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THE
NEHEMIAH PROJECT…Repairing the breach… Isaiah
58:12
MISSION:
To
restore the DEC Ministries Headquarters Church, the
former Temple B’nai Abraham, to make it accessible as an
important architectural and civil rights landmark, and
to form civic and community partnerships that will help
revitalization to the Clinton Hill section of Newark,
New Jersey.
OVERVIEW:
 In
2005 DEC Ministries received a grant from the New Jersey
Historic Trust to begin restoration work on its 85
year-old historic site: the former Temple B’nai
Abraham. The initial grant was used to pay for the
preparation of a Condition Assessment Report (site
management document), and to, create a proposal to
nomination the property to the National Trust for
Historic Places.
In
conjunction with the Temple structural restoration, DEC
Ministries formalized a joint initiative to restore the
Temple and to help revitalize the Clinton
Hill Community by partnering with local government,
religious and civic groups, to return this section of
Newark to its former state of cohesiveness, vitality,
beauty, and safety. At the core of the project’s goals
is the establishment of the Alee Patricia Nichol
Community Cultural (APNCC) Arts Center, which will
include The History Museum Café, gallery spaces, visual
and performing arts classrooms, theater venues, a
resource media library, and a Book & Gift Shop. Phase
one of the projects: The Museum History Café is
scheduled to open June 2007.
THE TEMPLE
 The
DEC Temple is one of the most unique religious edifices
in the City of Newark. Noteworthy in the areas of
architecture, religion and social history, as the second
oldest former synagogue in the city and the largest in
the state of New Jersey, it has a seating capacity of
over 2,000. Eventually Newark became the home to a
Jewish population of more that 70,000 and boasted of
having over thirty synagogues with Temple B’nai Abraham
being one of the most significant. Designed by architect
Nathan Myers, the building is Neoclassical in style and
is famous for it’s oval plan with the shrine platform
set on one side of the short axis. The richly ornamented
interior, with a dramatic multi-level coffered ceiling,
Star of David skylight, a clear-span sanctuary, bronze
screens, Art Deco chandeliers, elaborate stained glass
windows, and the use of exotic materials for
window and door encasements makes it one of the most
dramatic interiors in the city.
The
synagogue was also the pulpit of civil rights activist
and German refugee, Rabbi Joachim Prinz, from which he
raged against bigotry and discrimination of all kinds
for decades. An ally and friend of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., Rabbi Prinz invited Dr. King to visit and
speak in the Temple on several occasions. As the
president of the American Jewish Congress, Rabbi Prinz
also helped Dr. King organize the March on Washington,
D.C., held on August 28, 1963 where he presented his
speech, “I Speak as an American Jew” immediately before
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now famous “I
Have a Dream” speech.
LANDMARK STATUS:
On October
19, 2006 the New Jersey Historic Sites Review Board met
in Trenton, New Jersey and unanimously voted to grant
the Temple landmark status. The Temple is being added to
the state and national register of Historic Places with
the designation of "national significance".
HOW CAN I HELP?
Preserving
America’s architectural treasures and strengthening
community autonomy is perhaps the best personal legacy
we can participate in. If you would like to partner with
DEC Ministries in the
Nehemiah
Project
to help preserve this important piece of national
history or to become involved in Clinton Hill Community
activities please consider the following:
Making
a one time donation
Becoming Temple
Friend
(Annual donations of $300 or more)
Establishing an endowment
Donating time or
resources
Other
(Please
specify)
Please address
all written correspondents to:
Lady Rosalind Nzinga Nichol, Co-Pastor
Nehemiah Project Executive Director
Deliverance Evangelistic Centers, Inc.
825 South Tenth Street
Newark, New Jersey 07108
973.824.7300
E-mail:
LadyNichol@decministries.net
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