To the editor,
The Excelsior Foundation board of directors had our regularly scheduled monthly meeting today, May 10, 2021, to confirm results of the called-meeting on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.
Following our 67th annual performances of the Diamond Bessie Murder Trial, we are keenly aware that restoration plans for the Ruth Lester Memorial and the attached synagogue must move forward at our contractor’s earliest convenience.
Since March 1, 2020, Bethel Temple Fellowship has leased our historic property located at the corner of Henderson and Market streets. In order for restoration and repairs of the buildings to become a reality, we cannot renegotiate a new lease agreement at this time.
The Excelsior Foundation wishes the Fellowship all the best in their future endeavors, and we know that the Hebrew Sinai Congregation, which built the synagogue in 1875, would approve of our relationship during this past year.
We are hopeful that a strategic discussion can result in a new lease agreement in the not too distant future.
Sincerely,
Bobbie Hardy, president
Excelsior Foundation Board of Directors