Sanctuary falls victim to storms
United Orthodox Synagogues experiencing end of an era with post-Harvey demolition
A half-century of brick and mortar turned to rubble as a demolition crew began tearing down a historic southwest Houston synagogue Monday, marking the end of an era and the beginning of one for a congregation that saw its place of worship ravaged by three floods in three years.
The United Orthodox Synagogues, perched on the edge of a leafy neighborhood near Brays Bayou, has been forever altered once again, although this time by demolition equipment and not high water. The sanctuary’s tan brick piled up at the front of the building in the morning as the crew clawed at its exterior.
“It’s really mixed emotions,” Rabbi Barry Gelman said. “On the one hand, it is our sanctuary and has been the center of our religious life and communal life for decades. And at the same time, we’re viewing it as the symbol of a new beginning.”
As was the case with much of the area and neighboring Meyerland, Hurricane Harvey didn’t
spare the synagogue. After being inundated with 7 feet of water during the storm, the modern Orthodox Jewish congregation voted in December to knock down the sanctuary, offices and school wing and make plans for a new building.
The sanctuary was built at 9001 Greenwillow St. in 1961, when three Orthodox synagogues in Houston came together as one. The history within the building made the decision to demolish a conflicting one, Gelman said.
Events that used to be held at the synagogue will take place at a next-door reception hall while the congregation figures out how to start again.
Sharon Grosman went to watch some of the demolition early Monday but left shortly after. She met and married her husband at the synagogue, which has always felt like a home to them, she said.
“We’ve had every occasion there,” Grosman said. “I went there to see (the demolition), and I left, because it was really hard, just remembering all these things.”
Afterward, she went to see her father and showed him photos of the tear-down.
He has been a member of the United Orthodox Synagogues since close to its formation.
“I was in tears today when my daughter brought me pictures of it,” Jules Borger said. “All my kids were married there. My parents had their 50th wedding anniversary, were remarried there.
“All of our religious observances tie back to this synagogue, so you can imagine the emotion I have.”
Hurricane Harvey was unrelenting toward the area along Brays Bayou and many of Houston’s Jewish community living in the area. About one out of every 13 Jewish families here — an estimated 2,000 households — flooded during the storm.
Three of the city's largest synagogues, with a combined membership of 3,900 families, were damaged.
The Jewish community center took on 10 feet of water. The Jewish senior home and day schools flooded.
The congregation ultimately voted for and supported the demolition of the United Orthodox Synagogues, but the future is unclear for Grosman, Borger and the other 300 members who attend the sanctuary.
No decision has been made as to whether the synagogue will move to a new location or be rebuilt at the current location with a higher elevation, Gelman said. But leaders were working to preserve religious artifacts, stained glass and memorial plaques.
Like many, Dennis Halpin has deep roots at the synagogue, where he celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, mourned loved ones and married his wife.
“My whole life has been associated with that synagogue,” Halpin said. “I’m a civil engineer — I know how these things go. It’s just harder when it’s personal.”
Rebuilding the sanctuary could serve as inspiration for others who might be wary of staying in a flood-prone city, Gelman said.
“I’m hoping that it’s symbolic for the entire city,” the rabbi said. “We made the decision to stay and to build better and stronger.
“We hope that other people in the city can find and strengthen on that.”