Beth Tikvah gets a makeover

Temple unveils remodeled sanctuary

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Members of Congregation Beth Tikvah brought the Torahs up to the Holy Ark at the dedication ceremony for the remodeled sanctuary last Sunday evening.
Members of Congregation Beth Tikvah brought the Torahs up to the Holy Ark at the dedication ceremony for the remodeled sanctuary last Sunday evening.
Photos by Jack Healy/Herald

Congregation Beth Tikvah in Wantagh held a large celebration last Sunday evening, dedicating the brand new sanctuary at the conservative temple after months of renovations. Dignitaries from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, clergy, congregation members and elected officials attended the event.

“We gutted the whole thing,” said Lorraine Levin, who chaired the dedication committee that oversaw the celebration. “I’ve seen changes over the years, but this is the most significant.”

The first phase of the project started about a year and a half ago, and after sifting through storage and discovering old photos and newspaper articles, members uncovered much of the congregation’s history.

Formerly known as the Wantagh Jewish Center, Beth Tikvah started out small. It wasn’t until 1968 that the congregation found a home. Up to that point, young families held services at the Wantagh firehouse, led by a student rabbi named Mordecai Rubin. After acquiring land on Woodbine Avenue, near the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway, the members finally built a temple, and over the years added a social hall and school. After becoming ordained, Rubin remained with them for 40 years.

After many years of declining membership, the Wantagh Jewish Center and the Farmingdale Jewish Center merged. A few years later, they were joined by the Israel Community Center of Levittown and became Congregation Beth Tikvah, which now supports nearly 300 families who live in a number of communities.

“There is no close, conservative temple nearby unless you go into Merrick or Bellmore,” said Levin, a member for 35 years. “So we are hoping that people that live in this area will want to come back.”

The reconstruction of the temple, which cost more than $600,000, included the refurbishment of the entire sanctuary, which features new air-conditioning and electrical systems as well as insulation, refinished pews, new seats, a new security and sound system, new stained-glass windows and a new roof, along with a repaved parking lot. The arc of the sanctuary was also pushed back and recreated using Jerusalem stone.

The funds for the reconstruction were generated by the sale of both the Farmingdale Jewish Center building, which is now a mosque, and land on Hempstead Turnpike that housed the Israel Community Center of Levittown, where a Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology center was built.

“Congregation Beth Tikvah celebrates a strong foundation built upon three vibrant communities of faith uniting for the common purpose to give glory to God through humble service to our fellow man,” Nassau County Legislator Steve Rhoads said at the ceremony. “As you dedicate this beautiful sanctuary, we all share in your joy and hope for the future of this congregation and its important mission.”

Many of the restored photos and clippings were hung in the new Heritage Hall, which holds much of the congregation’s history.

“I’ve had a wonderful committee working with me, and my heart is so full,” Levin said. “We hope that all of the things that we are doing here will bring in younger people to the congregation.”

A start date for phase two of the project has not been decided, but the work will include a new lobby, a renovated upstairs, a new entrance and doors and, if funds allow, a new social hall. The congregation is also searching for a new rabbi.

“Looking at it, it’s very emotional,” Levin added. I’ve been with this committee since day one, and we are very excited about the response that we have been getting from the congregation.”