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of Israel, the Free Synagogue of Flushing, and the Rego Park Jewish Center.The ongoing surveys and synagogue nominations have inspired one Brooklynsynagogue and one Brooklyn former synagogue, now a church, to pursueNational Register listing on their own, using the Conservancy’s survey dataas a foundation. One of these, Beth El Jewish Center of Flatbush, and oneof the newly listed Queens synagogues, Astoria Center of Israel, also heldindividual celebrations this fall, attended by congregants, clergy, and formercongregants and clergy, and elected officials, inviting Conservancy staff tospeak at each event. The newly listed synagogues and former synagoguesare now eligible for Conservancy funding for repair and restoration, as wellas potential state restoration and planning grants.Roman Catholic Church Closureand Conservancy AdvocacyOur Lady of Loreto, East New York/ BrownsvilleConservancy staff met with two members of a group of concerned formerparishioners of Our Lady of Loreto Church in East New York, Brooklyn inApril. The church was designed and built by Brownsville’s early 20th centuryItalian immigrant community, and is an early example of cast stoneprior pagetop Kol Israel, Crown Heightsbottom Temple Beth-El of Borough Park (now Young Israel-Beth El)this pageleft Most Precious Blood, Long Island Cityright Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Buffaloconstruction, with a handsome Baroque design by an Italian immigrant architect,Adriano Armezzani, who had recently teamed with Paterson, NewJersey based builders and sculptors Federici & Sons. The community thatestablished this Italian National parish left the neighborhood years ago,and parish membership and income steadily declined. The Roman CatholicDiocese of Brooklyn and Queens closed the church last year, and the Diocese’sproperty development division plans to redevelop the church as affordablehousing. Conservancy staff used the 2006-2007 Brooklyn Catholicchurch survey to help secure National Register eligibility for the church,which means that state or Federal funds invested in the project will triggera SHPO review process. Staff suggested that it was unrealistic to advocatethat the church be reopened, but advised the group work to identifya neighborhood affordable housing developer to generate alternate plans,incorporating the handsome 1906 church and rectory.Historic Synagogue Fund LaunchedWith the completion of synagogue surveys of four of New York City’sfive boroughs, and the resultant listing of 10 synagogues and 2 formersynagogues on the National Register of Historic Places, the Conservancyhas nearly completed documenting the universe of architecturally andhistorically significant, largely intact, and under-recognized synagoguesthroughout New York City. The surveys and nominations have laid thegroundwork for the launch of the Conservancy’s new Historic SynagogueFund, which will provide matching grants of $25,000 to $50,000 formajor synagogue restoration projects in New York City. A major gift of$100,000 from the David Berg Foundation, as well as a substantialindividual donation by the Roy J. Zuckerberg Foundation, facilitatedthe launch of the fund in December.12