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Crown Heights History: Choveve Torah – Murphy’s Shul Myth

This series on Crown Heights History has been compiled by Instagram account @crownheightshistory, a born and raised Crown Heightser, and shows some of the ongoing research taking place.

“Rabbi Levinson is known and revered throughout the Orthodox congregations of the United States.

In December, 1923, Rabbi Levinson became the religious head of Chovevee Torah, the attractive synagogue at 885 Eastern Parkway. The cornerstone of this building was laid in 1924 under the supervision of Rabbi Levinson, as, indeed, the work and plans of the entire structure were in his care, the cost of the temple, which seats 1,700 people, being $200,000. The parish is of the strictly Orthodox type, with services three times daily, according to the ancient custom.“

By the time the 1970s came Chovive Torah was practically abandoned. At that point, United Lubavitcher Yeshiva took ownership of the building. They paid a severance fee of $6000 to the outgoing Rabbi Rabinowitz. The school has occupied the building since with the high school moving in in 1997.

I’ve searched high and low for more information about this building, but due to the nature of the builders, they did not seem to share much unlike say the Jewish Center. I would love to hear feedback from anyone about the story of this building. Also a picture of the original interior would be epic.

Of course there is a myth around why the building is called Murphy’s Shul, but I have yet to find any proof of that being substantiated. There was a bar on the corner of Albany and Eastern Parkway- told by the old timers- called Duffy’s. More then that I haven’t found anything yet.

The building has an interesting design. Super high steps and also looks like a box that a fancy front was slapped on. But consider their $200,000 budget vs the Jewish Center which cost a million dollars to build. (They also may have been mimicking the design for the synagogues in Brownsville).

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9 Comments

  • Speak to Charlie

    Speak with Charlie. He can tell you all about Murphy’s Pub. The Bankhalters, whose name appears in the plaque, have a grandson Ya’akov who is a shliach of the Rebbe.

  • moshe borisute

    I spoke with Rabbi Ephraim Schechter ob”m who was the son of the Rav of Empire Shtiebel in the 1930s. Rabbi Schechter used to give a shiur on Rashi Friday nights in Chovevei Torah in 1938. He said they used to call it Murphy’s Shul back then. He said when they built the shul everyone criticized the architect for the inordinate number of steps one had to climb.

  • Anonymous

    HS moved in 92 or 93 when the Rebbe wasn’t well and was coming out for tefilos on the balcony. Prior to that it was used somewhat by kevutza and it’s main use was to store lag boamer float props

    • History

      I thought ULY mesivtah moved in in 1997. Possible they were there sooner as well.

    • Class of Nun Gimmel - Daled

      We moved after the Rebbe started coming out on the balcony as we kept on jumping into taxis when the beepers would go off. Later Mesivta moved in and they renovated the downstairs….

  • Cheri levn

    My grandfather, Samuel Estren was the treasurer of the Shul for close to 50 years. I have been told his name is engraved in the lobby.