By Trudy Whitman
“Once Synagogues, Now Churches, and Ailing Quietly” read the
New York Times metro section headline on January 28. Cobble Hill’s synagogue, Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes, commonly known as The Kane Street Synagogue, could be portrayed in a flipped headline — “Once a Church, Now a Synagogue.” Sadly, the “Ailing Quietly” description is quite apt for this venerable building as well. Although Kane Street is blessed with a robust and active membership, and although it celebrated the opening of a completely renovated community center in 2004, followed by the launch of a day-time preschool, the years have taken their toll on the landmarked sanctuary. The roof leaks, interior columns are taped to prevent chunks of plaster from falling away, and the stained glass windows are in precarious condition.
The Kane Street community looks at the renovation and renewal of their buildings in terms of decades not years, said synagogue president Susan Rifkin. Although it was quite evident that the sanctuary was in dire need of repair, it was decided that the community center next door would be tackled first, because a venue for social functions is at the heart of every cohesive religious group. As part of this makeover, the freestanding building, named the Sol and Lillian Goldman Educational Center after principal donors, was connected via an enclosed walkway to the sanctuary.
By the spring it is hoped that Kane Street will have embarked on the next phase of rejuvenation, which entails exterior work to make the sanctuary watertight. (Water leakage is the cause of most of the interior damage.) The exterior renovation will include the replacement of the building’s roof, the installation of new gutters, the removal of the stained glass windows — so that the metal that holds the glass in place can be fixed and the windows’ wood framing replaced — and the replacement of the sanctuary’s wooden front doors. The original doors are too dilapidated to be repaired, Rifkin said.
The Kane Street Synagogue, formerly a Dutch Reform church, was opened as a Jewish institution of worship in 1905. The building was designed in the Rundbogenstil or Round Arch style, and its history, like the synagogues-turned-churches in the Times article, is testimony to the ever changing demographics of New York City. The article focuses on several former synagogues — in various states of disrepair — in Brooklyn and Queens that now serve Christian populations in neighborhoods that have fallen on hard times. It quotes preservationists who “have begun to sound alarms, warning that rich urban traditions of art, religion and community service are imperiled” if these structures are left to rot away. The article explains that city officials are reluctant to help congregations with repairs and rehabilitation because of concern over separation of church and state issues.
But as did some of the former synagogues in the article, Kane Street received assistance from the Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites program in the form of a $5,000 grant. (The Landmarks Conservancy, according to the article, has been visiting 500 prewar synagogues in Brooklyn and Queens over the past several months. It hopes to recommend some of these for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.) The money, said Susan Rifkin, was used to help defray the cost of a “conditions” survey carried out by Kaitsen & Woo, an architectural firm with expertise in historic preservation and restoration. The survey identified repairs that should be made immediately and triaged others that should be addressed within the next five years. Additional assistance for retaining the architects came from the Herman Goldman Foundation.
The synagogue also announced that it has received a matching grant of $350,000 from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. The matching grant anchors a $1-million capital campaign that will soon be in full swing. Campaign leaders are hoping for 100 percent participation among Kane Street’s congregants, Susan Rifkin stressed.
The Micro Museum, a hub for art shows and performance pieces and other creative endeavors since it opened on Smith Street in 1986, was recognized as the neighborhood’s Outstanding Community Organization — Winter 2007 by Assemblywoman Joan Millman. The assemblywoman highlights a community group in each of her quarterly newsletters. Twenty-two years ago when the Micro Museum opened, Smith was far from the trendy hot spot it is today. The museum, brainchild of interdisciplinary artists William and Kathleen Laziza, brought life and pizzazz to an otherwise scruffy strip.
The museum offers a crazy salad of interactive kinetic displays, fine arts, and photography, as well as dance and music performances. There is also a wide variety of classes for adults and children including music, art, martial arts, and sign language. The Micro Museum is open to the public on Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m. and for monthly special events. Currently hanging is a show called “Opposites Attract.” Visit www.micromuseum.com to discover what else is happening. The Micro Museum is at 123 Smith Street; 718 797-3116.
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2008
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