Congregation Ohr Zaruah, The Bellmore Jewish Center is a traditional Conservative Temple located on the south shore of Nassau County in Long Island and is affilliated with United Synagogue. Our services are currently led by Rabbi Avraham Rabinowich and Cantor Elliot Yavneh.
In the beginning, Bellmore had no synagogue, but with the construction of new homes south of Merrick Road that started in the 1950's, a Jewish population began to emerge.
In the Fall of 1958, a small group of Jewish families decided that Bellmore should have its own synagogue. In January 1959, our congregation was formally organized.At that time, services were held in various members' homes, but it soon became apparent that a building would be required in order to provide regular Sabbath services and and for our religious school program. A home for the congregation was found on South Centre Avenue.
As more families affiliated with the temple and enrolled their children in our Hebrew School, the congregation was outgrowing its homeThe "Little House of Worship" was already too small to hold many temple functions.
On November 20, 1961, a momentous meeting was held in the Winthrop Avenue School auditorium. The congregation expressed its faith in the future by voting to construct a new building on the property the congregation had purchased. Ground was broken the following spring and the new building was ready for Rosh Hashanah services in 1962.
| President | Michael Bigman | president@bellmorejewishcenter.org. |
| Executive V.P. 1 | Scott Cohen | executivevicepresident@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Executive V.P. 2 | Stanley Hochhauser | executivevicepresident@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Education V.P. | Ira Harris | education@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Ritual V.P. | Joseph Weisbord | ritual@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Membership V.P. | Allan Bergfeld | membership@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Ways & Means V.P. | Bruce Nelson | waysandmeans@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Youth V.P. | Rose Levy | youth@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Treasurer | Glen Sher | treasurer@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Financial V.P. | Ian Wald | financial@bellmorejewishcenter.org |
| Recording Secty. | Gary Horn | recordingsecretary@bellmorejewishcenter.org |