Fort Tryon Jewish Center

Last updated

Fort Tryon Jewish Center
Fort Tryon Jewish Center 524 Ft. Washington Avenue.jpg
Fort Tryon Jewish Center from Ft. Washington Avenue, in 2014/
Religion
Affiliation Conservative Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Synagogue
LeadershipRabbi Guy Austrian
StatusActive
Location
Location524 Fort Washington Avenue, Hudson Heights, Upper Manhattan, New York City, New York
CountryUnited States
Geographic coordinates 40°51′10″N73°56′15″W / 40.8527899°N 73.9373822°W / 40.8527899; -73.9373822
Architecture
Date established1938 (as a congregation)
Completed1960
Website
ftjc.org

The Fort Tryon Jewish Center is a synagogue located at 524 Fort Washington Avenue between West 183rd and 184th Streets, across from Bennett Park in the Hudson Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City. [1]

Contents

The rabbi, since January 2013, in Rabbi Guy Austrian.

History

The congregation was founded in 1938 by long-time residents of the city and refugees from Nazi Germany. It first occupied leased space, building a modest facility in 1950, and then a spacious sanctuary that opened in 1960, [2] designed by N. J. Sapienza in the Modernist style. [3] The Torah Ark in the building has been described as "a gem of midcentury design." [4]

From 2002 on, the congregation grew as young families moved into the neighborhood. [5]

Failed real estate deal

In an April 2014 article, the New York Times described a failed real estate transaction involving the Fort Tryon Jewish Center. [4] The congregation signed an agreement with Rutherford Thompson of Thompson Development, which planned to build a 23-story condominium building to be called "One Bennett Park". [4] Under the agreement, the developer would pay to completely renovate the synagogue in exchange for air rights and the right to situate a Fort Washington Avenue entrance to the residential tower on the congregation's property. [4] According to The Real Deal magazine, a lawsuit filed in 2010 alleged that Thompson defaulted on the loan in February 2008. [6] The synagogue was left in an unusable state, resulting in ongoing litigation, during which time the congregation met at Mother Cabrini High School, [4] and its successor since September 2014, Success Academy Washington Heights. Since July 2015, the congregation has met in the Social Hall of the Hebrew Tabernacle at 551 Fort Washington Ave. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inwood, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

Inwood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, at the northern tip of Manhattan Island, in the U.S. state of New York. It is bounded by the Hudson River to the west, Spuyten Duyvil Creek and Marble Hill to the north, the Harlem River to the east, and Washington Heights to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Heights, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood in New York City

Washington Heights is a neighborhood in the northernmost part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest natural point on Manhattan by Continental Army troops to defend the area from the British forces during the American Revolutionary War. Washington Heights is bordered by Inwood to the north along Dyckman Street, by Harlem to the south along 155th Street, by the Harlem River and Coogan's Bluff to the east, and by the Hudson River to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Tryon Park</span> Public park in Manhattan, New York

Fort Tryon Park is a public park located in the Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The 67-acre (27 ha) park is situated on a ridge in Upper Manhattan, close to the Hudson River to the west. It extends mostly from 192nd Street in the south to Riverside Drive in the north, and from Broadway in the east to the Henry Hudson Parkway in the west. The main entrance to the park is at Margaret Corbin Circle, at the intersection of Fort Washington Avenue and Cabrini Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Manhattan</span> Neighborhood in New York City

Upper Manhattan is the most northern region of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its southern boundary has been variously defined, but some of the most common usages are 96th Street, the northern boundary of Central Park, 125th Street, or 155th Street. The term Uptown can refer to Upper Manhattan, but is often used more generally for neighborhoods above 59th Street; in the broader definition, Uptown encompasses Upper Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">190th Street station</span> New York City Subway station in Manhattan

The 190th Street station is a station on the IND Eighth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, served by the A train at all times. It is located on Fort Washington Avenue in the Hudson Heights section of Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, near the avenue's intersection with Cabrini Boulevard at Margaret Corbin Circle, about three blocks north of 190th Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Washington Avenue</span> Avenue in Manhattan, New York

