Two Manhattan Shuls Deemed ‘Sacred Sites’

THE JEWISH WEEK

NEW YORK---Two Manhattan synagogues are among 23 “Sacred Sites” in New York State that have received grants for physical repairs form the New York Landmarks Conservancy. A $30,000 Jewish Heritage Fund Grant to the Stanton Street Synagogue on the Lower East Side will help pay for repairs on the building’s exterior walls, and a grant of $25,000 to the East Village’s Sixth Street Community Synagogue will go towards repairs of its roof and façade. “You don’t have to be religious to understand that religious institutions contain some of our finest art and architecture,” said Peg Breen, Conservancy president, in a statement. [link]

Comments

Nice when we work to preserve institutions that provide a wonderful place to enjoy art and find spirituality!
You are so on the money for that one.
I am intrigued by the term "shul" in the newspapers headline, and since there is no explanation for it in the article I did wiki research. A "shul" is yiddish for synagogue. Wiki: "Israelis use the Hebrew term bet knesset (assembly house). Jews of Ashkenazi descent have traditionally used the Yiddish term "shul" (cognate with the German Schule, school) in everyday speech. Spanish and Portuguese Jews call the synagogue an esnoga. Persian Jews and Karaite Jews use the term kenesa, which is derived from Aramaic, and some Arabic-speaking Jews use knis. Some Reform and Conservative Jews use temple.[4][5] The Greek word synagogue is a good all-around term, used in English (and German and French), to cover the preceding possibilities.[6]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagogue
Yona said…
Both institutions have been fostering art. The Jewish Art Salon has been the beneficiary of several art exhibits and events there. The rabbi of the Community Synagogue is a also a successful jazz musician; he has created the Center for Jewish Arts & Literacy there. The Stanton Street Shul has a very active artist membership and support all kinds of initiatives. They are both downtown Manhattan power houses and deserve every penny to make repairs to their buildings.
NYC is lucky to have so many amazing resources.