For more than seven decades, the Forest Hills Jewish Center has stood as a mid-century monolith at 106-06 Queens Boulevard. Its convex facade, crafted from warm crab orchard stone and brick, has served as a landmark for millions of commuters and residents alike: a physical anchor in a neighborhood once defined by the rapid growth of Jewish life in central Queens. Now, that storied chapter is reaching its final period.
The congregation has officially entered a contract to sell its campus for approximately $39 million. The buyer, a development group, has long eyed the site for a massive mixed-use redevelopment. The transaction recently received the necessary approval from the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, clearing a path that had been stalled since a previous 2022 deal fell through.
The history of the institution mirrors the rise of the neighborhood itself. Founded in 1931 as an educational resource for local families, the synagogue grew in tandem with the residential boom of the 1930s and 1940s. By 1949, the congregation moved into its current sanctuary, a space designed by architect Joseph J. Furman to accommodate thousands of families. At its peak, the center was the heartbeat of the local community, hosting vast social halls and a five-story school building.
Inside the main sanctuary sits the congregation’s crown jewel: a massive Torah ark and bimah designed by the legendary Polish-born artist Arthur Szyk. Dedicated in 1949, the ark is a masterpiece of gilded detail and traditional iconography, created by a man who gained international fame for his anti-Nazi caricatures and his iconic illuminated Haggadah. As the building faces a future of demolition, the fate of the Szyk Ark remains a poignant question for preservationists and the congregation.
As demographics shifted over the decades, the sheer scale of the building became a burden. Maintaining a 55,000-square-foot facility for a modern, smaller membership was no longer sustainable. The decision to sell was not a retreat, leaders suggest, but a strategic move to ensure the center’s longevity through an endowment.
The next phase is already rising at the former Parkway Hospital site on 113th Street. Once an abandoned medical facility that sat dormant for nearly two decades, the site is being transformed into “The Perennial at Parkway.” This $150 million intergenerational project will feature 145 affordable apartments for seniors alongside a new, modern home for the Forest Hills Jewish Center.
Under the terms of the $39 million sale, the congregation is not simply walking away. They will receive a $10 million credit toward a 34,000-square-foot condominium unit within the Perennial development. To fund the custom build-out of their new sanctuary – which is designed to include a double-height, column-free space – they have secured an $18-million credit line. The closing of the Queens Boulevard property is tied to the completion of the new facility, ensuring the synagogue has a place to go before the wrecking ball arrives.
Back on the boulevard, the shift in ownership underscores the evolving character of the borough. The buyers, rooted in the Bukharian Jewish community, represent a new generation of real estate influence in Queens, taking the mantle from the traditional Conservative institutions of the mid-century.
The building at 106-06 Queens Boulevard was built for a different era, a time of grand sanctuaries and limitless expansion. As the Forest Hills Jewish Center prepares to trade its stone fortress for a modern condo unit, it carries with it a legacy that can no longer be contained by brick and mortar. The sanctuary may be sold, but the congregation moves forward, looking for new life in a redesigned Forest Hills.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
