East Meadow Jewish Center
Encyclopedia
East Meadow Jewish Center (EMJC) is a Conservative Jewish synagogue located in East Meadow, New York
.
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. Paul Carus was a cantor
at the synagogue in its early years, as was David Tauber. In the early 1960s, Melvin May was its Assistant Executive Director.
In the late 1980s, synagogue members protested against alleged Soviet human rights
violations.
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. 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. In doing so, it voted down proposals to dedicate the tree to Theodore Roosevelt, Jack Kennedy, or Harry Truman.
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. At the same time, New York State law provided houses of worship with a tax exemption on property used for religious purposes. Androphy observed:
, a Hebrew school
, a men's club, a sisterhood, and a youth group. As of 2009, the synagogue had nine torah
s.
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. Judge Fred J. Hirsh, of the Nassau County
District Court, was the EMJC Men's Club Man of the Year in 1997.
. He is also President of the East Meadow Clergy Association, a member of the Board of Governors of the New York Board of Rabbis
, past Chairman of the Rabbinic Advisory Committee of the UJA Federation of Long Island, and past President of the Rabbinical Assembly of Nassau-Suffolk (a group of Conservative rabbis; he is also Chief Judge of its conversion
court).
East Meadow, New York
East Meadow is a hamlet in Nassau County , New York, United States. East Meadow is an unincorporated area in the Town of Hempstead....
.
Early history
Ground-breaking ceremonies for the synagogue took place on February 27, 1956. EMJC began with 115 founding members. Harry W. Goldin was a co-founder, President, and Chairman of the synagogue's board of trustees, and Max Feld was a founder and President as well.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. Paul Carus was a cantor
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
at the synagogue in its early years, as was David Tauber. In the early 1960s, Melvin May was its Assistant Executive Director.
In the late 1980s, synagogue members protested against alleged Soviet human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations.
Recent history
Ronald L. Androphy has been the Rabbi of the synagogue since September 1983. 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.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. 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. In doing so, it voted down proposals to dedicate the tree to Theodore Roosevelt, Jack Kennedy, or Harry Truman.
In 2001, Charles O'Shea, a Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
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. At the same time, New York State law provided houses of worship with a tax exemption on property used for religious purposes. Androphy observed:
There is a long history in this country of a separation of church and stateSeparation of church and stateThe concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation 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.
Activities and membership
In addition to providing prayer services, the synagogue has a nursery schoolNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
, a Hebrew school
Hebrew school
Hebrew school can be either the Jewish equivalent of Sunday school - an educational regimen separate from secular education, focusing on topics of Jewish history and learning the Hebrew language, or a primary, secondary or college level educational institution where some or all of the classes are...
, a men's club, a sisterhood, and a youth group. As of 2009, the synagogue had nine torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
s.
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. Judge Fred J. Hirsh, of the Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
District Court, was the EMJC Men's Club Man of the Year in 1997.
Rabbi
In 2000, EMJC's Androphy became President of the Long Island Board of RabbisLong Island Board of Rabbis
The Long Island Board of Rabbis is an organization of Conservative, Orthodox, Reform, and Reconstructionist rabbis on Long Island, New York. Its headquarters are located in Deer Park, New York.As of 1988, the Board represented nearly 300 rabbis...
. He is also President of the East Meadow Clergy Association, a member of the Board of Governors of the New York Board of Rabbis
New York Board of Rabbis
The New York Board of Rabbis is an organization of Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist rabbis in New York State and the surrounding portions of Connecticut and New Jersey....
, past Chairman of the Rabbinic Advisory Committee of the UJA Federation of Long Island, and past President of the Rabbinical Assembly of Nassau-Suffolk (a group of Conservative rabbis; he is also Chief Judge of its conversion
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
court).