or Harry Truman. In 2001, Charles O'Shea, a Nassau County assessor, began to enforce an 1896 New York State law requiring that special tax assessments be paid on homes bought by synagogues and churches for their rabbis and ministers. At the same time, New York State law provided houses of worship with a tax exemption on property used for religious purposes. Androphy observed: There is a long history in this country of a separation of church and state, and the exemption of religious property from taxes. I think it's a dangerous precedent to set, because if the government can assess taxes for one purpose, what is to prevent it from assessing taxes on church and synagogue property in general? My great fear is that down the line governments might assume that the right to tax gives them the right to regulate. That would be an extremely dangerous breakdown of the separation of church and state. Temple Beth-El of Bellmore, New York, a 70-year-old congregation, consolidated with East Meadow Jewish Center to create East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center. Activities and membership In addition to providing prayer services, the synagogue has a nursery school, a Hebrew school, a men's club, a sisterhood, a youth group, and adult education classes. As of 2009, the synagogue had nine torahs. As of 2010, Ken Martin was EMJC's president, Scott Goodman was its chairman of the board, Shira Ornstein was the principal of its Hebrew school, and Silvia Kogan was the director of its nursery school. As of 2019, the synagogue had a membership of about 350 families. Rabbi Rabbi Androphy received his rabbinate from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a doctorate from Harvard University. References External links East Meadow Jewish Center The East Meadow Jewish Center Observer A Weekend with Jewish History: the Sanhedrin in Paris Convened by Napoleon in 1807, East Meadow Jewish Center, 1982 Synagogues in Nassau County, New York Conservative synagogues in New York (state) Synagogues completed in 1956 Jewish organizations established in 1956 Buildings and structures in Nassau County, New York