Our Sanctuary is a prayer space of profound beauty, dignity, and serenity that has stood the test of time. While, to the casual eye, the majesty of the space endures, there’s an undeniable truth beneath our feet—our carpet is torn and tattered, bearing witness to the countless footsteps of generations within these walls. The need for floorboard replacements has become evident as well, but the true extent of the damage remains hidden beneath the worn-out carpet.
This Year of Hope capital campaign is a short and targeted effort, running from now through March. It is important to note that this initiative does not replace our annual Spring and Fall fundraisers, which are essential to fill the gap between membership dues and our annual operating budget. The funds raised in this Year of Hope capital campaign will be dedicated solely to replacing the carpet, fixing the floorboards, and some vital infrastructure repairs, breathing new life into our cherished space. We plan to commence the work in the Sanctuary during the upcoming summer months, when our prayer services routinely move downstairs to our Summer Sanctuary in the Levy Auditorium.
We are seeking 100% participation from our community, demonstrating the collective strength and commitment that defines us. Together, we can ensure that our sanctuary stands for generations to come.
As many of you will be joining us in the Sanctuary over the High Holidays after a summer hiatus, we offer a brief update.
The primary goal of this project is to replace the carpet in the Sanctuary and throughout the building. Thanks to the success of the campaign (along with the diligence of our committee), we have been able to add the much needed repairs to strengthen and restore the pews.
What you will notice when you return to the Sanctuary is what you do NOT see, hear, or feel. The pews have been lovingly restored by master crafts-people so that they look and feel as they should. They will no longer buckle. They will not have splinters or nails poking out. And they will not creak. They will also NOT look shiny new, but rather look clean and lustrous but with the patina of age and history. So please notice what is easy to take for granted.
The new carpet in the Sanctuary and the exterior spaces will arrive in a few months and is scheduled to be installed after our string of Bnai Mitzvah in January. That phase will take time and will require us to pray in other spaces for several weeks or more. The carpet in Levy will be replaced much sooner.
Thank you, thank you to everyone who has supported this important campaign. With a beautiful but aging building in need of lots of TLC, we will now turn to raising funds for roof repairs and Tiffany window protection; we all need to do our part.
Update #2 (October 10, 2024)
The strengthening and restoring of our pews is essentially done. This week we replaced the carpet in the Levy Auditorium.
Our Year of Hope pièce de resistance, the beautiful new Sanctuary carpet, is planned for early 2025. Keep following our progress.
Update #3 (November 21, 2024)
Please be reminded that the work in the Main Sanctuary will begin THIS Monday, November 25. We expect this phase of the work to be complete by the end of the year. They will start by removing the old carpet. Then the wood floors will be repaired as needed, and the new carpet will be installed.
This is very exciting! But it will require some accommodations on our part.
Here is what we need from YOU:
1) Clear your personal items from the pews: Please remove your tallitot and personal items from the drawers, as well as any personal books you have at your seats (any books that are not removed will be packed for safekeeping in boxes this Sunday for the duration of the work). There will be a lot of dust and debris when the old carpet is removed, and we cannot ensure access to the space while work is in progress.
2) Starting on Thanksgiving, and for every Shabbat through the end of the year, Services will be held in the Levy Auditorium, and Kiddush will be held in the Elias Room.
We are profoundly grateful to the great many of you that supported this important Year of Hope campaign. When we come together as a community, we get things done!
2 West 70th Street
New York, NY 10023
212-873-0300
info@shearithisrael.org
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