NATIONAL FUND SPOTLIGHT
Congregation Beth Ahabah and
Other Recently Completed Projects
by Allison King
Grants and Program Manager, Partners for Sacred Places
“W
e can finally focus
on the people!”
exclaimed Rabbi
Nagel from Congregation Beth
Ahabah in Richmond, Virginia.
Like several other participants
from the first four years of the
National Fund for Sacred Places,
Congregation Beth Ahabah
recently completed a massive
multi-year preservation campaign
to restore its historic house of
worship. In 2017, Congregation
Beth Ahabah was facing an
intimidating array of capital
projects. Its heating and cooling
system was on its last legs, most of
the building was inaccessible, and
leaks from the roof were
damaging the decorative
plasterwork and painted murals
in the sanctuary. With technical
assistance and a $250,000 grant
from the National Fund for
Sacred Places, Congregation Beth
The recently restored proscenium arch in the sanctuary of Congregation Beth Ahabah
Photo: Allison King
Ahabah was able to go above and
beyond its original scope of work,
completely transforming its
for Historic Preservation to help
providing congregations with
campus to become more functional
congregations stay healthy and
individualized technical assistance so
and welcoming. The synagogue
become more sustainable by investing
they can successfully raise funds for
buildings are now more energy
in their buildings. Faith-based
and complete capital projects, and by
efficient, completely accessible, and
organizations face many unique
making challenge grants that inspire
the sanctuary murals are brighter than
preservation challenges such as
community-wide financial support.
most members can ever remember.
dwindling membership bases, limited
Now on its fourth funding cycle, the
Confidence in the building’s
opportunities for external funding,
National Fund has been able to
capabailities has inspired
and elaborate buildings that can be
support fifty-four congregations from
Congregation Beth Ahabah to explore
dauntingly expensive to repair.
eighteen different faith traditions in
new programs, rent its space with more
Preserving historic houses of worship
thirty-two states. Participating
frequency, and provide broader
by activating community support,
congregants have raised $9.5 million
services to the larger community.
leveraging new funds, and growing
in new money, thanks in part to the
congregational capacity are some of
leverage provided by National Fund
The National Fund began in 2016
the fundamental goals of the National
grants.
as a joint effort between Partners for
Fund. These aims are achieved by
Sacred Places and the National Trust
SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2019
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