offer specials.

Examples

▸ ADD BUSINESS

Submit on the web (free) →Add a service (handyman, driver, etc.) →Support our 501(c)(3) →

Try it now

Pick any command above. Text it to (888) 516-3399 and you'll get an answer in seconds — even on a kosher flip phone.

📱 Text (888) 516-3399

Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for support.

Quick reference

Find a Business or Service

SEARCH

RESTAURANT

A / H

Simchos & Community News

SIMCHA

LECHAIM

Davening, Zmanim & Calendar

ZMANIM

CANDLE

SFIRA

ROSH CHODESH

FAST

BIRKAT LEVANA

MINYAN

Jobs & Workforce

JOBS

Specials & Deals

SPECIALS

Charity, Gmach & Shidduch

CHARITY

GMACH

SHIDDUCH

Subscriptions & Account

SUBSCRIBE

MY SUBS

UNSUBSCRIBE

MENU

HELP

STOP

List Your Business or Community Service

ADD BUSINESS

Try it now