Governor Hochul Intervenes to Save Kingsbrook Shul

By COLlive reporter

A belated Chanukah miracle.

The planned demolition of the historic Kingsbrook Shul in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York, has been stopped, COLlive has learned on Wednesday.

Sources confirmed that Governor Kathy Hochul has personally intervened to save the shul, officially called Congregation Chaim Albert, which has nearly 100 years of continuous service.

The synagogue, located on the grounds of Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, was at risk of demolition as part of a $400 million state-funded redevelopment.

The property is now in the hands of Kingsbrook Estates, a Homes and Community Renewal (HCR)-financed project that includes 402 affordable units, with set-asides for 72 veterans and 70 frail elderly seniors.

Members of the synagogue recently filed a lawsuit against One Brooklyn Health System, Inc., which operated Kingsbrook Hospital. They sought to impose a constructive and charitable trust to preserve the building for religious purposes and to establish the congregation’s ownership of the property.

Kingsbrook was founded in the 1920s by New York’s Jewish community to combat widespread antisemitism in healthcare. From its inception, the hospital incorporated Jewish values—including a kosher kitchen and regular prayer services. In 1950, the standalone synagogue was built to serve hospital staff, patients, and the local Jewish community.

The lawsuit claims Kingsbrook deliberately kept the building closed long after the public health emergency caused by COVID had passed, to avoid public backlash over removing an active house of worship. Congregation Chaim Albert is now turning to the courts to prevent the erasure of nearly a century of religious and communal tradition.

Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, founder of the Jewish Future Alliance, a local advocacy organization not involved in the lawsuit, called on Governor Kathy Hochul to intervene.

The office of Governor Hochul confirmed the news.

In a statement to COLlive, the Governor wrote: “Kingsbrook Synagogue has been around since the early 1900s and is a testament to the strength and resilience of the Jewish community. I’m proud to have led the effort to save the historic Kingsbrook shul from its demolition and encourage leadership from the hospital and synagogue to find a path forward where both sites can prosper and serve the community.”

News of the halting of the planned demolition was met with gratitude by the family of the synagogue’s founders.

“We are the direct descendants of Max Blumberg, who founded the hospital in response to antisemitism and served as its first president from 1929 until his passing in 1938. We believe that our grandfather would have wanted the synagogue to remain active, and we support ongoing efforts to prevent its displacement. It is critically important that this vital part of Jewish history in New York be preserved,” said Max Blumberg. “When our grandfather called upon the broader Brooklyn Jewish community to help build this Jewish institution, the media at the time reported that more than 3,000 Brooklyn Jews contributed to the effort, demonstrating the deep communal significance of this site from its very beginning.

“We thank Governor Hochul for recognizing and understanding the importance of this location,” he said.

“Some of Brooklyn’s leading rabbis participated in the synagogue’s inauguration 75 years ago,” said Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Director of New York Government Relations, Agudath Israel of America. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her efforts to help preserve this historic and meaningful religious institution.”

Rabbi Shea Hecht, Chairman of the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education, whose father, Rabbi J. J. Hecht, was a prominent Rabbi in East Flatbush and served for many years as president of the Vaad Harabonim of East Flatbush, applauded Governor Hochul’s action, saying, “the decision could not have come at a better time, as the local Jewish community has experienced significant growth in recent years.”

“The synagogue has stood as a beacon of light for the entire neighborhood and has been active for a century. We thank Governor Hochul for helping prevent its displacement,” said Rabbi Lazer Avtzon, Association of Crown Heights Shuls, on behalf of 100 synagogues in the surrounding area.

“The entire complex was built in response to antisemitism, and at a time when antisemitism is once again on the rise, we appreciate Governor Hochul stepping in not only to help preserve the synagogue, but in doing so also sending a clear message that our history is respected and that our future as visible Jews in New York is secure,” said Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, Jewish Future Alliance. “I also want to thank the Governor’s staff, especially Debbie Esther Louis, Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs, and her office for their support now and always.”

“Thank you, Governor Hochul, for being a trusted friend and ally to our community for so many years,” said longtime Crown Heights community leader and chaplain at OEM Rabbi Chanina Sperlin. “We are grateful for her leadership and for the tremendous work that went into saving this synagogue. We are also deeply appreciative of the Governor’s incredible staff, especially Eva Wyner Rosen, Director of Jewish Affairs, and Jacob Adler, Assistant Secretary for Constituency Affairs, who were responsive and helpful throughout the process.”

“We appreciate the Governor’s intervention, and I look forward to bringing my children to the synagogue in the near future, as I live just three blocks away,” said Rabbi Shmuel Rosenstein, Crown Heights Jewish Community Council.

“Governor Hochul’s intervention to save the Chaim Albert Shul demonstrates the kind of moral leadership that cannot be taken for granted. Her decisive action to preserve this sacred space reflects an understanding that Jewish institutions are not abstractions they are living centers of community, memory, and continuity. At the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, we recognize that protecting Jewish life means protecting the places where that life happens. We commend the Governor for acting when action mattered,” said Michael D. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation.

Just last week, a Menorah lighting and Chanukah celebration took place outside the Synagogue, by congregants and members of the community who were fighting to keep the Shul open. The members of the Shul expressed their gratitude to the Governor for her help in preventing the demolition.

“I have been active in this synagogue for over twenty years. I hosted my son’s bris here, and my family and I look forward to celebrating his bar mitzvah in this synagogue as well. Thank you, Governor Hochul,” said Rabbi Zalman Goldstein, Synagogue Trustee.

Archival newspapers credit: Jay Sorid