Re-Entry Theater of Harlem
Empowering Through Art
Re-Entry Theater of Harlem collaborates with incredible organizations committed to supporting individuals impacted by incarceration and building stronger, more inclusive communities.
Central Synagogue is an inclusive and welcoming congregation that invites participation from all who seek a connection to Jewish life and sacred community. It affirms belonging regardless of religious background, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and remains committed to being an open tent—especially for those who have been historically and institutionally marginalized or excluded from the Jewish community.
Rooted in the Jewish responsibility to "welcome the stranger," Central Synagogue upholds hospitality and dignity as core religious values. As a proud Reform Jewish congregation and a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, it provides a spiritual home not only for Reform Jews, but also for members and visitors from all Jewish denominations. Central also welcomes people of every religion and expression of faith, including those who identify as agnostic, atheist, or questioning.
This commitment to inclusion and community is reflected in Central Synagogue's role as home to the Re-Entry Theater of Harlem (RTH), a program created by and for people with lived experience in the U.S. criminal legal system. RTH's mission is to empower and support individuals in safe, creative spaces as they navigate the difficult transition from prison back into society. Through art, rituals, and theatrical rites of passage, participants work to address and move through the shame, stigma, and trauma of incarceration, ultimately devising and enacting a threshold crossing that formally marks re-entry into community and a new stage of life.
RTH members meet at Central Synagogue for rehearsal and community-building opportunities, fostering connection, resilience, and belonging in alignment with Central's values.
Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) is a private, nonprofit community development financing organization (a certified CDFI) focused on sustaining economic revitalization in Upper Manhattan through job creation, corporate alliances, strategic investments, and small business assistance.
Through flexible capital solutions and targeted investments, UMEZ supports stronger, safer, and more vibrant neighborhoods—including Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood—and invests in workforce development models that connect residents to quality jobs with clear pathways to careers.
Founded in 1973, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) was built on the belief that artists and communities are deeply interconnected—and that investing in creative work helps build a more just, equitable, and sustainable New York City. For nearly five decades, LMCC has served, connected, and made space for artists through artist residencies that provide studio space, professional development, and meaningful opportunities to share work with the public, as well as grant programs that fuel hundreds of neighborhood-based arts projects each year.
From bringing free performances and large-scale public programs to Lower Manhattan—including the River To River Festival and Open Studios—to supporting recovery and resiliency after 9/11 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, LMCC has continued to expand access to the arts across Manhattan. In 2019, LMCC opened its renovated and expanded permanent home, The Arts Center at Governors Island—a 40,000-square-foot, free public arts space that embodies its mission to make room for artists, audiences, and community to gather, create, and thrive.
The Rikers Public Memory Project collects and makes visible the stories of people most impacted by Rikers Island, to mobilize action toward repairing its generational harms and interrupting the dehumanizing narratives about people harmed by Rikers.
Through community engagement, storytelling, and advocacy, the project centers the voices of those who have experienced incarceration at Rikers, working to transform public understanding and drive meaningful systemic change in the criminal justice system.
The Louis Armstrong House Museum is advancing its mission to transform lives through its intensive eight-week Justice Arts Workshops. Now in its second year—delivered in partnership with Phoenix House and the Re-entry Theatre of Harlem—the program welcomed a new cohort of participants who explored a wide range of artistic practices, including spoken word and poetry, theater, collage, painting, and mask-making.
Each workshop centers the transformative power of arts education and draws inspiration from the enduring legacy and remarkable life of Louis Armstrong, demonstrating how creative expression can foster healing, build community, and create pathways to successful reintegration.