Beth Joseph Synagogue - Tupper Lake, NY
- What: A New York State and National Historical Site. Beth Joseph is the oldest Synagogue in the Adirondacks. The site recently celebrated its centennial.
- Where: Lake Street [Route 3], Tupper Lake, New York, Franklin County.
- When: 1905 - Present
- Contact: Open to the public, July and August. Tours: Tues-Fri., 11am-3pm. 7pm Friday evening service during July and August. Beth Joseph Synagogue / P.O. Box 625 / Tupper Lake, NY 12986
- Phone: (315) 347 - 3580
- Click here to add your own memory of Beth Joseph Synagogue to our guestbook.
Reminiscent of synagogues in the rural regions of Eastern European countries from which ancestors of the Jewish settlers of the Adirondack Mountains migrated in the late nineteenth century, Beth Joseph is an architectural gem and a prized landmark in the woods community of Tupper Lake. Founded in 1905 to serve the few Jewish families who lived there year around, the congregation never exceeded more than 35 families and the building was closed to the public for nearly four decades in the mid-century. In the 1980s a local effort to raise money to restore the building and its contents, spearheaded by women who are descendants of the synagogue’s founders, was very successful. Since that time, the synagogue has had Friday evening services in summer months and is the home to concerts and gallery exhibits during the same period. The synagogue is home to a small museum of local Jewish history and religious artifacts from local families.
Additional Photos
Click photos to view full size
The exterior of Beth Joseph Synagogue today
Historical photograph of Beth Joseph Synagogue taken in 1915, 10 years after it was built
Four of the active members of the Tupper Lake Jewish community, who restored and carefully maintain the synagogue today
Restored interior of Beth Joseph Synagogue, with bema, restored ark curtain and rose window in background
Photos of early members of Beth Joseph congregation in entrance lobby of the synagogue
A wedding at Beth Joseph Synagogue, with the chuppah or wedding canopy constructed of Adirondack white birch poles and fresh cut evergreen boughs
Restored entrance to Beth Joseph, with welcome message in Hebrew
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