Shul’s Out: Sixteenth Street Synagogue Praying It’s Staying
The stay of eviction that the Sixteenth Street Synagogue received at the eleventh hour, allowing it remain at 3 West 16th Street through the end of 2012, might have been a holiday miracle. But the holidays are over, and so it would seem, are the last vestiges of hope for the Orthodox congregation that has called the six-story building home for the last 67 years.
Acting supreme court justice Debra James has decided not to extend the stay of eviction that was granted on December 24, pending examination of the synagogue’s claim to 1/3 ownership of the building. The synagogue has been ordered to evacuate the premises immediately.
“It’s very upsetting, how can I tell you otherwise? I’ve been there since 1988. This is my only Jewish home,” synagogue president Richard McBee told The Observer. “This is a very vibrant synagogue, and the idea of that shutting down is just simply wrong.” Read More
