Our History
What makes a synagogue's history? Is it bricks, mortar and aging walls each of which if
they could talk, tell of the joys, the sorrows, differences, the pride of its members? Or is it
the people from many places who enter searching for peace, learning, prayer, consolation,
tradition and a sense of belonging?
A synagogue cannot exist without people and no matter how humble, there must be a
place for Torah, prayer and learning. Congregation Tifereth Israel has combined over one
hundred years of people and places to remain the oldest continuously operating
congregation on Long Island.
The roots of CTI are traced back to Civil War times, when in 1868, a family named
Sandman became the first Jewish family to settle in Glen Cove. Mr. Sandman, a realtor by
profession, was soon followed by Benjamin Cohen and then Barney Friedman, who
opened a dry goods store. Isaac Bessel and his wife, Esther, moved to the community in
the 1880s. Isaac was the proprietor of a feed and grain store and sold horses. His home
often served as a stopping place for Jewish travelers who were unable to reach their own
homes in time for the Sabbath. For well over a decade, these were the only Jewish families
in Glen Cove.
The community's Jewish population began to increase in the late 1880s and early 1890s.
Pious young Jews came from Europe to escape persecution. With few trades open to them
in Europe, they turned towards retailing and peddling to support their young families.
"Beryl Kacheginsky, a.k.a. Barney Singer, came to Hicksville during the Spanish American
War. He found too much anti-semitism in Hicksville and after a short time moved to Glen
Cove. In Lithuania, he was a Hebrew scholar. When he came here, he became a peddler
with a horse and wagon. He had no other trade with which to support his wife, Pearl, and
children, Ben and Becky. He opened his first store on School Street in 1901."
- Edith Zatlin Eisenstadt
There were five Bernstein brothers who came from Lithuania. Philip M. Bernstein came to
Glen Cove in 1896. He was the owner of a building on the corner of Glen and Pulaski
Streets. Walter Bernstein came to Glen Cove in 1902. Joseph and Philip Bernstein owned
a department store in town.
Theodore Jospe had a jewelry store. Jacob Feinberg was a baker. Smith Levine, Morris
Cantor and Harris Lifshitz were schochetim (ritual slaughterers). They provided chickens
for the Jewish community. All other meats had to be brought from New York City by ice
wagon. Harris Lifshitz was also the mohel and read the Torah. Samuel and Silas Goldberg
arrived in the 1880s and sold real estate and insurance. Pincus Cohen came in the early
1890s. His name was actually Pincus Parisky. When he came to Ellis Island, there was no
one able to pronounce his name. Because he was a Kohanim, he was given the name of
Cohen.
In 1897 there were enough Jewish families to organize a synagogue to gather together to
pray, to mark births, deaths and marriages in the community. Benjamin Cohen, who ran
Cohen's Corner, a hotel on the corner of Cedar Swamp Road and Northern Boulevard,
was the founding president of Tifereth Israel.
"They had their first service in my great grandfather’s house. He owned the Torah. This
Torah is still used on the Sabbath."
- Bob Canarick, great grandson of Isaac Bessel
In 1906 elections were held and Isaac Bessel became the first elected president of CTI. It
was now time to have a building in which to pray and learn. A religious school was
needed. The newly formed congregation bought the Opera House on Continental Place,
renovated it, and built a small adjoining building for the religious school.
"My first recollection of Congregation Tifereth Israel was when I attended Hebrew
school. My father was there anchoring the desks and chairs to the floor. My teacher was a
cousin by marriage, David Lenevsky, who was a newly arrived Polish immigrant and
remained the sole Hebrew School teacher for over 20 years, teaching grammar, bible and
Yiddish. He prepared his pupils for Bar Mitzvah. Hebrew school was conducted six days a
week, fifty weeks a year."
- Jack Ain
"If there were a history book about Congregation Tifereth Israel, it would remind all of us
of that outstanding teacher Reb Lenevsky, who ruled with an iron hand and taught with a
wooden ruler. This took place in a tiny building between the shul on Continental Place and
the Danis Apartment House."
- Herb Stone
"Bernard Singer died on April 1, 1913 at the age of 48. He was the first to be buried in the
synagogue plot at the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Springfield Gardens."
- Edith Zatlin Eisenstadt
Maurice Steisel was elected secretary of CTI and was the only one to take the minutes in
Hebrew, rather than Yiddish.
The Opera House was renovated and the upper floor was converted into the sanctuary. A
Jewish basketball team played on the first floor and the Opera House itself was often
rented out for beauty pageants, etc. in order to pay the bills. For High Holiday services,
however, it was used to house the large crowds the synagogue attracted.
"I can remember up to 1927 when we held services on Saturdays in the old Opera House.
I recall some of the men who attended at the time: Julius Bernstein, Sam Bessel and his
son Abe, Morris Cantor; who was a dairyman, Mr. Cohen, Jacob Feinberg the baker;
Theodore Jospe the jeweler; David Kaufman who had a junkyard and Mr. Lifshitz, our
Torah reader, and Yudel Rodoschefsky"
- Mac Gershon
"The years between 1900 and the depression saw the arrival of many more Jewish families
to the Glen Cove vicinity adding to the backbone of our congregation. " Julius Ain arrived
in Glen Cove in 1913. He was employed as a plumber working on the construction of
Saint Patrick's Church."
- Jack Ain
"My father, Charles London, came to Glen Cove and started working in Theo Jospe’s
jewelry store in 1923. He opened his own store, London Jewelers, in 1926. He made sure
I attended Hebrew School. Through my father's influence, my husband became active in
the congregation and Mayer assumed the presidency in 1962."
- Fran London Udell
"I remember my pop, Samuel Gershowitz taking me to the clothing store that S.J.
