East Meadow Jewish Center

East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center (EMJC) is a Conservative Jewish synagogue located in East Meadow, New York.[2][3] Temple Beth-El of Bellmore, New York, consolidated with East Meadow Jewish Center to create East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center. Rabbi Dr. Ronald L. Androphy has been the rabbi of the synagogue since 1983.

Not to be confused with East Midwood Jewish Center.
East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center
Religion
AffiliationConservative Judaism
LeadershipRabbi Dr. Ronald L. Androphy
StatusActive
Location
Location1400 Prospect Avenue,
East Meadow, New York, U.S.
Geographic coordinates40° 42' 17" N
73° 33' 53" W[1] 40°42′17″N 73°33′53″W
Architecture
GroundbreakingFebruary 27, 1956; congregation formed July 1, 1953 (1953-07-01)
Website
East Meadow Jewish Center

Early history

East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center is the consolidated entity of East Meadow Jewish Center and Temple Beth-El of Bellmore. The consolidation became official on October 23, 2020, The congregation was formed on July 1, 1953.[4] Ground-breaking ceremonies for the synagogue took place on February 27, 1956.[5] EMJC began with 115 founding members.[6][7] Harry W. Goldin was a co-founder, president, and chairman of the synagogue's board of trustees, and Sidney Feld was a founder and president as well.[8][9][10]

Dr. Israel Nobel was Rabbi of the synagogue in its early days (and subsequently Rabbi Emeritus), and Rabbi Irvin Beigel served at EMJC for four years in the 1980s.[11][12][13][14][15][16] Paul Carus was a cantor at the synagogue in its early years, as was David Tauber.[17][18][19][20] In the early 1960s, Melvin May was its assistant executive director.[21] The synagogue membership in the late 1960s was approximately 950 families.[4]

In the late 1980s, synagogue members protested against Soviet human rights violations.[22] Judge Fred J. Hirsh, of the Nassau County District Court, was the EMJC Men's Club Man of the Year in 1997.[23]

Recent history

Ronald L. Androphy has been the rabbi of the synagogue since September 1983.[20][24][25] After an alleged racial assault in East Meadow in 1989 in which a white East Meadow man was charged with beating two black teenagers with a golf club, the rabbi joined other local clerics, who said they were motivated by their conscience and felt an obligation to lead the community, in speaking out against the violence.[24]

Androphy focused on promoting greater understanding among religious groups. The synagogue's rabbi stressed the significance of the positive relationship the synagogue had with the local Methodist community.[26][27] After David Levinton, a 12-year-old Jewish boy who had been a member of the EMJC, died, the local Methodist church's congregation honored the child. It voted to replace a tree that had fallen down on the church property, and dedicate the new tree to Levinton and to another non-Methodist boy in the community who had also died.[26] In doing so, it voted down proposals to dedicate the tree to Theodore Roosevelt, Jack Kennedy, or Harry Truman.[26]

In 2001, Charles O'Shea, a Nassau County assessor, began to enforce an 1896 New York State law requiring that special tax assessments be paid on homes bought by synagogues and churches for their rabbis and ministers.[28] At the same time, New York State law provided houses of worship with a tax exemption on property used for religious purposes.[28] Androphy observed:

There is a long history in this country of a separation of church and state, and the exemption of religious property from taxes. I think it's a dangerous precedent to set, because if the government can assess taxes for one purpose, what is to prevent it from assessing taxes on church and synagogue property in general? My great fear is that down the line governments might assume that the right to tax gives them the right to regulate. That would be an extremely dangerous breakdown of the separation of church and state.[28]

Temple Beth-El of Bellmore, New York, a 70-year-old congregation, consolidated with East Meadow Jewish Center to create East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center.[29]

Activities and membership

In addition to providing prayer services, the synagogue has a nursery school, a Hebrew school, a men's club, a sisterhood, a youth group, and adult education classes.[30][31] As of 2009, the synagogue had nine torahs.[32]

