Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on July 18, 2017

By Katie Bowler / kbowler@wickedlocal.com

Somervilles only Jewish synagogue is finally heading into the modern age.

As part of Project Aliyah, or rise up, Temple Bnai Brith recently installed an elevator, in addition to up-to-date fire sprinklers and bathrooms, in the nearly century-old building.

Built in 1919, the synagogue is an old romanesque building, with steep staircases leading to the second-floor sanctuary. For elderly or disabled congregation members and visitors, the building is inaccessible.

Its long been on our dream and our goal to make the building fully accessible, not only to the congregation, but to the public in general, said Temple BNai Brith Vice President Marilynn Sager, who joined the congregation in the late 1990s.

When her twin sons celebrated their bar mitzvahs in 2014, Sager invited her oldest and closest friend to the synagogue. But being in a wheelchair, it was difficult for her friend to get to the sanctuary without an elevator. The best solution, she continued, was to carry her up the stairs.

We really struggled as to how we were going to get her up the terrace for that celebration, and she was determined not to miss it, said Sager. [Being carried] obviously is not convenient or a good way to get people into a building...many people in the congregation have stories like that.

Starting almost ten years ago the congregation started the renovation project, including handicapped parking, an elevator, a fire suppression system, and updated bathrooms.

The community raised a significant amount of money, with more than 280 individual donors. Additional funding was also received from Somervilles Community Preservation Act (CPA) in 2015. The total project, said Sager, cost an $1.25 million.

[The CPA funding] helped us go forth with the sprinkler system and the elevator, which was just delivered last week, she said. Theres been a number of people whove worked and put significant energy into this project over the years.

Architect Derek Bloom said the project was simply to upgrade the building and protect the congregation.

In introducing the elevator, you realize suddenly the congregation and guests can get to all new parts of the building, he said. We modernized the building quite a bit.

The synagogue has four staircases but only two are necessary, said Bloom, so the team removed one and added the elevator. They blocked a few windows, keeping with the Historic Preservation Commissions guidelines, and added a parking area out back.

They also renovated the kitchen and extended Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz office, which could only hold one or two visitors at a time prior to construction, said Bloom.

Weve been very impressed with the temples commitment to doing these projects, he said. No city official...or complaint caused them to have to do this. Theyre doing this out of the belief that it is the right thing to do...it will be a first-class synagogue when this is all done.

Congregation member Penny Schwartz said these additions are the final steps in achieving true inclusivity. In the 1970s, she said, women started having bigger roles in the congregation. A handful of years ago, they hired Rabbi Jacobowitz, the first woman rabbi in congregation history.

The next step in inclusivity, continued Schwartz, was to be sure everyone, despite ability or age, could enjoy the building.

It was important to this congregation that it became fully accessible, she said. People said, why dont you build another building? But the building has quite a lot of meaning and is historic and the congregation didnt want to go that route. The [CPA] grant made it possible.

Construction is expected to be completed by September, just in time for Rosh Hashanah andYom Kippur.

For more information about Temple Bnai Brith, visit http://tbbsomerville.weebly.com/.

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Somerville's Temple B'nai Brith tackles accessibility obstacles - Wicked Local Somerville

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