Fire seriously damages historic Manhattan synagogue
The Beth Hamedrash Hagadol in New York burned for several hours on Sunday before firefighters managed to control it
A fire seriously damaged a historic synagogue on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
The Sunday evening blaze at Beth Hamedrash Hagadol burned for several hours and took at least two hours for firefighters to bring under control, according to reports. It burned for several hours afterward.
It is not clear how the fire started, according to reports. An investigation will be led by the fire marshal, though the fire chief has said the blaze started inside the building, NBC New York reported.
The Gothic-style building was empty at the time of the fire. Two firefighters reportedly were injured trying bring it under control.
Sad sight: Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Synagogue (abandoned) goes up in flames on the Lower East Side. [via @DoctorGuff] pic.twitter.com/0BgMLNxJfx
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) May 15, 2017
Built in 1850 as a Baptist church, the building was purchased in 1885 to become the first Eastern European congregation founded in New York City and served .
The congregation closed the synagogue in 2007 after determining it did not have the £2.3million ($3 m) to £3 m ($4 m) needed for repairs. In 1967, the building was declared a city landmark, and in 2003 it was designated an endangered historic site.
Local residents told the New York Post that another fire had broken out in the building last week, though it was not confirmed by the newspaper.
The synagogue has in recent years sought to “de-landmark” the building so that condominiums could be built on the site, with a small synagogue to be built on the ground floor.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.