Learn about Temple Beth El's new lease on life in Cedarhurst

Worshippers at Temple Beth El rededicated the Cedarhurst synagogue as a community beacon on the first night of Hanukkah last week.

As the Festival of Lights began, the temple received its biggest gift, according to Eddie Edelstein, its educational director. He told the nearly 30 members who gathered for the lighting of the first candle that the century-old building, on Locust Avenue in Cedarhurst, had been sold to an unidentified buyer who intended to keep the synagogue in operation, and that a $2 million down payment had been received on Dec. 6. The total sale price is $6 million.

“The sale is what will allow us to continue to move forward and be who we are, to continue being Temple Beth El for many years to come Edelstein said, to applause from the small crowd. “On this night of Hanukkah, the night of rededication, tonight we are going to take a moment to rededicate ourselves and our synagogue, because we have hope for a strong and bright future.”

Temple President Bob Fischman declined to reveal the name of the buyer, but said it was a local boys’ high school yeshiva. The main synagogue will be leased to Temple Beth El.

“Our objective was to transfer ownership, which would give us substantial resources that we would otherwise not have while maintaining our presence here,” Fischman said. “Our agreement permits us to use our main sanctuary, the small chapel, offices as well as shared meetings access like special events like this.

“It is a good complementary arrangement,” he added.

Members gathered at the Conservative temple for Hanukkah prayers and songs such as “Yemei Hanukkah,” “Maoz Tsur” and “Light One Candle,” as well as a “Jeopardy”-style trivia game on the history of the holiday.

This year’s celebration took on deeper meaning amid the Israel-Hamas war, which began two months before the start of the holiday.

“It is very important,” Temple Beth El member Phillip Yacht said. “Especially with everything happening in Israel, for number one, and number two, the antisemitism that is happening in this country and around the world.
“Hanukkah is rededicating ourselves to religion, God and the temple,” Yacht added.

The synagogue celebrated 100 years of serving the Five Towns, which has seen a substantial shift in demographics over the in recent decades, as the Orthodox Jewish population has increased exponentially.

Rabbi Claudio Kupchik, Temple Beth El’s rabbi since 2017, said he was honored to serve as its spiritual leader. “(It) makes me feel so delighted and proud,” he said. “I am looking forward to a bright future with the community.”

Kupchik got a sense of how the Five Towns can come together when he and other local religious leaders joined in solidarity for Israel at Congregation Sons of Israel, in Woodmere, on Oct. 12, five days after the Hamas attack.

“The community-wide event was so meaningful for us,” Kupchik said of the gathering, which drew members of Temple Gates of Zion, in Valley Stream; Temple Hillel and Young Israel of North Woodmere, both in North Woodmere; Sons of Israel, in Woodmere, and the Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Center. “We are very happy in that sense.

“But we are also worried about what we are seeing in the world,” Kupchik added, “which is an increase in antisemitism and hate in the United States, some that we see in the campuses against Jewish students. We need to bring a lot of light and warmth to the world because, unfortunately, we are living in dark times.”