The Queens Jewish Center, also known as Queens Jewish Center and Talmud Torah or QJC, is an Orthodox synagogue in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, United States.
| Queens Jewish Center | |
|---|---|
 The Queens Jewish Center – 108 Street entrance | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Judah Kerbel |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 66-05 108 Street, Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
  Location in New York City | |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°43′49″N 73°50′52″W / 40.73028°N 73.84778°W |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | David Moed |
| General contractor | LeFrak Organization |
| Groundbreaking | 1946, 1949 |
| Completed | 1955 |
| Website | |
| myqjc | |
| [1][2][3] | |
The synagogue was established by a dozen families in 1943 to serve the growing central Queens Jewish community.[2] The current spiritual leader is Rabbi Judah Kerbel.[1][3] Queens Jewish Center has services every day of the week, including holidays.[4]
Organization affiliations
editThe Queens Jewish Center is a member of the Orthodox Union,[5] the Queens Jewish Community Council,[6] and the Vaad Harabonim of Queens.[3]
Architecture
editThe Queens Jewish Center building won honorable mention in the 1955 Queens Chamber of Commerce, Annual Building Awards. The architect was David Moed of Manhattan and the builder was the LeFrak Organization.[7]
The structure actually consists of two separate buildings. On October 3, 1946 an option was taken on the vacant plot where both synagogue buildings now stand. Ground was first broken for the first building (also referred to as the Talmud Torah building or Bais Hamedrash building) during an elaborate ceremony on June 5, 1949, by Judge Paul Balsam and Center President Herman A. Levine. The ground-breaking for the main synagogue building took place on June 21, 1953 and was made possible by generous benefactor, Mr. Harry LeFrak.[2]
Clergy
editThe following individuals have served as rabbi of the Queens Jewish Center:
| Order | Officeholder | Term started | Term ended | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eliezer Harbater | 1943 | 1946 | 2–3 years | [2] |
| 2 | Aryeh Gotlieb | 1946 | 1949 | 2–3 years | |
| 3 | Morris Max | 1949 | 1966 | 16–17 years | |
| 4 | Joseph Grunblatt | 1967 | 2006 | 38–39 years | [2][1] |
| 5 | Benjamin Geiger | 2007 | 2013 | 5–6 years | [1][3][8] |
| 6 | Simcha Hopkovitz | 2013 | 2018 | 4–5 years | |
| 7 | Judah Kerbel | 2019 | incumbent | 4–5 years |
Notable members
edit- Paul Balsam, a judge
- Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, rabbi of Touro College[9]
- Harry LeFrak, a builder and philanthropist[2]
- Leon Wildes, immigration lawyer
References
edit- ^ a b c d "QJC Family". Queens Jewish Center. n.d. Archived from the original on November 30, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "History". Queens Jewish Center. n.d. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Member Synagogues". Vaad Harabonim of Queens. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "Queens Jewish Center - Forest Hills". NY Patch. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- ^ "Member Synagogues". Orthodox Union.
- ^ "QJCC Member Synagogues". Queens Jewish Community Council. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "1955 Queens Chamber of Commerce, Annual Building Awards". Flickr.
- ^ Spence, Rebecca (September 26, 2007). "Prayer Shawls, Flip-Flops Mingle at 'Shul on the Beach'". The Forward.
- ^ "News Center: Leadership - President and Founder". Touro College. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2010.