Since Rabbi Klayman’s retirement, we have had several interim Rabbis to lead our congregation until we found our “beshert”.

We would like to thank our most recent interim Rabbi, Zalmen Hertz, who energized the Shabbat and holiday services from March to mid-July 2026. While Rabbi Hertz was educated in a more traditional manner through Yeshivas in London and Israel, he was able to beautifully connect with our congregants. His use of humor at the beginning of his sermons was able to set a positive and engaging tone for learning and exploring the Torah and halacha.

Rabbi Hertz can be reached at rabbizhertz@gmail.com.

Thank you,

Edith, Administrator LSJC

Dear Friends and Congregants;

We are pleased to announce that Rav Hazzan Brian Shamash will be joining our congregation as religious leader beginning on July 18, 2026. Join us for his first Shabbat morning with us to welcome him to our community.

With over 28 years of experience in congregational leadership and as a Jewish educator, we believe that within the next few months we will begin to see a revitalization to our beloved home. Rav Shamash will be bringing his vibrant energy and stalwart dedication to direct the growth of LSJC while building connections within the Great Neck, New Hyde Park, and Eastern Queens Jewish communities and beyond.

Rav Shamash was raised in a home that blended his father’s Babylonian Iraqi-Jewish heritage with his artist mother’s Ashkenazi roots, teaching him that Jewish identity is a symphony of diverse melodies. This led him to begin his career as a Hazzan, but his deeper study into halacha as well as liturgy has yielded an ever greater appreciation for the resilient and evolving nature of Jewish thought, forwarding him through a Rabbinic Ordination last year. To quote Rav Shamash, Judaism is a “dynamic living laboratory for the soul.”

We welcome Rav Shamash, his wife Emily, and their three beautiful children (Ella, Maya, and Ethan) to our synagogue and look forward to all we will learn and engage in together.

In gratitude,

Eliot Wolf, LSJC President

A congregational meeting was held June 8th at 7:30 PM in person and on Zoom, with 36 people in attendance. The meeting began with a brief review of actions taken by the board to ensure continuity of our congregation.

• L’Dor V’Dor / OLNJC: As of now, the board/congregation has chosen to merge with Temple Israel of Great Neck; however, a significant number of their congregants have expressed that they would prefer to join us at LSJC. We are working with a representative to facilitate this which will provide an influx of congregants as well as funds from the proceeds of their sale of their building.

• Temple Gates of Prayer in Flushing: There are some financial aspects they are working on internally before anything can proceed at this point.

• Lake Success Chabad: This appears to be a fallback option ; however several attendees expressed they would not remain with LSJC.

• Temple Tikvah: As of now, they intend to rent space at Temple Beth Shalom in Roslyn.

Future of LSJC: There was unanimous agreement that we need a full-time rabbi to lead us into the future. Rabbi/Hazzan Brian Shamash was presented as our current candidate, demonstrating the energy, vision, and commitment needed to help transform LSJC into a viable, vibrant community. Meeting participants strongly supported pursuing Rabbi Shamash, who has expressed his willingness to serve as both rabbi and chazzan. He is able to begin serving on congregation on July 1, 2026.

What members can do: Before we offer the Rabbi this full-time position, we need to survey our membership. Members are asked to commit to participating in (re)building our community. with a three year commitment in money, in time and in energy.

• All members who have not paid their annual dues in full are asked to pay now.

• Assume leadership roles by helping to organize events like the Shabbat Across America program, or lectures on various current topics.

• Indicate commitment to revive our community by emailing the office and letting us know you intend to remain a member for 3 years and to share your thoughts

An in-person congregational meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2026 at 7:30pm.

An in person board member meeting is scheduled on Monday, June 1, 2026 at 7:30pm

A Board meeting is planned for Monday 05/11/26 in the evening. Future Rabbinical options are to be discussed in order to decide best slate to be submitted for Congregational vote and acceptance.

Eliot Wolf, president of LSJC, has announced that leadership and board members are in advanced negotiations on several fronts:

• Ongoing negotiations with Temple Tikvah regarding subleasing options.

• Discussions with Rabbi Shamash regarding his possible future leadership of our congregation.

• Other possibilities will be posted on this page as they become firmer.