New Life For Detroit's Downtown Synagogue After Fundraising Success

Detroit's last freestanding synagogue will soon get a face-lift, the Free Press reports.

With just hours left in a fund-raising campaign, the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue topped its $60,000 goal Tuesday. The money, plus $60,000 previously given by private donors, willfund repairs to the building on Griswold, said synagogue president Leor Barak.

Barak said the funds will pay for a new fire escape, additional bathrooms, kitchen improvements, graffiti removal and updates. It also will cover part of the cost of hiring an architectural firm to create a plan for future renovations. The building could one day house office space, a banquet and events center and a Jewish Detroit historical museum, he said.