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
The fight between the brothers is over $500 million is assets. One would assume they could afford a facade with that kind of money.
I’m Polish (born there, not raised there), and I gotta say, community ugliness is rampant in Greenpoint too. The Polish community isn’t as savvy at real estate, but they certainly are as adept at fugliness. So I don’t think it’s a Hasidic thing so much as a closed-circuit-culture mentality, which is very out of sync with New York City’s otherwise pretty motley crew of cultures, and therefore is shocking in context. And believe me, I understand all the vitriol, as I’m of the very strong belief that aesthetics affect people deeply, even as deeply as religion — except aesthetics are imposed on the entire public, which is unfair when those aesthetics are offensive.
But it is not a hasidic thing. it’s more a, um, “old world” thing. People stuck in the back country, the old world, etc….
That’s because they wouldn’t want you.
The poor Hasidim, nobody likes them. least of all other Jewish people. They are like the polygamist Mormons. But more urban. And with a lot more dough.
I don’t care what they do, they stay out of my way, I stay out of their way.
At least they don’t preach at the top of their lungs in the subways.
OKAY let’s not get into this race religion etc argument cause it’s not worth the hoopla.
It would just be kinda cool if once in a while this city was actually fair in its milking of its citizens for every minor offence and actually extended that greed to everyone, including religious organizations which are getting breaks for everything all the time anyway.
Racism is the belief that some races of men are better than others. If anyone is rasist it is The Hasidic Jews who believe that they are the Chosen People.
Not surprising since that seems to be the general attitude when these guys build any kind of building- ignore the rules, damage other people’s property and justify it by saying it’s “no problem because we will pay to fix” as if that’s a good enough reason to damage whatever they want.
The building going up next door to me has had numerous violations, at least 3 Stop Work Orders, damaged both neighbors property, had the building site declared unsafe by the NYFD and will be one of the ugliest things in the neighborhood when finished. Not to mention the cheap materials, turning the backyard into a parking lot for 6 cars and the absolute disregard for any of the community. Just build the biggest, cheapest thing possible anyway you want and tell the neighbors not to call DOB because you’ll “take care of it.”
Nice. And creating your own private island within the greater community does not constitute “saving Brooklyn.”
What racism?
“Hasidic” isn’t a race and neither is “Jewish”.
And we’re not talking about their religion, except insofar as their practice of it (ie: constructing an unsafe, ugly temple) breaks the laws of the city and state and alienates their neighbors.
1:21 — Are you kidding me? Those creepy orthodox christians are just as bad. I don’t care what god you’re praying to, that kind of ugliness is just pure sin, not to mention criminal, be you a muslim, jew, christian, heathen or whatever.