Hey! Shalom! Privyet!
Welcome to Base Manhattan, the home of Rabbi Dimitry Ekshtut, Erica Frankel, and their family—and a gathering place for Jewish young adults from across New York City.
In our home, Judaism is not something you simply attend. It is a living tradition: something to learn, question, sing, wrestle with, practice, and celebrate together. We gather for Shabbat and holiday meals, Jewish learning, living the Jewish calendar, service, conversation, joyous encounters, and community. Did we mention community? Everything (everything!) we do is about community.
Whether you grew up immersed in Jewish life, are finding your way back, are exploring Judaism for the first time, or are accompanying someone you love, there is room for you here.
Come with your questions, your stories, and your appetite. We look forward to welcoming you into our home.
A rabbinic entrepreneur, educator, musician, and builder of Jewish community, Rabbi Dimitry Ekshtut has been at the forefront of cultivating innovative yet traditionally-rooted urban Jewish life for over a decade.
Born in Leningrad, USSR, Dimitry immigrated with his family at the age of five to Philadelphia, PA. While in middle and high school, he fell in love with the guitar, motivating him to move to New York and pursue a career as a professional musician. He holds a Bachelor’s of Music (Jazz Performance) degree and a Master’s of Music Education, both from New York University. Dimitry has had an active career teaching music in public, private, and charter schools throughout New York City.
Since 2016, Dimitry has worked to build Jewish community in Harlem and upper Manhattan. From 2016-2026, Dimitry directed Base Harlem, welcoming thousands of young adults in their twenties and thirties to his home for shabbat, holiday celebrations, learning, and service opportunities. Beyond Base, he has co-founded several uptown Jewish communities, notably Kehillat Harlem in 2017 and most recently Tzibur Harlem in 2024, where Dimitry serves as spiritual leader. Dimitry also teaches as an adjunct professor of Jewish Studies at City College of New York, and is a sought-out speaker and educator within the Russian-speaking Jewish community. In July 2026, Rabbi Dimitry and his wife Erica Frankel began their tenure as the full-time rabbinic couple of Base Manhattan, alongside their two daughters, Maayan and Dalia. Dimitry received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT).
Erica Frankel is a Jewish educational visionary, spiritual leader, and social entrepreneur. By day, as Executive Director of Assembly, she equips leaders and organizations to build communities rooted in meaningful relationships and transformative gathering. Over the past 18 years, she has founded and grown numerous Jewish organizations and initiatives, trained hundreds of rabbis and educators, and helped seed a flourishing Jewish ecosystem in Harlem. Erica
For over a decade, Dimitry and Erica have welcomed thousands of people into their home—setting more than 13,000 places at their table. Their favorite project remains the same: creating a home in which people encounter one another and Jewish tradition with warmth, depth, honesty, and joy
Discover Base Manhattan’s upcoming events and offerings
We can’t wait to see you at a gathering soon!
