The synagogue itself has an old-world charm and beauty that created the perfect backdrop for the vintage-style wedding I planned. Because it is a place of worship, I am hesitant to leave negative feedback, but I think it is only fair that anyone considering hosting an event here should be aware of how poorly the building has been maintained and how little will be done to prepare the venue for your occasion.
The synagogue also houses three schools during the week. As a result, there are bulletin boards, toys, fans, etc. throughout the space that detract from its elegance. The director, Michelle Dingoor, gave us her assurances that these items would be cleared out the day of the wedding. Instead, we arrived at 5:30pm (our ceremony was scheduled for 6pm) after our guests had already arrived to find that none of these items had been removed. There was an electric fan greeting us in the entryway and exposed microphone wires in the sanctuary presented a safety hazard (one of our guests tripped over them). The bridal room, which also doubles as someone's office, was so cluttered that we did not even have room to sit or store our belongings. My mother-in-law and bridesmaids arrived at 2:30pm (luckily) to find garbage strewn around the ballroom from a Bar Mitzvah the day before, which had not been cleared.
Due to budgeting issues, the synagogue is in a state of disrepair, with badly peeling paint on the ceiling of the main entryway, loose plaster, etc. Despite these many detractions, they were inflexible regarding the price, and would not accomodate the most basic requests. Because there was a Bar Mitzvah the day before our wedding, they refused to accept our rentals during the week, which cost us a hefty surcharge with our rental company, even though the building has 5 floors and there was most certainly a space where the items could have been stored. Additionally, I was told that I was not even permitted to slipcover the chairs in the sanctuary. No other event space I know of would impose this restriction for a wedding.
It's a shame that such a beautiful and historic building is being mishandled by an abrasive and unreasonable director and board. I advise anyone hosting an event here to put all your setup requests in the contract, as Ms. Dingoor seems to be prone to false promises. read more