Breed Street Shul Wins Grant for Restoration

The Breed Street Shul in Boyle Heights--long a crumbling reminder of a once-strong Jewish presence in East Los Angeles--was one of 37 historical sites nationwide awarded a preservation grant from the J. Paul Getty Foundation, officials announced Thursday.

The $30,000 grant, given to the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California, is part of an effort to save historical landmarks that have become victims of neglect.

Stephen J. Sass, president of the historical society, said the group plans to use the money to restore the boarded-up structure, which was built in 1914.

For decades, the Byzantine-style synagogue served as the spiritual center for Jews in Los Angeles, before most of the Jewish community moved to West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley during the 1950s and 1960s.

During the last two decades, the shul became a haven for vandals and drug users, with graffiti marring its hand-painted folk art and stained-glass windows. Earthquake damage made it even more an eyesore for local residents, already frustrated with blight gripping Boyle Heights.

Working with the Boyle Heights Neighbors Organization, the historical society hopes to convert the building into a combined Jewish museum and neighborhood community center.

Sass said the project is still in its planning phases, which includes architectural and seismic studies that alone could cost more than $650,000.