Rabbi wants to build condos bla

Congregation Anshei Meseritz, the last operating neoclassical “tenement synagogue” on the Lower East Side, is looking into adding a two-story addition to its century-old building for condominiums in an effort to create a steady stream of income for itself, the Villager reported. The synagogue has been struggling financially in recent years as members have either died off or moved away, and according to its longtime Rabbi Pesach Ackerman, such a plan would help the congregation invest in “much-needed repairs and upkeep.” That is, if preservationists don’t get in the way. The former residential building, at 415 East Sixth Street, just turned 100 years old, and groups like the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation have been pushing to landmark the property, which would limit the congregation’s ability to make income-producing alterations. “We don’t want to turn this into some kind of lifeless museum. We want it to be a living and active synagogue A Holy Place — and that means growth and making some changes,” Ackerman said. “Landmark status would tie our hands.” [The Villager]