I received this email from Reverend Daniel Meeter of Old First Dutch Reformed Church in Park Slope detailing what happened when parts of the church’s ceiling crashed down just minutes before the start of a Rosh Hashanah service for a local congregation that was being held at the church.
“The people of Congregation Beth Elohim plus a few Christian friends were gathering on Wednesday night for Erev Rosh Hashana at Old First, the service set to begin at 8p.m.
“Why a Chirstian church? For the third year? Because three years ago (just a day before Rosh Hashanah) the plaster from the ceiling of Garfield Temple came crashing down causing the synagogue to close and find another place for their large high holy day services. The congregation was welcomed to hold thier services in the church.
“But at 7:50 p.m., just before the people started to fill the pews, the same thing happened at Old First, some ceiling plaster came crashing down. No one was seated in that spot yet, thank God, so we spent half an hour cleaning up and composing ourselves, and cordoned off the center pews, and started the service.
“Much abuzz, much shaking of heads, “unbelievable,” many loving jokes: “You can do Christmas Eve at the schul,” etc.
“During the service, pieces of loose plaster obviously and ominously were hanging down. Early the next morning, pastor, rabbi and work crews gathered to try to shake the loose plaster down, from up above the ceiling in the cavernous attic of the church. Our custodians, Pedro and Abraham, climbed into the housing above the chandelier, and, blind to the underside of the ceiling beneath them, started banging on beams with poles. Crash, crash, chrash. More plaster came down than we expected, crashing into the chandelier, breaking three bulbs.
“I was up there, grieving and crying for my church, but we had to do it. We came to a stop where we could and strated cleaning up. We flipped the switches on the chandelier, and thank heaven, it lit. But there is a wound in our ceiling, and maybe still more loose pieces, which we can’t be sure of until we get a cherry-picker, which means thousands of dollars.
“So the pew remained cordoned off, the the service started on time, and the Torah was read and the shofar sounded. This year I did not sit among the people as I was running around and calling contractors, and I missed both of Rabbi Andy Bachman’s sermons, and finally the congregation left, and now, God help us, we have to figure out what we will do. Shana Tovah.”
That is sad…I hate when any old buildings fall. Historical buildings are often very beautiful, especially when they’re fully maintained and upkept. Boston is full of historical buildings and churches, which is why I’ve been searching for Boston apartments.