Hempstead Turnpike Israel Community Center recently closed its doors after 60 years of service to the Levittown community and is merging with the Farmingdale Wantagh Jewish Center due to the financial difficulties of supporting a temple that has a diminishing amount of members. About 15 to 20 years ago, the Israel Community Center had 400 families attending services on a daily basis and now their membership has dwindled to only 15 members.

"It's not a substantial amount of people and our temple will be able to accommodate the folks coming over," said Robert Cooper, president of the Farmingdale Wantagh Jewish Center.

The cause for this significant decrease in temple membership is the decline in the number of Jewish families who live in Levittown. "More members in Florida than up here," said David Kasten jokingly, who is the president of the Israel Community Center.

"We are all very excited about the growth of our congregation," said Rabbi Dr. Alan F. Lavin. "Members of the ICC have already been attending services regularly with us along with their retired Rabbi Stanley Dreyfus who has moved into our community."

This congregation, which was established in 1948, will be remembered for their many social and religious programs such as temple services, Hebrew School and Bingo. "It will leave a hole. No longer will there be a Jewish presence in Levittown," said Kasten. "Anyone who is interested will have to travel."

According to Irving Gerlack, member of the Israel Community Center, about two-thirds of the members will be attending services provided by the Farmingdale Wantagh Jewish Center and about one-third will be traveling to Westbury to attend the Temple Shalom services.

"I have lived in Levittown for over 50 years and while I am not Jewish, I have had many friends whose families were members, so it is an important piece of my history," said Ellen McCarthy Vollkommer, resident of Levittown.