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Light Rain Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre is 60
Longtime members celebrate with congregation
It was a joyous occasion on June 5 as the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre celebrated its 60 Anniversary with a memorable Shabbat service that commemorated its rich history and its commitment to Synagogue, the environment, and the community at large.
"I always feel affection with the synagogue because I grew with it," Phyllis Gilbert Nadler, an East Rockaway member since 1950, said. "It is important because the centre is there for our joys and sorrows."
Nadler, along with some other members, were special honorees at the service. For Nadler, she has built a 60-year relationship with the Centre since its humble beginnings in a home on Talfor Road in East Rockaway in 1949.
Harriet Lieberman, an Oceanside resident and member since the 1940's, recalls her early experiences with the centre. "The temple has always been special," she xx xxxxxxxxHsaid. "My two daughters went to Sunday school there and were confirmed in their the Jewish faith."
The centre began as the product of a group of men who were concerned about their children learning the Jewish faith, heritage, and language. In response to their concerns, these men organized a jewish community, which quickly grew by leaps and bounds. This community has made quite an impression on Dr. Herbert Fisher, an East Rockaway member since 1948.
"It is special because of the people who belong to it," Fisher said. "They have the right people and it is run very well."
Their commitment to a "civic and religious life" was an important motivator of their expansion, which included the purchase of the Tameling Estate consisting of two buildings on three quarter acres of land on Main Street in East Rockaway in January 1950. The larger building served as the original sanctuary and religious school, which the building is still erect on the present grounds today though the congregation is under a different Rabbi, Andrew Warmflash.
Sylvia Kaufman, an East Rockaway resident and member since 1950, shares a special relationship with the temple. "I feel like I am one of the founders," Kaufman said. "It is a pleasant experience being in the Temple."