As of 2010, Ken Martin was EMJC's president, Scott Goodman was its chairman of the board, Shira Ornstein was the principal of its Hebrew school, and Silvia Kogan was the director of its nursery school.[31][33][34]

As of 2019, the synagogue had a membership of about 350 families.[4]

Rabbi

Rabbi Androphy received his rabbinate from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a doctorate from Harvard University.[4][25][27][28]

References
  1. "East Meadow Jewish Center-Nassau County, NY; Topography, Elevation, Lat, Long, Maps". Trails.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  2. Oded Rosen (1983). The Encyclopedia of Jewish institutions: United States & Canada. Mosadot Publications. pp. 248, 483. ISBN 9780913185001. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  3. Oscar Israelowitz (1990). Oscar Israelowitz's Guide to Jewish Canada & U.S.A.: Eastern provinces. Vol. 1. Israelowitz Pub. ISBN 0-9611036-8-X. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  4. "East Meadow Jewish Center to celebrate its 65th anniversary with 'quintuple bar mitzvah'". Herald Community Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  5. "Jewish Unit to Break Ground". The New York Times. February 26, 1956. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  6. "Deaths". The New York Times. April 9, 1962. p. 29. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  7. "Sylvia Morrison, 69, of Freeport". Newsday. July 2, 1989. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  8. Eric R. QuinZones (July 30, 1993). "Harry W. Goldin, 78, Jewish Leader". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  9. "Obituaries". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. November 23, 2004. p. 7B. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  10. "[[Miami Herald]], November 23, 2004, retrieved July 29, 2010". Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  11. Zachary R. Dowdy (October 18, 2000). "Faith Survives Arson at Synagogue". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  12. "Miss Susan Nobel Bride of Physician". The New York Times. July 27, 1972. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  13. Chaim Tchernowitz (1974). Bitsaron: yarḥon la-madʻa, le-sifrut ule-vaʻayot ha-zeman. Issue 312. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  14. Arthur Kurzweil (2008). The Torah for Dummies. For Dummies. p. vi. ISBN 978-0-470-17345-9. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  15. New York State Committee for the 1971 White House Conference on Aging (1973). A Plan of Action for Older Americans: the Final Report. New York State Executive Dept., Office for the Aging. p. 238. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  16. "High Holy Day Appeal Booklet". East Meadow Jewish Center. 2009. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  17. Tony Schaeffer (August 3, 1988). "Paul Carus, 72, of East Meadow, Noted Cantor". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  18. Tony Schaeffer (August 16, 1994). "Ethel Carus, 69, Active in Jewish Groups". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  19. Michal Lando (February 27, 2008). "Friends Remember NY Cantor Lost in Ein Gedi Flash Flood". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  20. "North Shore Synagogue Cantor David Tauber Dies in Israel". Syosset-Jericho Tribune. February 29, 2008. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  21. "Director Is Named". The Baltimore Sun. April 26, 1962. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  22. Cope Moyers (June 6, 1987). "Change in Course for a Sputnik". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  23. "Biography of Hon. Fred J. Hirsh". New York Court System. 2008. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  24. Robin Topping (October 6, 1989). "E. Meadow Clerics Decry Racism". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  25. "Our Rabbi". East Meadow Jewish Center. December 14, 2006. Archived from the original on January 26, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  26. Roni Rabin (October 19, 1992). "A Tree to Keep Two Memories Alive". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  27. Rhoda Amon (December 30, 2000). "People Of Faith". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  28. Ain, Stewart (January 14, 2001). "Nassau Plans to Tax Parsonages". The New York Times. Rockville Centre (NY); Nassau County (NY). Archived from the original on March 10, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  29. "East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center". Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  30. "Nursery school". East Meadow Jewish Center. December 24, 2006. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  31. "Contact Us". East Meadow Jewish Center. January 9, 2007. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  32. Ain, Stewart (June 17, 2009). "A Safer Torah". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  33. Mary-Ellen Fosso (2009). "Who's Who in East Meadow: A Guide to Your Community" (PDF). East Meadow Public Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  34. "EMJC Observer" (PDF). March–April 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
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