By COLlive staff
As the chilly weather was blowing into New York, members of Cong. Anshei Lubawitz on 12th Avenue in Brooklyn learned on Thursday that they were left without heat.
Some 65 congregants bundled up in coats and scarves bracing the cold temperatures to pray as the gas was disconnected from the oldest synagogue in Borough Park.
The board of the synagogue brought space heaters and moved prayers to the basement due to the freezing cold temperatures in the main sanctuary, COLlive.com was told.
“This may mark the first time in 100 years that Shabbos davening did not take place in the main sanctuary,” one person said, noting that they prayed in the basement which has far fewer seats.
Congregants accuse real estate developer Moses Karpen of disconnecting the gas as part of his plan to demolish the synagogue and build an apartment complex on its land.
A temporary restraining order issued by Judge Marshal Steinhardt last August prohibited the developer from “limiting, terminating, reducing or restricting the synagogue’s functions in the current building or transferring such functions and operations to another location.”
According to court papers, the restraining order was issued to prevent the demolition of the building and to continue to allow the congregation to have normal use and access to the building.
A request for comment from Karpen was not answered.
Congregants said Karpen claims the gas was disconnected before the members obtained a TRO from the court and have been left that way in the last 3 months.
“This is clearly a deliberate attempt to make an end-run around the TRO, and achieve a forced relocation of the synagogue,” said David Shor, a congregant for over 10 years.
“The developer knowingly and intentionally kept the gas line shut and concealed the fact from the membership They did not inform anyone or seek guidance from the Court. We love our synagogue, and will continue to brace the cold and pray.”
The case is scheduled to be in front of Supreme Court Justice Wayne Saitta on Thursday, November 16.
We have a problem with funding. Mr. P stopped funding our case and we ran out of money to pay for gas/heat.
The shul has members and a board who still daven there. Chaim waysman and Shimon Weiss daven there over 40 years and run this shul. Weissman is president close to 30 years, this shul infested with mold, it has no Mispallelim, no money. No rabbi due to not being paid for years, the building is in bad shape and needs extensive repairs what exactly would do other then criticize the hard working board of the shul doing its best to keep the future of the shul alive? Btw rabbi Goldberg’s family and friends say this shul and financial problem caused… Read more »
To 16!
Agree!
In zlozits there was heat and you were all welcome to go there unless u signed onto the petition against me.
When Harav Ushpol was the rov , during the summer months when people went to the country they use to daven down stairs to save electricity those huge window air-conditioners cost a fortune to run , when rabbi Raitport became the rov, he changed the policy and we davened upstairs all through the year , I davened in that shul since I was born in the 60,s untill marriage in 1988 , than moved to crown heights .My zaide made Harav Ushpol to become the rov at the shul my family davened at the shul and my father’s cousins davened… Read more »
I feel very bad for the so called developer. The only thing I can see is him “developing” problems for himself R”L. Such type of actions like destroying a shul does not bring any good results. R”L sooner or later the Oibershter takes care of business. Is it really worth to mess around for a few dollars?!
The AC problem was simple and straightforward. No one had a problem understanding that. This current situation is much more complex and possibly devious than just a heat breakdown!
When the central ac was broken and you davened downstairs did COL make an issue out of it? Did the 60 mispalilim complain or they understood that there is a situation
The apartments will not generate income for the shul, according to the plans/documents.
I have been davening at this shul for 7 years and can’t remember ever davening downstairs on shabbos, maybe one time in the summer because the central ac was not working upstarirs.
I was there this shabbos as well, and Mincha/Mariv on motzai shabbos upstairs was freezing and I was sitting in my coat.
What happened to the agreement that the bhm”d will have 3 mil in escrow????
These two do whatever they please
It was under 40 degrees in the main shul. The bathrooms were freezing cold as well. We never daven downstairs on Shabbas
One needs not have an opinion on the actual sale to understand that leaving a Shul without heat is cruel and a chilul Hashem. The Shul itself and the people davening in it shouldn’t be pawns in a legal battle project.
I davend there Friday night there was 65 people(not 25)
Condos will not be an income for the new shul. Developer will sell them for his profit according to the agreement
Shame how two individuals decided to tear down a bes hakneses of 111 years old. And is no uproar from the bp community
there will be a shul get out so the project can go foward , the building was falling apart and all the noisemakers were quiet while things were corroding
And upstairs was freezing cold and the 65 mispalelim had to cramp into the basement which was indeed heated by space heaters. And never in the the history of this Shul has we davened Shabbos in the basement. Please ignore the Zlozitzer clowns who are trolling here.
Another point,
We often Davened shabbos downstairs over the years, anyone saying otherwise is simply lying.
Horrible story how a few yungatches can mistreat a raabim
The shul will be rebuilt, there will also be Apartments. Which will generate income for the continued existence of the shul.
But enough about that.
True we were relocated to the downstairs shul, but reports of having cold congregants in coats is simply untrue. The downstairs shul was heated to a cozy 73° over Shabbos.
The 25 mispallim that Braved the cold weather Shabbos morning were greeted with a blast of hot air, some even complained that was too hot.
It’s sad to how low some people can go against fellow Jews. May hashem have rachmonus already.