Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills

Established in 1941, the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills stands as a beacon of Jewish life. It’s the sole traditional Conservative synagogue in the heart of Kew Gardens Hills. This vibrant community has a rich history, intertwined with the growth of Queens. Did you know this area was once farmland known as Queens Valley? By the 1920s, many farms were sold to golf courses. This transformation was spurred by the arrival of the subway line in nearby Kew Gardens in 1936 and the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. The Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills emerged during this period of growth. The influx of residents, primarily German, Irish, and Italian, from other boroughs, shaped the character of the neighborhood. The Jewish Center became a cornerstone for the growing Jewish community. It predates many of the kosher establishments and businesses that now line Main Street. In the early 1950s, residents like Esther Lopata had to build their own sukkahs, sometimes with quite inventive methods! There were no local shops for esrogim and lulavim, no Sukkah Depot, not even a Home Depot. Imagine the resourcefulness required to celebrate Sukkot amidst such a landscape. The area’s history is filled with intriguing figures like Francis Lewis, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who owned the Spring Hill Farm, which later became part of Mount Hebron Cemetery. The very streets we walk on carry echoes of the past. Vleigh Place, for example, derived from the Dutch word for “swamp,” harkens back to a time when this area was known as Head of the Fly. It served as a route around Flushing Meadow Swamp, a vital pathway for early settlers and farmers bringing their goods to market. The Jewish Center witnessed significant shifts in the demographic makeup of Kew Gardens Hills. From its early days as a home for German, Irish, and Italian families, it saw the rise of a substantial Orthodox Jewish community, marked by the establishment of congregations like Toras Emes in 1950 and the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills in 1951. Today, the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of this community. It reflects the evolution of Kew Gardens Hills from farmland to a bustling neighborhood, a hub of Jewish life in Queens.