NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul said she intervened to prevent the demolition of a decades-old synagogue in Brooklyn after redevelopment plans tied to a hospital campus raised concerns about its future.
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The synagogue, Congregation Chaim Albert, also known as the Kingsbrook Synagogue, dates back to the late 1920s and was established as part of a Jewish hospital created to serve Jewish patients who faced discrimination elsewhere. It has long served both hospital visitors and residents of nearby East Flatbush and Crown Heights.
Questions about the synagogue’s survival emerged after redevelopment proposals linked to a state-supported affordable housing project appeared to include its removal. Hochul said those plans were changed following state involvement, and that demolition of the synagogue is no longer being pursued.
“The Kingsbrook shul reflects the strength and continuity of the Jewish community,” Hochul said in a statement, adding that she urged hospital and synagogue leadership to work toward a solution that allows both institutions to continue operating.
The synagogue has been involved in a legal dispute with its property owner, One Brooklyn Health, which took control of the campus following a hospital merger in 2018. The congregation filed suit this year, alleging it was denied access to the building after the COVID-19 shutdowns and that the structure was not properly maintained.
Part of the hospital property was sold in 2023 to developers as part of a broader affordable housing initiative. Congregation members say redevelopment planning did not adequately account for the synagogue’s long-term use.
Community advocate Rabbi Yaacov Behrman said the congregation is prepared to resume use of the building and address any needed repairs if access is restored. Before the pandemic, the synagogue regularly hosted Shabbat and holiday services.
State Attorney General Letitia James welcomed the decision, saying the synagogue has deep meaning for the community and that preserving it protects an important part of New York’s Jewish history.
Thank you @GovKathyHochul for intervening to save the historic Kingsbrook Shul.
This synagogue has been meaningful to the community for decades, and I am grateful a treasured piece of Jewish history in New York will be preserved. https://t.co/aGyoEyC4U7
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) December 24, 2025
In this thread, I’ll be sharing historical news stories following Governor @GovKathyHochul intervention to save the synagogue.
When the hospital first opened, a car parade made its way from Williamsburg and other Brooklyn neighborhoods to the hospital site.
The media said it… https://t.co/4DAMENMCig pic.twitter.com/sSDpcLS3tT
— Yaacov Behrman (@ChabadLubavitch) December 25, 2025
hochul caused the problem.now claims to resolve it
Interesting that it was founded as a Jewish hospital
I know this is controversial but there are all; these old shuls not being used all over the city. Huge buildings collecting dust. Why can’t you knock it down build houses and a more modern beautiful shul on the first floor? I don’t think its against halacha. You’ll still keep a shul