Jonathan Mark’s excellent article, “Sacred Sites Keeps Shuls Alive” (May 13), rightfully draws attention to the important role the New York Landmarks Conservancy plays in keeping the doors of historic synagogues open.
For the past 30 years the Conservancy has helped shuls and churches repair their roofs, repoint their bricks, and receive desperately needed technical assistance. The Museum at Eldridge Street’s landmark site, the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, was fortunate to be a recipient of a Sacred Sites grant when our building was on the verge of collapse. Today, as a museum our building welcomes more than 40,000 people per year, and is also home to a small group of worshippers. More than nostalgia, our sacred sites connect new generations with old, serve as repositories for our communal history, and remind us that in order to survive the Jewish people have always not only looked forward but also back.
The writer is the deputy director of the Museum at Eldridge Street.
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