|
The landmark Breed Street Shul, once the pride of Jewish Los Angeles, has long suffered from abandonment, vandalism, neglect, decay and damage from earthquakes, rain, and pigeons. An irreplaceable architectural, historical and spiritual treasure, it is fragile, and until recently, was unusable and in real danger of collapse. But after a battle spearheaded by the Jewish Historical Society that rallied the Jewish community, the Shul's Boyle Heights neighbors and other concerned individuals and groups, the first phase of the Shul's stabilization -- seismic retrofit and stained glass restoration -- has now been completed! Over the last two years, our construction team -- architects, structural engineers, contractors, and historic preservation, art and stained glass specialists – worked hard to rehabilitate the Shul. Thanks to the help of our supporters, urgently needed roof and structural repairs were completed, hazardous materials were removed, and the precious stained glass windows were painstakingly reconstructed. These efforts, critical to halting the Shul's imminent physical destruction, were just the first step toward achieving our long term goal of giving the Shul a new life as both a tangible symbol of our unique local history and as a focal point to serve the contemporary needs of the Shul's neighborhood, in the form of a community library.
Our next phase of work will focus on further rehabilitation of the Shul’s main sanctuary, including the conservation of its priceless folk art murals, as well as the complete rehabilitation of the Shul’s original, rear building. While much of the work on the Shul relies on grant money and the work of a professional construction team, the efforts of BSSP volunteers are an invaluable part of the rehabilitation process. Over the last two years, volunteers have helped make many of our community events possible, from Big Sunday, to our Open House, to YiddishkaytLA. The sustained interest in the Shul in the Boyle Heights and greater Los Angeles communities is essential to the long-term success of our project.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering for the Breed Street Shul Project, Inc. (BSSP), please contact us. If you would like to make a contribution to BSSP, please send a check to the address on our homepage, or click on the link below to donate via credit card. This is a secure, private transaction made through Network for Good, the internet's leading charitable resource. If you have any questions about this method of payment, please refer to these frequently asked questions.
|
|
Please click on the link below to make a secure online donation. |
