Synagogues Of Long Island

A pictorial history of Jewish houses of worship - past and present - in Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York State. Contains more than 300 photos.

Long Island has one of the most vibrant and largest Jewish communities in the nation. After World War II, hundreds of thousands of Jewish soldiers returned from war looking for a life in the suburbs and synagogues to join, but the demand exceeded the supply. In 1946, Rabbi Elias Solomon called a meeting of Conservative rabbis from Manhattan to map out a plan to build a synagogue at ever South Shore Long Island Railroad stop, from Valley Stream to Patchogue. Central Synagogue of Nassau County and Beth El in Great Neck both grew to more than 1000 families as Reform Judaism took hold, and the growth of the Chabad movement in recent decades as spurred an increase of Orthodox Judaism. Author Ira Poliakoff catalogues the history of synagogues and congregations that have shaped Long Island's past and present.

In an engaging narrative, The Jews of Long Island tells the story of how Jewish communities were established and developed east of New York City, from Great Neck to Greenport and Cedarhurst to Sag Harbor. Including peddlers, farmers, and factory workers struggling to make a living, as well as successful merchants and even wealthy industrialists like the Guggenheims, Brad Kolodny spent six years researching how, when, and why Jewish families settled and thrived there. Archival material, including census records, newspaper accounts, never-before-published photos, and personal family histories illuminate Jewish life and experiences during these formative years. With over 4,400 names of people who lived in Nassau and Suffolk counties prior to the end of World War I, The Jews of Long Island is a fascinating history of those who laid the foundation for what has become the fourth largest Jewish community in the United States today.

Jews have lived on Long Island since the Colonial era and had begun developing organized Jewish communitiess there by the late 1800s. The earliest communities were in Lindenhurst, where Congregatoin Neta Tzarschea incorporated a cemetery in 1876; Glen Cove, where Congregation Tifereth Israel has operated since 1897; and Sag Harbor, where Temple Adas Israel's original 1898 building still houses its congregation. Other initial Jewish communities formed in Kings Park, Patchogue, Bay Shore, and Greenport. Despite periods of threat from the Ku Klux Klan, the pro-Nazi bund, and social discrimination, the Jewish community flourished in a variety of local businesses, the military and politics. After World War II, Jewish communities expanded and developed as the region suburbanized. Long Island became home to a multitude of synagogues, Jewis day schools, and local branches of national Jewish organizations. The Jewish community continues to enrich the culture of Long Island over 100 years after its humble beginnings.

Michael Weinstein gives readers a tour of 180 beautiful synagogues throughout the boroughs of New York City. This coffee-table book¿s 613 photos represent each of the mitzvot, or commandments, of Judaism in the Torah. Michael shares the dates that these stunning synagogues were founded as well as their names, including their English translations.

A prominent rabbi and imam, each raised in orthodoxy, overcome the temptations of bigotry and work to bridge the chasm between Muslims and Jews Rabbi Marc Schneier, the eighteenth generation of a distinguished rabbinical dynasty, grew up deeply suspicious of Muslims, believing them all to be anti-Semitic. Imam Shamsi Ali, who grew up in a small Indonesian village and studied in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, believed that all Jews wanted to destroy Muslims. Coming from positions of mutual mistrust, it seems unthinkable that these orthodox religious leaders would ever see eye to eye. Yet in the aftermath of 9/11, amid increasing acrimony between Jews and Muslims, the two men overcame their prejudices and bonded over a shared belief in the importance of opening up a dialogue and finding mutual respect. In doing so, they became not only friends but also defenders of each other’s religion, denouncing the twin threats of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and promoting interfaith cooperation. In Sons of Abraham, Rabbi Schneier and Imam Ali tell the story of how they became friends and offer a candid look at the contentious theological and political issues that frequently divide Jews and Muslims, clarifying erroneous ideas that extremists in each religion use to justify harmful behavior. Rabbi Schneier dispels misconceptions about chosenness in Judaism, while Imam Ali explains the truth behind concepts like jihad and Shari’a. And on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the two speak forthrightly on the importance of having a civil discussion and the urgency of reaching a peaceful solution. As Rabbi Schneier and Imam Ali show, by reaching a fuller understanding of one another’s faith traditions, Jews and Muslims can realize that they are actually more united than divided in their core beliefs. Both traditions promote kindness, service, and responsibility for the less fortunate—and both religions call on their members to extend compassion to those outside the faith. In this sorely needed book, Rabbi Schneier and Imam Ali challenge Jews and Muslims to step out of their comfort zones, find common ground in their shared Abrahamic traditions, and stand together and fight for a better world for all.

A piercing portrait of the struggles and triumphs of one of America's renowned Jewish neighborhoods in the wake of unspeakable tragedy that highlights the hopes, fears, and tensions all Americans must confront on the road to healing. Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, is one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in the country, known for its tight-knit community and the profusion of multigenerational families. On October 27, 2018, a gunman killed eleven Jews who were worshipping at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill--the most deadly anti-Semitic attack in American history. Many neighborhoods would be understandably subsumed by despair and recrimination after such an event, but not this one. Mark Oppenheimer poignantly shifts the focus away from the criminal and his crime, and instead presents the historic, spirited community at the center of this heartbreak. He speaks with residents and nonresidents, Jews and gentiles, survivors and witnesses, teenagers and seniors, activists and historians. Together, these stories provide a kaleidoscopic and nuanced account of collective grief, love, support, and revival. But Oppenheimer also details the difficult dialogue and messy confrontations that Squirrel Hill had to face in the process of healing, and that are a necessary part of true growth and understanding in any community. He has reverently captured the vibrancy and caring that still characterize Squirrel Hill, and it is this phenomenal resilience that can provide inspiration to any place burdened with discrimination and hate.