Temple Beth El of Borough Park, now known as Young Israel Beth El of Borough Park, is a historic synagogue at 4802 15th Avenue in

Borough Park, Brooklyn Borough Park (also spelled Boro Park) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City. The neighborhood is bordered by Bensonhurst to the south, Dyker Heights to the southwest, Sunset Park to the west, ...

, New York.

Buildings

Founded as ''Congregation Beth El of Borough Park'' in August, 1902, it erected a brick building in 1906, at 12th Avenue and 41st Street. A three-story building that currently houses the organization was built between 1920 and 1923. It has Moorish and Egyptian design influences. ''See also:'' It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2010. Both buildings are still in use as synagogues. The older building is the oldest synagogue building in Borough Park, and has been used by several different congregations. In 2017, trustees of the current owner of the 12th Avenue structure, Congregation Anshe Lubavitch, sold the building to developers, sparking controversy and a civil court case with some of the other members. In the 1980s, the Young Israel of Borough Park merged with Congregation Beth El. The combined organization, though having fewer worshippers than in the 1980s, still uses the 1920s building.

Leaders

Beth El historically had a distinguished list of officials, including: * Rabbi Avroham Ever Hirshkowitz, 1906 though early 1920s (Founding Rabbi Congregation Beth El of Borough Park, 12th Ave and 41st St.) * Rabbi

Simon Glazer Simon Glazer (or Shimon Glazer; 1876?-1938) was an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbi who flourished at the turn of the twentieth century. He was known for founding and leading two major organizations of American Orthodox rabbis. Background Born in ...

, rabbi in the mid-1920s *

Mordechai Hershman Mordecai Hershman (1888 – January 30, 1940) was a Ukraine, Ukrainian-born American Jewish cantor (church), cantor ("chazzan") and singer. Biography Mordechai Hershman was born in Chernihiv in the Chernigov Governorate of the Russian Empire (p ...

, cantor throughout the 1920s * Berele Chagy, cantor 1940s and early 1950s * Moshe Koussevitzky, cantor from 1952 to 1966 * Paul Zim (Zimelman), cantor from 1966 to 1968 * Moshe Stern, cantor from 1968 to 1977 More recent names include: * Rabbi

Gedalia Dov Schwartz Gedalia Dov Schwartz (January 24, 1925 — December 9, 2020) was an eminent Orthodox rabbi, scholar, and posek (halakhic authority) who lived in Chicago, Illinois. From 1991 to 2013, when he gave his position as Av Beth Din to Rabbi Yona Rei ...

, rabbi from 1969 to 1987 * Rabbi Israel Schorr, rabbi from 1938 to 2000 * Rabbi Moshe Snow, rabbi, 2000 to present *

Benzion Miller Benzion Miller ( he, בֶּן צִיּוֹן מילר, yi, בֶּן־צִיּוֹן מי(ל)לעֶר, 8 December 1947) is a Hazzan, cantor, Shechita, schochet and mohel, much like his father, Aaron Daniel Miller. He was born in a Displaced persons ...

, cantor, 1981 to present Beth El 2 Brooklyn

Young Israel

The

Young Israel The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) or Young Israel (in Hebrew: , ''Yisrael Hatza'ir''), is a synagogue-based Orthodox Judaism organization in the United States with a network of affiliated "Young Israel" synagogues. Young Israel was found ...

of Boro Park was established well before World War II."Young Israel will hold an open house Saturday night for all intermediates at the Young Israel of Boro Park" One of its early rabbis was Rabbi Samuel Mirsky. In the 1980s it merged with Congregation Beth El of Borough Park, which was founded in August, 1902. Beth-El was and still is known for its famous cantors. Young Israel's present rabbi previously served as youth leader; the Boro Park branch was known early on for its youth group."Perhaps the most successful of the synagogue-based youth groups is the Young Israel of Boro Park."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beth El of Borough Park) Borough Park, Brooklyn Egyptian Revival architecture in the United States Moorish Revival architecture in New York City Synagogues in Brooklyn Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Brooklyn Synagogues completed in 1923 Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places in New York City Moorish Revival synagogues Egyptian Revival synagogues National Council of Young Israel