Bikur Cholim B'nai Israel Synagogue
Why it's listed
Bikur Cholim B'nai Israel Synagogue is a small stucco-covered wood-frame house of worship built about 1926-27 on an open rural site in the town of Bethel, south of Swan Lake. Forty-five Jewish men, mostly dairy and poultry farmers who also took in summer boarders, joined to build it on land donated by Jacob Rotterman. Sam Goodman, a Swan Lake carpenter who also built nearby bungalow colonies, constructed it. The facade is marked by a curving, Spanish Baroque-inspired parapet with tower-like corners, round-arched openings, and Star of David motifs. Inside are a barrel-vaulted sanctuary and a ladies gallery, reflecting orthodox tradition, along with stock moldings and folding chairs like those in local hotels. It also served as the community hall for forty-seven families in the area. Although the hotels and farms have largely vanished, the building remains highly intact and is used for special occasions by the families' descendants.
Significance in brief: It is an intact example of an early twentieth-century Sullivan County synagogue, and unusual because a rural farming community built it rather than a village or hamlet. Its design combines eastern European orthodox features with the domestic architecture of regional hotels and bungalow colonies. It also documents the Jewish farm and boarding-house community that settled the area from 1918-19.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 98001619, listed January 15, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Old White Lake Turnpike at NY 55, Swan Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Sullivan County |
| Listed | January 15, 1999 |
| Reference number | 98001619 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c1926-27 |
| Architect / builder | Sam Goodman |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used only for special occasions since the 1960s, mainly by descendants of the original congregants; the form reports an outstanding level of integrity and rehabilitation work around 1996. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.71516, -74.79934 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 98001619.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4907464
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.