Brooklyn Hospital Seeks to Demolish Historic Synagogue for Housing Project

Local Jewish community fights to save 100-year-old Kingsbrook Shul from being torn down

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A Brooklyn hospital group, One Brooklyn Health, is pushing to demolish the nearly 100-year-old Kingsbrook Shul synagogue as part of a $400 million affordable housing project on the hospital's campus. The local Jewish community has launched a legal battle to stop the demolition and preserve the historic building, which was built in 1927 in response to rising antisemitism.

Why it matters

The Kingsbrook Shul has served as a community center and place of worship for the local Jewish population for nearly 75 years. Its demolition would erase an important piece of the neighborhood's history and displace the congregants who hope to return to the synagogue once the pandemic subsides. The dispute highlights tensions between the need for affordable housing and the preservation of historic and culturally significant buildings.

The details

One Brooklyn Health, the nonprofit that owns the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center campus where the synagogue is located, wants to convert the campus into a 266-unit affordable housing complex. Initial plans called for demolishing the synagogue, but alternative renderings and written agreements from the state had previously indicated the historic building would remain untouched. The synagogue filed a lawsuit last year to try to stop the demolition, but the hospital's attorney argued in court that the building should be considered a 'zombie structure' once the housing complex is built.

  • The Kingsbrook Shul was built in 1927.
  • The synagogue shuttered in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The $400 million affordable housing project was announced in 2023.
  • The synagogue filed a lawsuit in Brooklyn Supreme Court last year to try to stop the demolition.

The players

One Brooklyn Health

The nonprofit organization that owns the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center campus and is seeking to convert it into a 266-unit affordable housing complex.

Kingsbrook Shul

The nearly 100-year-old synagogue that was built in 1927 in response to rising antisemitism and has served as a community center and place of worship for the local Jewish population for decades.

Stuart Blader

The attorney representing the Kingsbrook Shul in the legal battle to stop the synagogue's demolition.

Jason Hsi

The attorney representing One Brooklyn Health, who argued in court that the synagogue should be considered a 'zombie structure' once the housing complex is built.

Gov. Kathy Hochul

The New York state governor who last year expressed support for the synagogue and called for the hospital and synagogue to find a path forward where both can prosper.

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What they’re saying

“The way they see it is there's a sort of conflict, you know, a choice between affordable housing and the preservation of the shul. That is false.”

— Stuart Blader, Attorney for the Kingsbrook Shul (New York Post)

“The law, the facts, the public policy and, I would argue, the sympathy are on the hospital's side.”

— Jason Hsi, Attorney for One Brooklyn Health (Gothamist)

“That continuation is now in question because of greedy developers that want to take this and of course, maximize the money when they build … that's where they can get more square footage.”

— Zelman Goldstein, Congregant of the Kingsbrook Shul (New York Post)

“It appears that the hospital is trying to leverage the synagogue and hold it hostage to secure more favorable funding arrangements with New York State. It's just completely unconscionable that they should attempt to use government funding to displace and erase 100 years of Jewish history.”

— Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, Community Rabbi (New York Post)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to allow the demolition of the Kingsbrook Shul synagogue as part of the affordable housing project.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the complex tradeoffs between the need for affordable housing and the preservation of historic and culturally significant buildings. While the hospital argues the synagogue is a 'zombie structure', the local Jewish community sees the demolition as an erasure of their history and community center. The outcome of this case will set an important precedent for how cities balance these competing priorities.