Bernstein had taken over from Walter Bernstein on Glen Street. There, for my Bar
Mitzvah in June 1923, he bought me a blue serge knicker suit."
- Mac Gershon
As the Jewish population of Glen Cove grew, so too did the membership in CTI. It
became obvious that the Opera House could no longer meet the needs of the growing
Jewish community. Philip Bernstein, S.J. Bernstein, Morris Cohen, and Morris Canarick
spearheaded a drive to build a new synagogue.
"I was elected president in 1923 and started a drive for a new synagogue in 1924. We
called on Benjamin Stern of Stern Brothers Department Store, who had a summer home in
Glen Head. He donated $2000 and was given the honor of laying the cornerstone. The
building was completed in 1928."
- S.J. Bernstein
The old Opera House was razed in 1926 and the new building was completed in 1928.
During construction, services were held in Pembrook Hall on School Street. The original
estimate for construction had been $50,000. Final cost for the building was $65,000. In
order to save money Walter Bernstein, Ben Singer and Max Greenberg purchased at
auction the chandeliers and some furniture from the old Waldorf Astoria Hotel to be used
in the new sanctuary. In l938 Alexander Buxenbaum, a master painter, Arthur
Buxenbaum's father, became President of CTI.
In the early 1920s Louis Shorenstein had a bakery on West Glen Street. His daughter,
Eva, married Benjamin Shapiro, Joseph Shapiro's father, who founded Commander Oil
Corp.
In the late 1920s, after a series of temporary and student rabbis, the congregation was
ready to hire a full time spiritual leader. Rabbi Emmanuel Rackman (who later became
president of Bar Ilan University in Israel) was hired upon his graduation from Yeshiva
University. His salary was $75 per week.
Louis Brause was our perennial treasurer and dues collector for over 20 years. He also
served as gabbai.
"I was a Bar Mitzvah in our new synagogue. As we then lived in Sea Cliff I walked to
Glen Cove every day for one hour Hebrew class."
- Jack Ain
The years of the depression and the war that followed saw Tifereth Israel and its people
face the same joys, sorrows, and horrors of Jews throughout the world.
CTI was beginning to take its place as a leader in the Long Island community. Two of its
leading members, Silas Goldberg and S.J. Bernstein, were instrumental in founding the
Long Island Chapter of UJA. In 1926 the Tifereth Israel Ladies Aid was formed.
"We were organized on May 8, 1926 for the purpose of promoting a closer fellowship and
greater unity of thought so that we may further the best and highest traditions if Judaism in
the fields of religion philanthropy and education."
- Hattie Cohen
"The Young Folks’ League formed in the 1930s and was active during my teen years.
Congregations from Mineola to Patchogue, Glen Cove and Huntington to Rockville
Centre, joined in sponsoring social programs including plays, concerts, and dances for the
growing group of young Jewish people."
- Jack Ain
In 1948 the congregation voted to affiliate with the United Synagogues of America and
became firmly involved with Conservative Judaism.
In the early 1950s, it became obvious that the synagogue had once again outgrown its
surroundings. Louis Goldberg and Nathan Zausmer were instrumental in purchasing the
fourteen acre Elks Club property on Landing Road.
"People may not remember that the property on which CTI is now located was once the
home of the Elks Club, which hosted some of the biggest carnivals held on Long Island. In
those days, Glen Cove had two Jewish bakeries and two kosher butcher shops. All of
these stores were located on West Glen Street, which no longer exists."
- Herb Stone
In 1958 the religious school was built. The entire building was completed in 1961. In 1970
a fire of unknown origin destroyed the school wing. It was rebuilt, but some synagogue
archives and records were lost.
Among the outstanding sports figures from CTI were Dr. Sid Canarick, a local dentist,
Ruby Feinberg, Izzy and Meyer Goldstein, Dave Cohen, the Buxenbaum brothers (Arthur
became a judge), the Kabnick brothers (Arthur became a local pediatrician).
Philip Zendel owned a store on Glen Cove Avenue. He had four children: Ethel, Edna
(now Edna Pearlmutter, still an active CTI member), Edward (who became president of
our congregation) and Henry (who continues to be actively involved in many facets of our
synagogue).
Simon Bernstein, owner of Simon's Sports Shop, served as gabbai during the 1960s and
1970s. He also was the collector for the annual Matzo Fund with Archie Cohen. Isidore
(Izzy) Goldstein became the first Jewish police offer in Glen Cove. He went on to become
a captain in the police force.
Joe Canner of Canner's Fabrics was trustee for many years and his son Bernard went on to
become a president of the congregation.
The building on Landing Road has been "home" to CTI for over forty years. It has seen
the growth of an award winning nursery school, participation in many community
happenings, served as host to the North Country Reform Temple during their
reconstruction after a fire, and of course has been there for its members in times of joy,
prayer, sadness and consolation.
In 1960, CTI became actively involved in the LI Committee for Soviet Jewry and arranged
and participated in rallies and demonstrations in front of the Soviet residence in Glen
Cove.
In 1966, Julius Ain established the Julius and Clara Ain endowment fund which recognizes
children who continue Jewish academic studies.
In 1994, a bequest from Helen Wolpert established the Wolpert Scholarship Fund for
students pursuing higher education.
As we approach our 105th year, the resolve and steadfastness, the confidence and faith of
our early congregants are ever being matched by our continue members who are
continuing the highest goals and aspirations of our wonderful tradition.
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This history was written for CTI's 100th anniversary celebration in 1997.
Some of the voices heard here are now still, others are still vibrant
and active in temple affairs and guiding newer members.
The link to the past and the link to the future is what makes a
synagogue. That is what makes CTI.
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TiferethTrivia
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Isaac Bessel was the first elected president of CTI. Why was this?
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