Franklin Square and West Hempstead Jewish Community

Franklin Square and West Hempstead are hamlet's in Naasau County, located in the Town of Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York. You might be more familiar with some of their neighbors to the South the Five Towns. According to the US Census, the current population of Franklin Square is just under 32,000, whereas West Hempstead is just under 20,000 residents. The two neighboring communities have an Eruv that covers many if not all of the synagogues and most of the area.

There are a number of Orthodox, Conservative and Reform synagogues in Long Island, and these communities are no different, however, they have a growing Jewish community. Beit Midrash of West Hempstead & Franklin Square is located in Franklin Square, and some newer synagogues where services are held in homes. In West Hempstead you will find the Young Israel of West Hempstead, Bais Torah U' Tefilah, Chabad of West Hempstead, Congregation Anshei Shalom, ">Congregation Eitz Chaym of Dogwood Park, Zichron Kedoshim, and the Sephardic synagogue of Yismach Yisroel. Congregation Shaaray Shalom, a Conservative synagogue, features Glatt Kosher catering, and regularly scheduled daily services. If you're a member or a friend of Chabad, the Ohel Chabad Lubavitch, where you will find a synagogue, mikvah, and the resting place of the Rebbi, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and his farther-in-law, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, 5 miles to the southwest.

In Franklin Square and West Hempstead you'll find plenty of kosher, including a kosher market, supermarkets and markets that carry kosher products. BagelTown Cafe a cafe and mini bakery, Sauly's Pizza, Oma's Sushi and Grill, and the Sunflower Bake Shop. I&D Glatt serves the community and neighboring communities. For those of you with a sweet tooth there's Chocolate Tree (kosher certified and has chocolates, gift baskets, and trays), Rita's Italian Ice of Franklin Square, or a Carvel Ice Cream Shop. Supermarkets include Stop & Shop supermarket and Lidl market, both have selections of kosher packaged products, are located in the communities. There are also Walmart's, Costco, and Trader Joe's in neigboring communities, all of which have large selections of kosher.

Local Jewish Schools are availabe as well, including Hebrew Academy of Nassau County (HANC), with three campuses. There's Gersh Academy for children K-12 on the Autism Spectrum. Pre-School, Elementary, and Middle/High Schools. There are also plenty of schools in nearby Five Towns and Far Rockaway or Forrest Hills Queens. The community mikvah, The Mikvah Association of Nassau County", serves the overall community and includes a Keilim Mikvah. If you plan on sending your children to Public School, be aware that there are multiple school districts that serve this community.

West Hempstead has a station on on the Long Island Railroad, which connects to the New York Subway system, Downtown Brooklyn, and Midtown Manhattan. Long Island Jewish Hospital is just to the North. Both Queens college and Hofstra Universities are within close driving distance, one to the West the other to the East, and Touro College has a Queens campus as well. If you like traveling, John F Kennedy International is nearby as well. Local highways include the Southern State Parkway, the Belt Parkway, the Cross Island Parkway, and Interstate Highways I-295 and I-495.

To learn more about this community (page mostly features homes for sale) and community events, there is a Facebook page The Franklin Square-West Hempstead, Long Island, NY Jewish Community"