Yorktown's Temple Beth Am 'Is More Than a Place of Worship'

Yorktown's Temple Beth Am celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Gala Journal Dinner Dance at the Putnam National Golf Club on Sept. 28 in Mahopac. 

More than 100 people attended the celebration for Temple Beth Am, which was also its major fundraising event for the year. Proceeds will be put towards future renovations at the Temple, which was formed in 1963.

"Sometimes it's hard to believe that Temple Beth Am is 50 years old," President of the Temple Jay Gussak said. "It seems like only yesterday that I was 9 years old and in the 4th grade classroom on Sunday morning."

In the beginning, the congregation rented space in a local church until 1967 when members purchased the current building from the Methodist Church, Gussak said. The mortgage was paid off in 1982. Services were initially held in the sanctuary in split sessions, some were held in the movie theatre, but in a couple of years, the Temple had grown so much that members outgrew the capacity of the sanctuary. 

"One of our founding families, the Margolins, is currently represented by four generations," Gussak said. "Many of our families have been here for the better part of 40 years, including Sylvia Epstein, the Breitbart family and the Forbes family.

In addition, the third generations of the Ellison, Gussak, Samalin, Sunshine and Uffer families are all currently members. 

"It shows that so many families see Temple Beth Am as their home," he said. "Some never left and some have returned. It's more than a place of worship, it's a place to celebrate, socialize and a place to come for comfort."

Yorktown Councilman Vishnu Patel presented the Temple with a congratulatory certificate on behalf of Yorktown town board members.

Thanks to Patel for sharing the pictures with Patch.