Gov. Hochul says she stepped in to block demolition of historic Brooklyn shul

"Officially known as Congregation Chaim Albert but known colloquially as the Kingsbrook Synagogue, the synagogue was part of a Jewish hospital founded in 1928 in response to antisemitism in nearby hospitals and to meet the needs of local Jewish patients. For nearly 100 years, the synagogue has served Jewish hospital patrons and residents in the surrounding neighborhood of East Flatbush and Crown Heights."

""Kingsbrook Synagogue has been around since the early 1900s and is a testament to the strength and resilience of the Jewish community," Hochul said in a statement. "I'm proud to have led the effort to save the historic Kingsbrook shul from its demolition and encourage leadership from the hospital and synagogue to find a path forward where both sites can prosper and serve the community.""

"But in 2023, plans for a state-funded development project called for the demolition of the synagogue's building. The synagogue filed a lawsuit against its hospital owners, One Brooklyn Health, in June 2025. According to the governor's office, the original design of the project contemplated the demolition of the synagogue on the One Brooklyn Health System campus, but following intervention from Hochul, the synagogue's demolition has been removed from the plans for affordable housing. Hochul's office did not specify in what manner she intervened to prevent the synagogue's demolition."

Congregation Chaim Albert, known as Kingsbrook Synagogue, originated as part of a 1928 Jewish hospital created to address antisemitism and serve Jewish patients. For nearly a century the synagogue served hospital patrons and neighborhood residents in East Flatbush and Crown Heights. Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center merged into One Brooklyn Health in 2018 and the property was sold to developers under state guidance. A 2023 state-funded redevelopment plan called for the synagogue's demolition, and the congregation sued One Brooklyn Health in June 2025. Governor Kathy Hochul intervened and the synagogue's demolition was removed from affordable housing plans; details of the intervention were not specified.

Read at The Forward