Letter from Jules Hirsh and Rabbi Bachman

April 2, 2008

As many of you surely know, our Temple House, a sacred institution for nearly 80 years, demands our immediate attention to repair water damage to the roof, parapet and some exterior walls.

The Temple House is home to many of our beloved programs—Early Childhood Center, After School, Summer Camps—as well as ongoing religious and educational programming for Temple membership and the broader Brooklyn community. We remain committed to carrying out these repairs with the utmost integrity, safety and concern for everyone involved. As the work proceeds over the next several months (i.e., replacing and/or repairing whole sections of the roof and parapet walls), we will do everything we can to minimize any disruption to our thriving community.

But building renovations are sometimes like surgery. While you may go in for one reason, once inside, other problems become apparent. For example, with our ongoing work to repair the water damage to the Temple House, we’ve uncovered the ends of steel beams that have deteriorated to the point that immediate repairs are required.

In any event, as we proceed with this work, we will be regularly updating you on our work's progress and what we’re doing to address any problems that may arise or have arisen. Our goal is complete this project with a minimum of disruption so that, together, we can ensure the ongoing success of all the good work we do together.

Jules Hirsh
President

Rabbi Andy Bachman
Congregation Beth Elohim