After news broke earlier this year that the Board of Trustees of Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC) were in discussions with a developer to sell the building, despite some pushback from the local community, on Sunday, May 19, VCJC members called for a special membership meeting to be held to discuss the situation.

 

When Norwood News had spoken to some residents of the area a few months ago amid rumors of the potential sale, they said there was definitely some fear and uncertainty about what would become of the various services, including religious services, provided at the center, which is located at 3880 Sedgwick Avenue in Van Cortlandt Village.

 

According to its website, VCJC was established in 1927 and for the past 60 years, besides being a house of worship for VCJC’s Jewish congregation, has served as an older adult center operated by the nonprofit, JASA, as well as as an early childhood education center run by Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC).

 

According to its website, JASA is the go-to agency serving older adults in New York City, providing critical services to over 40,000 people annually.

 

Norwood News was not present at the private membership meeting on May 19 and therefore, we are reporting what was communicated to us afterwards by a spokesperson for the VCJC Board of Trustees, based on the board’s summary of the discussion at that meeting.

 

According to the board, the May 19 meeting was called by VCJC member Fischel Baiser, along with nine other VCJC members, in accordance with VCJC’s bylaws which allow any ten members to request a meeting. They said its purpose was to present alternative proposals to the board regarding the future of the VCJC building.

 

According to the VCJC board, Baiser and some of the VCJC members opposed the sale of the building and instead of selling it, they proposed some other alternatives during the meeting. Meanwhile, according to the VCJC board, Jack Kleinfeld, representing the Board of Trustees as its chair, presented the board’s proposal on the latest status of the negotiated sale, which he said would involve members moving back into part of the building after renovations were carried out.

 

According to Kleinfeld, this proposal would ensure the local Jewish congregation’s sustainability and the center’s continued operation as a place of worship [albeit on a smaller scale]. According to the board, and as previously reported, the building which houses the center was constructed in the mid-1960s and originally served a congregation of 700 members.

 

“Today, the VCJC has less than 60 members,” the board said. “The aging building and significantly reduced membership make it financially challenging to maintain the current facility without facing potential bankruptcy. Several years ago, the membership voted 29 to 5 in favor of selling the building. The circumstances regarding the building’s condition and the congregation’s size remain unchanged.”

 

According to the board, following Kleinfeld’s presentation, the VCJC members opposing the sale then shared their viewpoints on the future of the center with members.

 

“However, their proposals did not offer immediate, actionable solutions to alleviate the financial strain on the VCJC,” the board later said. “Some suggestions involved the congregation becoming real estate developers, which is not a practical option. Other proposals included consulting community group specialists and non-profit oriented law firms, avenues the VCJC has already explored.”

 

According to the board, during the meeting, some VCJC members had also expressed dissatisfaction with Innovative Development, the company involved in the sale discussions.

 

The VCJC board of trustees went on to say that in response to some criticism, they explained to members that the board had initially kept details of the sale confidential in order “to maximize the success” of the sale negotiations and plans. They added that they had since agreed to discuss the proposed sale details with VCJC members, adding that an agreement on the sale was close to being finalized.

 

The VCJC board said that after all the presentations were made at the meeting, Kleinfeld moved for a vote, saying, “I move that the membership of the VCJC endorses the current plans being finalized with Innovative Development Corporation to sell the property and then become tenants in a renovated facility. The membership understands that any final agreements between the parties will require the membership’s explicit approval. The membership further directs that actions by members to prevent, sidetrack, or sabotage these plans cease and desist.”

 

According to the board, the motion passed with a vote of 27 to seven. The board said that although seven VCJC members left before the roll call vote, their votes opposing the sale plan would not, in any case, have altered the outcome. “The overwhelming majority of members support the Board of Trustees’ diligent efforts to secure a viable future for the congregation by selling the building and relocating to a more manageable facility as tenants with assurances of long term tenancy,” the board later said.

 

Norwood News reached out to some residents for comment on the latest vote. There was a suggestion by at least one resident that the vote taken at the meeting was not a scheduled vote, and therefore there were doubts that it had “standing.” We asked a board representative for comment on the resident’s feedback, and he said he didn’t know about this question of “standing,” but said it was his belief that the board would continue to try to sell the building.

 

The board spokesperson also said that when the opposing members called for the meeting by way of a formal letter, they had called it to discuss alternatives to the proposed sale. He added that during the meeting, a [separate] vote was proposed [by the opposing members] on a membership-related issue. He said it was explained to those opposing members that because the purpose of the May meeting was solely to discuss the sale of the building, any vote on any other matter unrelated to the sale could not be held at the meeting.

 

The board spokesperson said a general membership meeting was due to be held in June at which point he said any VCJC member could bring up any related topic. He went on to say that it was felt by the board that the June meeting would be the more appropriate occasion to have a motion on membership “or anything else.” The spokesperson added that at the May 19 meeting, any motion on alternatives to the sale of the building would have been allowed, in terms of a vote [had they been tabled].

 

He clarified that the May 19 meeting was originally scheduled as an annual membership meeting, but that opposing members later asked for it to be held on the topic of the sale instead.

 

Norwood News has reached out to MMCC for their feedback on the latest proposed sale plans and will share any feedback we receive.

 

We have also been informed by the VCJC board that further information on the status of the center should be forthcoming this month. We will share any further updates we receive from the board or from other residents on the situation.

 

In the meantime, local resident Gary Axelbank has written an op-ed with his thoughts on the latest situation. It can be read here.