Collections → Far Rockaway Postcards
Page 13 of 13
Postcards of Jewish Interest
007 | Residences in South Street
The four white buildings at the left, and the extensive grounds behind them, form the Edward Roche estate. Many of the rooms in this privately owned estate were rented out to summer vacationers, mostly members of New York’s social elite. The Roche estate was acquired by HILI in 1952-3. In September 1953 the four white buildings became the B (administration), C (elementary school), D (middle school), and E (high school) buildings of HILI. In the mornings (for high school level Torah study), boys classes convened in the D building and girls classes convened in the E building. At the far right is the Tackapousha House, a famous Far Rockaway resort hotel. South Street would later become Seagirt Boulevard.
008 | Seagirt Avenue
Another view of the Roche estate (later: HILI). At the right, the Kuloff Hotel and Ostend Casino on the beach.
009 | Boulevard
Another view of the Roche estate (later: HILI). The Kuloff Hotel appears on the right.
095 | The Temple Israel
Temple Israel was a Reform synagogue, constructed in 1911 at Roanoke Avenue and State Street (the names were later changed to: Nameoke Street and Dinsmore Avenue). In 1930, Temple Israel moved to its new quarters on Central Avenue in Lawrence. The old synagogue building was sold to Congregation Knesseth Israel, an Orthodox congregation founded in Far Rockaway in 1922. At the time it acquired the Temple Israel synagogue building, Congregation Knesseth Israel was holding services in the Far Rockaway Chamber of Commerce building on Mott Avenue. After moving into its new shul building in 1930, Congregation Knesseth Israel became widely known as “The White Shul,” due the white frame colonial structure (as can be seen on this postcard) that now served as its synagogue building. In 1964, Congregation Knesseth Israel moved into its present quarters at Empire Avenue and Sage Street.
096 | Brooklyn Jewish Home for Convalescents
The Brooklyn Jewish Home for Convalescents was founded in Brooklyn in 1921. It moved into its new $750,000 quarters at 609 Beach 9th Street in 1948. Here, over several decades, thousands of Jews would come to convalesce after hospitalizations that left them too ill to resume the burdens of everyday life. Ably administered by Mrs. Solomon, it also housed a minyan to serve the needs of the convalescents. The Gabbai and Baal Koreh was Daniel Meyers (d. 2001), a colorful Jewish Torah activist who devoted his life to Jewish causes in the Far Rockaway area and elsewhere (especially Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn).
136 | Jewish Temple
Congregation Shaarey Tefilla, the first Orthodox synagogue in Far Rockaway, was founded in 1910. Services began in the Horton building, then moved to the Masonic Temple on Mott Avenue. The building depicted on the postcard, which served as the main synagogue, was constructed on Central Avenue near Neilson Avenue in 1915. An additional building, called the Jewish Community Center, was constructed just to the right of the main synagogue in 1925. The synagogue today is in Lawrence, N.Y.
098 | Hebrew Infants Home
The Hebrew Kindergarten and Infants Home at 310 Beach 20th Street was a branch of a similar institution at 35 Montgomery Street in New York whose purpose was “to care for children when mothers are obliged to work.” Children between the ages of four weeks and eight years were accepted for full time care. School children could come in for meals and after school hours. Kindergarten and Hebrew schools were conducted. Mothers’ meetings were held. Clothes and shoes were given to children in need. The postcard shown here was mailed in 1934.
102 | Children’s Haven
The Children’s Haven was founded in 1914 by the Ladies’ Auxiliary of Temple Israel. Its purpose was to care for children whose mothers were ill in hospitals or in convalescent homes. Originally, it was housed in a large, airy house on Hollywood Avenue (later called: McBride Street). In 1921, a new building (seen on the postcard) was constructed for the Children’s Haven at 264 Beach 19th Street. In 1939, the building was acquired by the Hebrew Institute of Long Island (HILI). It remained HILI’s main building until HILI acquired the Roche estate in 1952-3, after which it was known as the “A” building.
