The oldest synagogue in New York’s Adirondack Mountain region.

Often referred to as the peddler’s synagogue, Beth Joseph was originally established in the late 1800s by Eastern European immigrants who peddlers. Back then Tupper Lake was called The Little Wild West Town of the Adirondacks because of the town’s remote location and its 36 bars. By 1899 the Jewish community, which consisted of about 35 families, acquired land to build a synagogue. In the summer of that year, before construction began, a major fire devastated many of the homes and buildings of Tupper Lake. The city rebuilt and the new synagogue building, completed in 1905, was part of this resurgence.

The congregation was strictly orthodox with women sitting in the upstairs balcony during services. After World War II the Jewish population of Tupper Lake began to decline. When the synagogue celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1955, only a few active congregants remained. Eight years later, with diminishing numbers of both congregants and money, the Temple was forced to close.

In the mid-1980s Sharon Berzok, a non-Jewish tourist who was simply passing by, was struck by the beauty of the old building. Over the next two years she worked tirelessly to earn the synagogue a place on the National Register of Historic Buildings. Tragically, just two weeks before she was to be honored for her accomplishment, Berzok was killed in an automobile crash. Four local women built upon Berzok’s efforts by raising funds to restore the building. Long-time Tupper Lake resident and congregation member, Janet Chapman, spearheaded the restoration work. According to Chapman the actual restoration work was done entirely by volunteers, including prisoners from Camp Gabriels and other nearby correctional institutions.

At this writing (2013) Beth Joseph is closed during the winter months when there are few tourists in the area. In the summer months Sabbath services are held at 7 p.m. on Friday evenings and Rosh Hashanah services are held in the autumn. With an art gallery and Jewish museum in the basement, Beth Joseph welcomes visitors for guided tours during July and August.