Kent Avenue Synagogue: What a Shame
How f’d up is the situation with the makeshift synagogue on Kent Avenue in South Williamsburg? Very. It’s been almost a year since the 17,000-square-foot building was thrown up in a kind of urban barn-raising (200 people working in shifts 24 hours a day for 20 days) during which one worker was seriously injured and…
How f’d up is the situation with the makeshift synagogue on Kent Avenue in South Williamsburg? Very. It’s been almost a year since the 17,000-square-foot building was thrown up in a kind of urban barn-raising (200 people working in shifts 24 hours a day for 20 days) during which one worker was seriously injured and a Stop Work Order was issued. Despite the less-than-exemplary track record during construction, the congregation was able to wrangle a Temporary Place of Assembly permit for 10 dates in September and October of last year, which is when this video was made. (Irony of all ironies: the synagogue is next door to a fire station.) Since last fall, the owner (which is listed on DOB filings as Congregation Kahal Adath Krasna of 1623 44th Street) has not lifted a finger to finish the exterior of the building and has been denying access to buildings inspectors who have received numerous tips that it’s being used illegally as a school. The building has yet to receive a Certificate of Occupancy. Our question is who’s running interference for the synagogue? Is the political clout of the Hasidim so great that they can just skate by for a year in clear violation of fire safety and buildings department regulations with no consequences?
Sin-A-Gog Outrage: This Is Getting Ridiculous [Brownstoner]
Synagogue Needs Some Skin, Baby! [Brownstoner]
GMAP P*Shark DOB
Dear Brownstoner
This is the second attempt by you on this website to bad mouth the community and this Synagogue
But in the process it is becoming clear that we are dealing with a big fat anti-Semitic person who is an Certified ass as well
Your saying that in middle of construction one worker was seriously injured
The fact is that the worker was released from the hospital after two hours
You keep on saying that you checked government records about this building
So how come you got such an important fact about the size of the building wrong
Its not 17000 sq feet its 12000 just proving a point that your full of shit
“Irony of all ironies: the synagogue is next door to a fire station†what’s your problem
How about they meet all fire department guidelines that’s to much for your little anti-Semitic mind to digest
“They have been denying access to building inspectorsâ€
Another fact made up by your little mind I owe a house building inspectors
Can not be denied access to a building you just made it up didn’t you ?
Please next time use one of the k.k.k. sites to share your bs opinions
Well said 4:03. Christians and Muslims do not have a corner on doing F****d up things. You’ll find the crazy and deranged among us all. God, Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Buddah, Muhammad, Bahai’, Dios, Jesus, and whoever made us that way.
comparing the offensive comments on this board to the Nazis is retarded (and saying ‘retarded,’ as I just did, is offensive, but not as offensive as murdering people because they are retarded, like the Nazis did)
Hey 11:23, I see your point about the venom, and yes, the Hasids (and especially the Satmar) are not well understood by most New Yorkers (especially secular Jews, may of which have left comments on here you would deem anti-semetic)… but Nazi Germany? C’mon. I hate it when people pull the Nazis or Hitler out of their back pocket and place it on something as benign as a blog about ugly buildings. It lessens the really bad things the Nazis and Hitler did…
…and by the way, this building is ugly and unsafe, and the political clout of this particular group of people in their district has prevented proper legal action from being taken. That is not anti-semetic. That is a fact.
…and also, while there are a lot of interesting, unique, admirable things the Hasidic communities do (support one another, maintain traditions, strong family ties, etc.) there is also a lot of things they do that are fucked up and wrong… just like any religious group, especially fundamentalists.
… lastly (and then I’ll stop, promise) I think it is aggressive and hostile to live in the biggest melting pot of cultures in the world and to totally shut out everything and everyone else around you. You live in NYC, and you have to/ get to deal with everyone else’s culture up in your face. No fair to shut it out.
What a stomach turning bunch on this thread. The venom is amazing- and the worst of it is that you are so nose up our own butts you can’t even see the anti-semitism you’re spewing. This isn’t about a building- it’s about Brownstoner letting his blog be used a a venue for some of the most anti-semitic crap I’ve ever heard and morons proceeding to take advantage of it.
Hasidim, for those ignorant ranters (and there are quite a few here), are not a cult or wackos. They are a branch of Judaism who are fundamentalist in their beliefs. All you self-righteous Christians and Muslims out there can tolerate those 2 single most destructive entities in the history of Western Civilization because, hey! they believe like you do- but Jews? Jews who unlike Christian fundamentalists don’t make anyone drink Kool-aid, torch their farmhouses with their women and children inside, build concentration camps, blow themselves and their families up in car bombs, go on Crusades, or fly planes into tall buildings. Oh no-in the spirit of free religious market enterprise- Christians and Muslims have long ago cornered the wacko market.
What the Hasidim do that pisses you all off is form an effective political and social group because they know how to work together and they vote. They know how to be effective- and that’s the thing you hate. Because you don’t. Not “can’t”- don’t.
I’m the last one to say I don’t have problems with some of the things the Hasidim do, but frankly, there are loads of groups who do far worse things than put up unattractive buildings, provide housing for their members, and work together as a community. And while you, Brownstoner can pat yourself on the back for providing the world with another ugly discussion. Sure, you’ve provided a venue to rat out bad developers and such, but nowhere else have you allowed it so completely to degenerate into such an ugly discussion worthy of Nazi Germany.
anger vented on this one building is totally out of proportion- where are all the ranters to bitch about the little evangelical death traps packed to the rafters every Sunday? All the beautiful buildings full of incredible architectural detail decimated by uncaring congregations and now covered with humongous, extremely ugly signs announcing for all to see how tasteless they can be. And you think the Hasidic put up ugly buildings? What’s next on Brownstoner? What’s the best fabric for your Brown shirt?
Schaefer,
Comments like yours don’t help your cause. In the words of the famous philosopher Rodney King “Caaain’t we aaall just get aloong?!!!
Schaefer: PLEASE don’t mention whores and hasidim in the same post. People might start a whole new thread that would really get ugly.
now will all understand why we in CB1 and the williamsburg community should have stopped all you yuppies, junkies and people who are trying to find themselfs move into the lofts in williamsburg.
you schmucks and whores try to pull this crap and write this s— in Harlem r Bed Stuy r any other neighborhood and they would run you out of town.
if you hate the Jewish people, go back where you came from and find your father,
“who is your daddy” I’m sure most of the comments are written by people who broke many laws, and have sniffed and smoked the stuff while drunk.,
so go get a life, cause we are here to stay and there will be payback time.
the only thing you contribute to this community is open another bar.
some of you should put a condom on your head
Ishmael you are a dumb a**, any way,
They have not allowed access to the building to assess whether an unsafe condition exists or not. That would lead me to believe that everything may not be up to par. What is most troubling is that this building might be housing a school. I wouldn’t care if this were a Catholic school, Muslim School or otherwise. The inspectors must be let in. All children must have a safe learning environment. I think that it is being used as a school because I pass it everyday on my way home from work and it appears as though students are being dismissed.