Thursday, October 1, 2026
A temple is leaving its Hewlett building, a church organization is moving in and some nearby residents have concerns about their new neighbors at 36 Franklin Ave.
Congregation Beth Emeth, the only Reconstructionist synagogue on Long Island’s South Shore, is moving its 100-family membership and is planning to lease space from Central Synagogue in Rockville Centre. No agreement has yet been reached. Gary Carlton, the Manhattan-based attorney representing Congregation Beth Emeth, said he expects the temple to have a lease in place before the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in September.
The congregation was originally Conservative when it was established in the 1950s and it was called the Hewlett Temple. By the ’90s, membership had declined to 48 families. In the hope of attracting new members, the temple became affiliated with the Reconstructionist movement in 1994.
“We have a long history and the building is filled with many memories for all our members,” said Herb Ruben, a member of the executive committee that runs Congregation Beth Emeth. “There is a sadness about it, but the congregation has a close sense of cohesiveness and they know many different options were explored.”
As required by law, the state Attorney General approved the sale to Lilies International Christian Outreach, a church organization run by Elsie Obed, considered to be a noted religious leader. The sale is pending signoff by Nassau Supreme State Court judge, according to Carlton, which is by month’s end. The purchase price was $2.4 million, he confirmed.
The Hewlett congregation was looking to downsize from the current 15,400 square feet building to much smaller quarters. The space in Central Synagogue will allow Beth Emeth to cut its expenses, but remain in its general geographic area as its membership comes from the Five Towns, East Rockaway, Lynbrook and Far Rockaway.
“The congregation and I remain committed to one another and look forward to a bright, new future,” said Rabbi Elliot Skiddell, the temple’s spiritual leader.