131 | The Synagogue, Arverne
Congregation Derech Emunah was constructed in 1905, with a seating capacity for 600 persons, “at the corner of Ocean and Vernam Avenues” (= 199 Beach 67th Street) in Arverne. Originally a mixed-seating synagogue where “the wearing of the hat was not compulsory,” it quickly developed into an Orthodox synagogue. After 97 years, it was gutted, almost certainly by an arsonist, in 2002.
132 | Synagogue, Rockaway Beach
Temple Israel (also called Beth Israel) of Rockaway Beach, a Reform synagogue, was founded in 1896. The building depicted on the postcard, at 10 South Fairview Avenue, was constructed in 1900. The Hebrew sign above the entrance reads (in translation): “the year [5]660 (= 1900), Beth Israel.” Today, the synagogue is called Temple of Israel and it is located at 188 Beach 84th Street.
133 | Beach 120th and 121 Streets, showing Beth-El Temple and Apartment House, Rockaway Park
Temple Beth-El is a Conservative synagogue, presently located at 445 Beach 135th Street in Rockaway Park. The synagogue building on the postcard, at 121-16 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, was designed by Maurice Courland and opened in 1921.
135 | Sanitorium for Hebrew Children, Rockaway Park
The Sanitorium for Hebrew Children at Rockaway Park was founded in 1878. It provided free excursions on land and water for poor, destitute, and sick Jewish children. It also supplied medical aid, advice, and assistance to them. It was essentially a summer program. In the year 1900, some 17,026 children benefited from the Sanitorium’s programs. In 1906, the building seen at the right of the postcard was dedicated.
079 | Cable Building
The Commercial Cable Company building was constructed in 1912 on Beach 17th Street near New Haven Avenue. It processed telegrams to and from Europe. In the 1960’s it was transformed into an advanced talmudical institute when it was acquired by Yeshiva Iyyun Ha-Talmud, under the leadership of Rabbi Abba Berman, formerly maggid shi’ur at the Mirrer Yeshiva in New York. The Yeshiva ultimately made its way to Jerusalem, and in 1985 the building was torn down.
107 | Borenstein’s Redstone Hotel, Seagirt Avenue and Beach 13th Street
Borenstein’s Redstone Hotel at Seagirt Avenue and Beach 12th Street was a famous kosher resort in the Far Rockaway area, especially in the 1930’s and 1940’s. In 1947, Borenstein bought and operated the nearby Seagirt Hotel on Seagirt Avenue and Beach 14th Street. In 1948, he sold the Seagirt Hotel to David Hirsch, who operated the hotel throughout the 50’s as a very popular and successful kosher resort known as Hirsch’s Hotel.
108 | HILI Manor, a Residential Hotel for Senior Citizens
At some point in the 1950’s, the building that had once been Borenstein’s Redstone Hotel was sold to HILI. In an attempt to provide income for HILI, Simon Cohen, HILI’s legendary Chairman of the Board, transformed the hotel into a residential hotel for senior citizens. It was called HILI Manor. The back of the card adds: “Open all year, strictly kosher cuisine, social programs and entertainment.”
201 | Hotel Genadeen
The Genadeen Hotel opened in 1922 at 271 Beach 19th Street, just opposite the newly constructed Children’s Haven (that would later become HILI).
L.A. Lifschitz was the original proprietor; later owners included the Lapidus brothers, and Joseph Gross. It was a premier kosher hotel over many years. Many rabbinic conferences were held there, including some of the annual conventions of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of America and the Agudath Israel of America. In 1950, the Far Rockaway Jewish community held a reception at the Genadeen Hotel for the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Isaac Herzog. Among the many dignitaries present were Rabbi Selig Fortman of the White Shul in Far Rockaway; Rabbi Emanuel Rackman of Shaarey Tefila in Far Rockaway; Rabbi Charles B. Chavel of Shaarey Zedek in Edgemere; and Rabbi Eugene Cohen of Derech Emunah in Arverne. In the Fall of 1951, Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz began his tenure as Rabbi of the White Shul. He resided at the Genadeen Hotel until he was able to acquire a home and move his family to Far Rockaway.