Fort Washington Avenue is a major north-south street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. It runs from Fort Tryon Park to 159th Street, where it intersects with Broadway. It goes past Bennett Park, the highest natural point in Manhattan. Famous residents of Fort Washington Avenue include Drs. Henry Kissinger and Ruth Westheimer, TV's "Doctor Ruth".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Heights, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

Hudson Heights is a residential neighborhood within Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, New York City. Most residences are apartment buildings, many of which are cooperatives, and most were constructed in the 1920s through 1940s. The Art Deco style is prominent, along with Tudor Revival. Notable complexes include Hudson View Gardens and Castle Village, which were both developed by Dr. Charles V. Paterno, and were designed by George F. Pelham and his son, George F. Pelham, Jr., respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Washington Park (Manhattan)</span> Public park in Manhattan, New York

Fort Washington Park is a public park located in the Washington Heights section of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It runs along the banks of the Hudson River next to Riverside Drive and the Henry Hudson Parkway from West 155th Street to Dyckman Street. The George Washington Bridge crosses above the park; below the bridge is a small point of land called Jeffrey's Hook, which is the site of the Little Red Lighthouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Square Synagogue</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabrini Boulevard</span> Street in Manhattan, New York

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khal Adath Jeshurun</span> Synagogue in Manhattan, New York

Khal Adath Jeshurun (KAJ) is an Orthodox German Jewish Ashkenazi congregation in the Washington Heights neighborhood, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It has an affiliated synagogue in the heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Monsey, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation Shaare Zedek (Manhattan)</span> Synagogue in Manhattan, New York

Congregation Shaare Zedek is a Conservative synagogue located on West 93rd Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Synagogue (Manhattan)</span> United States historic place

Central Synagogue is a Reform synagogue at 652 Lexington Avenue, at the corner of East 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1870–1872 and was designed by Henry Fernbach in the Moorish Revival style as a copy of Budapest's Dohány Street Synagogue. It has been in continuous use by a congregation longer than any other in the state of New York, except Congregation Berith Sholom in Troy, New York, and is among the oldest existing synagogue buildings in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Sinai Jewish Center</span> Orthodox synagogue in Manhattan, New York

The Mount Sinai Jewish Center (MSJC) is an Orthodox Jewish Ashkenazi congregation in the Washington Heights / Hudson Heights neighborhood, in the New York City borough of Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meserich Synagogue</span> Orthodox synagogue in Manhattan

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Wise Free Synagogue</span> Reform synagogue in Manhattan, New York, United States

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a Reform synagogue located at 30 West 68th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The congregation was the first of multiple "free synagogue" branches in the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Avenue Synagogue</span> Conservative Jewish congregation in Manhattan, New York

The Park Avenue Synagogue is a Conservative Jewish congregation located at 50 East 87th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, New York, in the United States. Founded in 1882, the congregation is one of the largest congregations in the United States.

Jewish Center may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple Israel of the City of New York</span>

Temple Israel of the City of New York is a Reform congregation in Manhattan. It was incorporated in 1873 by German Jews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist (New York City)</span> Historic church in New York, United States

The Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights is an historic domed Art Deco style building and Reform synagogue. It is located at 551 Fort Washington Avenue, on the corner of 185th Street, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City.

References

  1. Dreyfus, Hannah (April 29, 2014). "Historic NYC Synagogue Fights Foreclosure". Tablet magazine. Archived from the original on May 30, 2014.
  2. "History of the Shul". Fort Tryon Jewish Center (official website). Archived from the original on June 17, 2014.
  3. Dunlap, David W. (2004). From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN   0-231-12543-7., p.59
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Chaban, Matt A.V. (April 29, 2014). "A Deal That Collapsed Leaves a Manhattan Synagogue in Shambles". New York Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014.
  5. Oppenheim, Rivka (August 11, 2010). "Washington Heights Jews Caught In A Growth Bind". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014.
  6. "Amalgamated sued by fellow lender for $32M at Hudson Heights condo". The Real Deal. New York, NY. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014.
  7. Fort Tryon Jewish Center website Accessed: May 11, 2016

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Fort Tryon Jewish Center at Wikimedia Commons