Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home Poised for the Future – Part 2

By Amy Sessler Powell | JEWISH JOURNAL, April 5, 2012
Editor’s Note: This is part two of a series on Chelsea Jewish Lifecare’s vision for the future.
WINTHROP — What happens when the synagogue becomes too big for the Jewish community?
Leaders at Temple Tifereth Israel have been grappling with this issue for years as their 22,000 s.f. synagogue, built in the 1960’s for about 500 families, is in need of numerous repairs. The community can barely afford the massive utility bills for a building that is no longer used anywhere near capacity. However, they still need a synagogue for the core group of committed members, some 95 families that still count Tifereth Israel as their spiritual home. “Some people say we should close it, but I believe it is so important to have a Jewish presence in Winthrop,” said Sandy Pellegrino, president of the temple.
Enter the Chelsea Jewish Lifecare with a creative proposal that may have applications for other similar synagogues and communities. The Foundation has worked out a deal with the temple that will bring mixed income senior citizen housing and a much smaller, more appropriately sized synagogue to what will be a campus.
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