New shul on the block

Construction nears completion for Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere

Issue of August 15, 2008

The Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere will move into a newly renovated building on Hungry Harbor Road just in time for Rosh Hashana.

Under the leadership of Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz the four-year-old shul is expanding to meet the needs of the neighborhood's steadily increasing population of young couples. With nearly 50 member families, BKNW has far outgrown its makeshift accommodations in Rabbi Lebowitz's basement.

"Our growth has been pretty consistent since the beginning, with about 10 families joining per year," Rabbi Lebowitz observed. "We are hopeful that it will continue."

The new building — a product of nearly two years of fundraising, planning and physical effort — is a high ranch house that has been gutted and renovated into a shul, similar to the Island Avenue shul in Cedarhurst, though BKNW's property is 50 percent larger, its members say.

The upper floor of the house, which used to be a living room, kitchen and dining area, will be a large open space designated for shul events and lectures. The three bedrooms will be used for youth groups on Shabbos mornings, which have thus far been held in the homes of various shul members.

BKNW was founded by a handful of young couples that wanted to build a new community in North Woodmere, a growing suburban enclave adjacent to the Five Towns. The group approached Rabbi Lebowitz — who at the time was the assistant rabbi at Shaaray Tefila in Lawrence — and he agreed to move to the neighborhood to serve as the shul's rav. BKNW held its first minyan on Shabbat Parshat Noach in 2004.

"We started with a very strong core of people, the right kind of crowd to build around: smart, driven, frum people who knew what it takes to commit and to build," Rabbi Lebowitz recounted. "They have since helped us attract similar people."

In addition to the convenient location of North Woodmere — its proximity to the Five Towns — and the aesthetically beautiful homes and parks in the neighborhood, Rabbi Lebowitz feels that BKNW's growth and success can be attributed to several factors.

"Our shul is founded on the idea that the davening is always nice, quiet and respectful," he explained. "Also, the people that we've generally attracted are b'nei and b'nos torah, who are interested in Halacha and Torah in their lives."

The third factor, which he feels has been the most critical in terms of the shul's growth, is the welcoming atmosphere in the shul.

"It is a very warm place, where someone comes into shul and is greeted by many people who make conversation," he said. "We try to have a little bit of an out-of-town atmosphere. The warmth of the shul is something that we're very proud of."

In addition to regular minyanim held during the week and on Shabbos, there are shiurim given by Rabbi Lebowitz and others on Gemara, Halacha and daf yomi, as well as shiurim for women.

BKNW is active in Tomchei Shabbos, donating to the organization and manning a route each week. The shul also hosts an annual BKNW Bowl, which is a gala trivia competition open to the entire community, with sponsors and prizes.

During the year, Rabbi Lebowitz works as an eleventh grade Rebbe at DRS High School for Boys, where he has taught for almost a decade. Upon his return from learning at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh in Israel, he received his semicha from Yeshiva University, and graduated with a B.A. in finance from the Sy Syms School of Business. He and his wife, Elana, have four sons.