This unusual practice has been going on since 1998.
Just walking by, I stopped to talk to the cantor, a warm and friendly man. He explained that the synagogue was recently damaged by a flood--not a Biblical flood, but a busted plumbing pipe--and that they're trying to raise money for the repairs.
I made a donation and went inside to look. The floor boards were buckled, the holy books covered in mold and stacked in piles. The place needs help.
The synagogue dates back to 1934 when it was founded by hat makers in what had been a thriving Garment District. The congregration began by gathering in a loft building, then moved to the synagogue when it was completed in 1948. Daytonian in Manhattan recalls, "Here such groups as the Millinery Bowling League, the Millinery Salesman Union, the Millinery Textile Club and retailers convened."
(As an aside, the Millinery Bowling League began forming around 1904 when the Millinery Trade Review put out a call for bowlers in the hat business to come together for friendly competition in the healthful and pleasant pastime:
Did the bowling milliners wear bowler hats when they bowled? But I digress.)
On the walls of the synagogue are large plates covered with the names of deceased congregation members, those old hat folks. The whole place feels like something out of time, another place, another century.
If you have the chance, or if you happen by, stop and say hello. Make a donation or buy a new set of sheets.
excellent!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize they had suffered water damage inside. Very cool story, and since I've needed new sheets for a while anyway, this gives me a good excuse to finally take care of it today. Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting on this comment-neglected post.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the space has some soaring 20th century architectural lines; very inspiring. Such a cool history. What a strong sense of trade group community, a shame that this is also a vanishing element within the city.
ReplyDeleteGreat find, and lovely piece you wrote. I had no idea about it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTruly a small gem of NY architecture never to be duplicated. Its days of peak usefulness probably passed decades ago.
ReplyDeleteThere is something sad about such a historic synagogue deteriorating like this for so many years, in a town like NYC, where there are so many wealthy benefactors in a position to provide more timely assistance with desperately needed repairs.
ReplyDeleteI was there Wednesday...My experience mirrored yours....Spoke with Cantor Tuvia a while, took a few pictures...wished each other well. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post on the Millinery Center Synagogue. And I thank others for their complimentary comments. There is a plaque on the outside of the building which states the architect; it was Hyman I. Feldman, who was my grandfather. You have probably profiled other buildings by him; he also did the Ansonia Post office at 1990 Broadway which was torn down in 1992. He also was responsible for the building at 86th and 3rd avenue that became famous as the "Jefferson's" building in the opening credit sequence. I will write to you again if I gain more interesting anecdotes about his contributions.
ReplyDeleteSo I"m very curious whether anyone else has had an experience that I did. My husband and I were wandering in the neighborhood and asking the Cantor about the synagogue. Out of the blue, he gave us some very unsolicited advice--very direct--of something we must do every day. He had no way of knowing how unbelievably appropriate his advice was, and that the timing was rather remarkable. I have to wonder whether that's just his "schtick" or whether, as he stated, he doesn't ordinarily offer perfect strangers, unsolicited directives.
ReplyDeleteWould love to hear other reports of people who talked to him and either did or did not receive such advice. Thanks!