Mayor Walter Washington has announced the approval by the Department of Housing and Urban Development of a $100,000 matching grant for the renovation of the district’s oldest synagogue, Adas Israel. “The restoration of this building,” he said, “will be the final step in a lengthy effort by the members of the Jewish Historical Society (of Greater Washington) and their friends to rescue the synagogue from destruction.” The building was dedicated in 1876 In the presence of President Grant. It became a Greek Orthodox Church in 1908 when the Jewish congregation moved to larger quarters. More recently it housed a carry-out food shop. With the advent of construction of the district’s subway system, the Transit Authority bought the building for the system’s headquarters. In March, 1969, the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places; but since the Metro owned the site, the synagogue was mounted on wheels and moved three blocks, saving it, Mayor Washington noted, “from the wrecker’s ball.” Under an agreement signed Nov. 19, 1969, the Transit Authority sold the building to Washington, D.C., for $10. Washington then agreed to lease the synagogue to the historical society for 99 years at $1 a year.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
