S. Philly Shul Still in Jeopardy

Though some progress has been made in the case of Congregation Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel, a small Orthodox synagogue located at 2015 S. Fourth St. in South Philadelphia that earlier this summer was in danger of being closed down by the City of Philadelphia over safety concerns, it's still not out of the woods just yet.

Richard Sisman, president of the congregation known as the "Little Shul," said that, in late July and early August, he had the large pile of bricks and trash removed from the rear of the property, and also had a fence put up to secure the site, at a cost of nearly $2,000.

"We're still moving slowly along," he said. "We're doing the best we can."

In late June, Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections, after surveying the premises for the second time in a year, issued a violation notice for the property, noting that the rear wall of the structure was bulging, cracked, deteriorated, has loose and missing brickwork, and was "in danger of collapse."

The notice also stated that if the congregation failed to "repair the wall or demolish the structure in whole or in part," the city "may take actions to comply with the city code by using its own forces or by contract."

Earlier this week, Gayle D. Johns, spokeswoman for L&I, said that her office has already issued three extensions in the past year (each for 30 days) so that the repair work could be done.

While the congregants may have secured the perimeter of the building, said Johns, "the property is still in disrepair."

She added that, even as early as this week, L&I would be requesting equity court action -- meaning, she said, that it would be up to a court to decide what needs to be done with regard to the building.

Sisman reported that an architect has volunteered his services to stabilize and perhaps restore the shul. He also said that a sizable grant has been approved, though the funds will not be available until later this year, and that the shul is planning to hold a fundraiser some time in the fall.

He said that it's still the plan to have the shul -- which, according to congregants, is the last Orthodox congregation still functioning in the lower end of South Philadelphia -- open for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, to be conducted by lay leaders.

The goal is to clean up the inside of the synagogue and to seal up the second floor at the point where it attaches to the rear portion, which is where the structural problems first occurred.

Johns said that if the congregants have any updates regarding the status of the repairs and if they are being worked on, then they need to inform L&I of those intentions.

"We have to follow the law and stick with the code," stated Johns. "There are codes we are mandated to follow. It can't just go on forever."