Indianapolis' oldest temple is historic but empty

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR
By Will Higgins

INDIANA---It is the oldest synagogue in the city, a historic, neoclassical structure designed by renowned architects. And its future is uncertain. Beth-El Temple, tucked into the 3400 block of Ruckle Street in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood, has been vacant for most of a decade. The neglect is now evident. Rain cascaded through holes in the roof until the synagogue, claimed by Marion County a few years ago for back taxes, caught the eye of Indiana Landmarks. In January 2014 the preservation group bought the temple and quickly raised $200,000 for a new roof to stabilize the structure and buy some time. So there’s hope for it. Now comes the hard part: what to do with the 90-year-old building. [link]