Seismic Retrofit Blog

Sherith Israel is bustling with contractors in the attic, on the roof, in the basement and now also on the north side of the building as Phase II of the seismic strengthening project continues. The project remains on schedule and on budget with new steel, rebar and concrete making their way into the innards of our building.  

You can be part of the team that is making this work possible by joining more than 400 donors who have already committed more than $13 million in gifts and pledges. Contact our seismic retrofit campaign co-chairs — Lynn Sedway and David Newman — about how you can join our historic effort.

Congregants Maurice Kamins and Lisa Erdberg continue to document the work with up close and personal photographs.

Up in the attic, steel rebar is being carefully tied so it won't move around when concrete is poured for new beams.

Cutting lumber that will be used to make forms for the new concrete beams that will be poured in the attic.

Kneepads are definitely required to work in the crawlspace below the first floor! Here workers are installing  connections between the first-floor wood framing and the brick masonry foundation walls.

In the crawlspace under the building, workers are building a path so that excavated soil can be moved out of the building when trenches are dug for upgrades to the foundation.

This is a long view of the path built in the crawlspace
that will be used to remove soil when trenches are
dug for the new foundation.

Work is starting on the north side of the building, which is not a well-traveled side of our building unless you deliver for HaMotzi. The first step: removing the fence. 

The empty organ room: The pipes have all been removed and stored. Scaffolding is being put in place so workers have access to the north side of the building from inside as well as outside.

The structural engineering plans are never very far away.