Temple Beth El - Endicott, NY - Synagogues on Waymarking.com

"The History of Endicott ", by James Fiori 1981, says that the first service in the building was January 1950. The congregation celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1974 and was still at the same location in 1981. Many of the members worked at IBM, located nearby. In 1981 there were 80-90 families.

An article on Lance J. Sussman
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"In 1997–98, he was the chair of the Judaic Studies Department. From 1990 to 2001 he served as the founding President of Hillel at SUNY Binghamton. In addition, from 1986 to 1990 he served as the rabbi at a Reconstructionist congregation, Temple Beth-El, in Endicott, New York."

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"The Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton has formed an Exploratory Committee to look at the possibility of buying, removing and displaying the stained glass windows of the former Temple Beth El of Endicott. The building is being auctioned in February...Endicott’s Jewish community was long-standing and grew when IBM brought Jewish engineers from New York City to Broome County. Many local families still feel connected to those who were members of that community, even though they may no longer live in the area. "
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"The demographics of Endicott Jewry changed, with many families transferring out of the area. After more than 40 years, Temple Beth El closed in 1992 after the High Holy Days services."

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"Now the caretaker of pieces from Binghamton’s past, the Judaic Studies Department will both preserve and display windowpanes from Temple Beth El."
"The stained glass windows were part of Temple Beth El in Endicott, N.Y., and were created when the temple was constructed in 1949, said Niesen Luks, a past officer of the temple. "Luks played a key role in saving the windows after a group of community members decided they should be saved after learning the temple would be sold...One of the windows depicts the Tree of Life, which is a common symbol of the Torah. Another one shows the scales of justice, something Friedman said is an American idea and an unexpected find."
"“These windows tell the story of a Jewish community in a small town,” he said. “Bustling post-World War II, building new buildings, collecting money to create big beautiful sacred spaces. Then, over time, shifting to much larger cities, the population decreases substantially and what do you do with what remains? "

Status: Converted to other use Denomination/Group: Other Address: 117 Jefferson Avenue Endicott, NY USA 13760 Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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