New Life for the old Downtown Synagogue

[Gsgeorge]

It's a beautiful building, best of wishes for their success reviving it for the future.

How many of those pie-shaped buildings are left downtown? There is the synogogue, the coney islands on Lafayette, that way cool old building in Cadillac Square. Any others?

GAR Building; Harmonie Park Building & Milner Hotel; Harmonie Park Music Bldg; Metropolitan Building has a triangular rear...

[Steve]

Is Reconstructionist the same branch of Judaism that Rabbi Wine from Birmingham sort of established?

That's Humanist Judaism. Don't know if it's still around.

[papillonaquatique]

Really beautiful! Great job!

[kryptonite]

GAR Building; Harmonie Park Building & Milner Hotel; Harmonie Park Music Bldg; Metropolitan Building has a triangular rear...

Cool, those types of buildings are fascinating. In addition to the Synagogue renewal, the Cadillac Square pie-shape bldg is occupied again, at least the ground floor was. Those buildings really are architectural gems.

I saw one in San Francisco in April that was beautiful but sometime in the 70's it looks like someone designed a ghastly addition that was totally gruesome. I wish I had taken a picture of it it was so ugly.

Detroit's triangular buildings primarily seem salvageable. It's so nice to hear about interest in the synagogue, it may be one of the country's most uniqe.

[kathy2trips]

This building wasn't always a Synagogue. It was previously a branch of the Central Cigar Co. It does have sort of a factory vibe.

[DorothyD]

Back in the late 1960's, I attended the Elsa Cooper School of Court Reporting which was across the street in a triangular-shaped building. We were told that the space we were in had been the downtown synagogue before they moved across the street. Also used to go to Sero's for carry-out - good matzo ball [[sp?) soup. I don't think Sero's was a coney at that time.

[hermousefriday]

love it! thanks for posting. Mozel tov!

[Lowell]

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2015: Downtown Synagogue renovation gets a $350,000 boost from the William Davison Foundation.


Additionally for every two dollars pledged Davison will kick in two more dollars up to $100,000 as reported by ModelD. I also believe they had a previous successful crowd-funding drive that my have another $100K.


It will be great to see this historic synagogue, the only City of Detroit Synagogue to endure, and become a part of the Capitol Park area and downtown renaissance.

[sumas]

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2015: Downtown Synagogue renovation gets a $350,000 boost from the William Davison Foundation.


Additionally for every two dollars pledged Davison will kick in two more dollars up to $100,000 as reported by ModelD. I also believe they had a previous successful crowd-funding drive that my have another $100K.


It will be great to see this historic synagogue, the only City of Detroit Synagogue to endure, and become a part of the Capitol Park area and downtown renaissance.

I would be happy to donate but not sure where or how to make sure matching funds will be credited.

[G-DDT]

Wish I could, as well. My old friends from the "world" band used to practice in their loft at 1217 Griswold [[lived next to the guys that played in the Hillside Stranglers) around the block, not far from a cramped used paperback store there. I used to bring them food from Jerusalem Pizza. Which reminds me...

[ParisianLesion]

So, I donated to the good folks at the downtown synagogue today, however, similar to what sumas pointed out, I found the process of identifying matching funds to be completely opaque. In other words, it felt like I was just tossing my $ down a black hole with no idea how I was contributing to the overall fundraising target [[what is the target??) or that my funds were being matched.

Now, don't misunderstand me, I have full faith that my donation will go to good use. What I am concerned about is that the fundraising effort is not being publicized properly to ensure achievement of the full grant-match dollars from the Davidson Foundation.

I believe previously they had used indiegogo.com to raise $60k... is there something out there for tracking this funding drive?? There is not even anything on their Fb page. This really surprises me.

Does someone who attends this synagogue or who was at the block party know what the deal is or who is in charge of fundraising there?

Perhaps I am just missing something here, but I would just hate to see this worthy organization/cause "leave money on the table."

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

https://thejewishnews.com/2022/07/26...uction-begins/

Do any of you locals know how work is progressing on the Downtown Synagogue? I used to walk past it in the ‘80’s and I was always intrigued by the building. Back then I thought the colored windows were a bit tacky but I’ve come to love them.

[royce]

They have removed the first floor brick wall and replaced it with storefront windows. Looking through the windows you can see construction continuing on the first floor. Colored windows are gone from the first floor but can't remember if they were still there on the second floor. Converting the third and fourth floors to apartments might work. Offer one of them to a manager.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

They have removed the first floor brick wall and replaced it with storefront windows. Looking through the windows you can see construction continuing on the first floor. Colored windows are gone from the first floor but can't remember if they were still there on the second floor. Converting the third and fourth floors to apartments might work. Offer one of them to a manager.

I just saw a recent photo with the first floor windows. I love every time I see windows going back into a building. The building suddenly is so much more welcoming.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

The synagogue’s Facebook page shows that the colored windows have recently been installed at the upper portion of the large ground floor windows. They appear to have been installed on the inside of the existing windows, so they are less obvious than the second story windows when looking at the exterior of the building.

[Steve]

>Is Reconstructionist the same branch of Judaism that Rabbi Wine from >Birmingham sort of established?

No. That was Humanist Judaism.

[softailrider]

A big problem with that synagogue is parking. At any of the suburban shuls in this area you park in their lot for free and walk in. I believe that is going to preclude the Downtown Synagogue from holding High Holiday services at that building, unless they work out that issue.

I'm aware of the former synagogue when they hold the High Holiday services now, on Woodward south of Clairmont. It was a very beautiful synagogue at one time. There is some parking there now, but the building is quite delipidated, the seating is very poor and the building lacks air conditioning.

[NSortzi]

A big problem with that synagogue is parking. At any of the suburban shuls in this area you park in their lot for free and walk in. I believe that is going to preclude the Downtown Synagogue from holding High Holiday services at that building, unless they work out that issue.

I'm aware of the former synagogue when they hold the High Holiday services now, on Woodward south of Clairmont. It was a very beautiful synagogue at one time. There is some parking there now, but the building is quite delipidated, the seating is very poor and the building lacks air conditioning.

There’s a parking lot across the street, one across the alley, a parking garage at the south end of the block and plenty of street parking in the area. I don’t think parking is as big a problem as you think. The synagogue could work out a parking plan with one of the lots or the garage if it’s really that big of an issue.

[Kathleen]

^^ Those who come downtown to worship, no matter the denomination, have to deal with parking issues as many of them do not have a dedicated parking lot. Part of the choice of worshipping downtown.

[softailrider]

There’s a parking lot across the street, one across the alley, a parking garage at the south end of the block and plenty of street parking in the area. I don’t think parking is as big a problem as you think. The synagogue could work out a parking plan with one of the lots or the garage if it’s really that big of an issue.

Right, I know there's plenty of pay parking lots in the area. I don't think that's going to work for the High Holiday services. I think the persons involved with that synagogue know that. There was some chatter about a plan with one of the lots in the area, not sure what happened with that idea.