Torched Lower East Side Synagogue May Face The Wrecking Ball
A board member of the historic Beth Hamedrash Hagodol synagogue, which was ravaged by a fire in May, has filed a request to demolish at least part of the structure, according to DNAInfo.
A spokesperson for the Landmarks Preservation Commission said that the request did not specify if all or only certain parts of the synagogue would be demolished.
A community board meeting is being held Tuesday night for the synagogue’s board to present its proposal to demolish the building, which the Department of Buildings has deemed unstable.
The police arrested and charged a 14-year-old boy with the arson of the building, which has stood since 1850 and was given landmark status in 1967.
Contact Ari Feldman at feldman@forward.com or on Twitter @aefeldman.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.