Work is proceeding on the reconstruction and expansion of the sanctuary, which the congregation expects to return to for Rosh Hashana services for the first time since the fire.
Photos courtesy Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth
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The gutted sanctuary of the Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth after it was destroyed by fire Aug. 24, 2006.
September 7, 2009
For the first time since a devastating fire three years ago, Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth will hold a service in its sanctuary when it gathers for Rosh Hashana.
Although renovation work, which began about a year ago, is not complete, the sanctuary is expected to be “useable,” said Rabbi Eliot Malomet.
Malomet spoke Aug. 25, the day after the anniversary of the blaze that gutted the synagogue’s sanctuary and auditorium. Investigators blamed faulty electrical wiring.
“This is phase one,” said Malomet, adding that work would continue on the sanctuary and other parts of that wing of the building over the next several months.
A spring dedication is being planned for the completed $4.5 million rebuilding project, which will include long dreamed-of improvements.
The project will increase the synagogue’s size about 5,000 square feet, mostly through enlargement of the sanctuary.
For the first time in years, the expanded sanctuary will have the space to accommodate congregants at a single High Holy Days service. “It’s really quite remarkable,” Malomet said. Before the fire, the congregation would hold simultaneous services in different locations in the synagogue.
Two adjacent lots purchased by the synagogue before the fire are being incorporated into the improvement plan, allowing for the building expansion and construction of a 21-space parking lot.
Meanwhile, the sanctuary continues to take shape; most recently skylights were installed. Pews are slated to be put in place Sept. 8. The synagogue does have a contingency plan to use Highland Park High School on the High Holy Days should some unexpected hitch prevent the use of the sanctuary.
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