Beth Judah Temple in Wildwood, which recently was listed on the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places, will be celebrating the listing and its congregation’s 110 years of existence in a three-day gala this month.
The temple, at the corner of Pacific and Spencer, architecturally is an “example of a rare surviving early twentieth century synagogue with a mid-century-modern school and hall,” according to the application for state historic designation.
Members met in their homes starting in 1915, until the sanctuary was dedicated in September 1929.
Ruth Edelman, who led the effort for historical designation, said, “To let it be destroyed is tantamount to the destruction of Jewish history and presence in Cape May County. That is why we believed it was so important to ensure the survival of this historic synagogue by putting it on the state and national registers of historic sites.”
An application for federal historic designation is pending.
The gala May 16 to 18 will celebrate the state listing and the congregation’s contributions to the Wildwood community, as well as honor the Satt and Gidding families, which were instrumental in establishing local businesses and supporting the temple from its origins. The temple also plans to create a museum and library to help preserve its legacy.
The events include the reopening after the winter season of the sanctuary during Shabbat services and a potluck dinner on Friday evening, May 16, followed by services and lunch Saturday morning, May 17, and a musical program that evening; all are free. Sunday, May 18, features a kosher luncheon, which requires reservations and payment, with awards recognizing contributions by various temple members.
All events are open to the community.
“The temple is a tangible link to our past, embodying the culture and stories of generations,” President Morey Edelman said. “The structure offers insights to the lives and values and contributions to not only our spiritual community, but to the community at large.”
Ruth Edelman said that one example of serving the community at large is the temple’s history of providing holiday and Sabbath lunches for Jewish Coast Guard cadets rotating through the training center in Cape May; this is an ongoing activity provided for the cadets.
The Gidding family, one of the original founders of the temple, were migrants to New Jersey, escaping persecution in Russia, she said. “There was a group of Jews living in Woodbine, who were part of an agricultural community learning the latest farming techniques in the late 1890s,” she said.
When the Wildwood boardwalk was built in the early 20th century, the Giddings and others in the farming community saw the business opportunities it presented; the Giddings established a clothing business.
The Satt family, chicken farmers, came from Europe in the early 1950s following the Holocaust and established a food distribution company, The Hen House, which supplied food to hotels and restaurants in Cape May County, Ruth Edelman said. That eventually morphed into Seashore Food Distributors, which still operates today In Rio Grande under the family’s leadership.
There are 62 families that belong to the temple currently, a number that has decreased over the years; however, Edelman said, Zoom has helped keep the community alive. “Many of our members head to Florida for the winter, so we Zoom Shabbat services,” she said. They also use Zoom during the High Holy Days in the fall and for other occasions.
One of the reasons she believes the temple received historical recognition is because of its location, only two blocks from the beach. “Many of the synagogues moved inland for better parking and other reasons, but we still are close to the beach,” she said.
That closeness also enables the congregation to have services on the beach during the summer.
“We are very welcoming,” Edelman said, adding that the congregation welcomes non-Jewish partners as well. “We try to look for commonalities between faith practices rather than differences.
“The families and friends of Beth Judah, Wildwood and Cape May County are agents of our history, making each family story a key part of Beth Judah’s identity. A museum and library is being created, and it will house our stories. The story of Jews who arrived in Cape May County is the story of American Jewry and part of our collective history.
“Beth Judah invites anyone who would like to share their or their family’s story of Beth Judah or ways that members of the Jewish community supported or impacted them, especially during hard times, we invite you to share your family’s story.”
