Welcome
To The Community Synagogue
160 Middle Neck Road
Port Washington
NY 11050
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Our history
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Committees
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Board Members
The Community Synagogue is a Reform congregation, located on a beautiful
estate in the Sands Point section of Port Washington, New York. The congregation
is led by Irwin Zeplowitz, who has been the senior rabbi since the summer
of 2003. Over
the years, the Community Synagogue has earned a reputation as a congregation
that appreciates the depth of Jewish learning and the centrality of community
in the lives of its members. The founding rabbi of the congregation is Rabbi
Eugene B. Borowitz, the noted teacher of theology and education at Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and author of numerous books
on Judaism.
History
of The Community Synagogue
After World War II, there was a significant increase in the number of Jews settling in Port Washington. They met in private homes and began pursuing the vision of building a special place to fulfill this dream. Twenty-five families joined together and declared themselves to be The Community Synagogue, Temple Beth Am – The House of the People.
The first service was held on February 9, 1952 at the
American Legion Hall with a borrowed Torah, a borrowed ark, and a part-time
rabbi. The first rabbi was Jay Kaufman, who would go on to become the director
of B'nai Brith. The children were taught at the Odd Fellows Hall and High
Holy Days were observed at the local firehouse. The first president was Nathaniel
Hess, who set the high standards that have guided the congregation through
the years. Dr. Eugene Borowitz was appointed the first full time rabbi. After
Rabbi Borowitz left the congregation, other rabbis continued the tradition
of religious leadership. They included Mel Weinman, who would go on to become
a chaplain, and, on an interim basis for a year, Hugo Gryn, who would go on
to become the leading Reform Jewish rabbi in Great Britain.
The congregation moved from place to place in a continuing search for a permanent
home. Finally, in 1955, a landmark decision by the New York Court of Appeals
enabled them to purchase "The Chimneys," the old Mrs. Christian
Holmes estate in Sands Point. New York Governor W. Averill Harriman, a neighbor,
intervened to help the congregation secure its new home. Continued growth
of the congregation in this new home required the building of an addition
to the Tudor mansion. The magnificent building that resulted from that expansion
continues to be our home, and was recently renovated as part of our Shlemut
HaBayit ("Completion of the
house") campaign.
Following Rabbi Rozenberg's retirement in 1996, Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin became the spiritual leader of The Community Synagogue.
In 2003 Rabbi Irwin A. Zeplowitz became The Community Synagogue's most recent spiritual leader, joined at the same time by Rabbi Renee Edelman and Cantor Claire Franco, with all three serving together as our current "clergy team."
Rabbi Jay Kaufman 1952 - 1953
Rabbi Eugene B. Borowitz 1953 -1957
Rabbi Kenneth Stein 1957
Rabbi Melvin Weinman 1958 - 1962
Rabbi Hugo Gryn 1962
Rabbi Martin S. Rozenberg 1963 - 1996
Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin 1996 - 2003
Rabbi Irwin A. Zeplowitz 2003 -
The
Community Synagogue's Senior Rabbis
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