Fort Tryon Jewish Center

40°51′10″N 73°56′15″W

Fort Tryon Jewish Center from Ft. Washington Avenue (2014)
The rear of the building on pylons above the 181st Street subway entrance on Overlook Terrace at West 184th Street

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]

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]

References
  1. Dreyfus, Hannah (April 29, 2014). "Historic NYC Synagogue Fights Foreclosure". Archived from the original on 2014-05-30. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  2. "History of the Shul". Fort Tryon Jewish Center (official website). Archived from the original on 2014-06-17.
  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. 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 2014-04-30.
  5. Oppenheim, Rivka (August 11, 2010). "Washington Heights Jews Caught In A Growth Bind". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on 2014-04-30.
  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 2014-04-30.
  7. Fort Tryon Jewish Center website Accessed: May 11, 2016

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