Across Nassau County, Reform and Conservative temples are seeing fewer congregants filling its pews.
Temple leaders say the decline is primarily driven by changing demographics and decreasing affordability on the island as they grapple with ways to mitigate the shrinking of its congregations.
“At one time we had probably triple the size we have now,”Temple TikvahPresident Cheryle Levine said.
Levine said the congregation’s size peaked at 700 to 800 members regularly attending services. Now it has 160 congregants.
“Unfortunately, the few remaining Reform temples in the area are experiencing the same thing,” she said.
Temple Tikvah, a Reform synagogue in New Hyde Park, is one of several temples that have consolidated with other synagogues to mitigate the challenges of a shrinking Reform community in the area. The congregation was previously named Temple Emmanuel before it merged with Temple Israel in Jamaica Estates 16 years ago. Each congregation had around 130 congregants before merging and forming a congregation of 260 people.
“It strengthened both congregations into one,” Levine said. “Both congregations, because of the demographics, were losing congregants.”
Congregation Beth Tikvah in Wantagh has also seen a decrease in its congregation, serving more than 500 families at its peak and a little more than 200 now.
Media relations spokeswoman Jo-Ann Hertzman said consolidation with other congregations has kept the community strong.
“We are a very alive congregation,” she said as the temple continues to increase its program offerings.
Source: LI Press
