Construction at Emanu El

Exciting changes at Emanu El… The new building is now the main entrance and our walkway into the synagogue! 

The space is not quite complete. As you walk through, “take a gander” at our new spaces: new building smells, beautiful new event and meeting rooms, some furniture is here and being assembled or put into place (more coming soon!), and you’ll still see construction workers and equipment.

As you can see in the two pictures below, there are two entrances: the new circular driveway, which features a “zero-entry” accessible drop-off area, and through the Gaylor Parking Facility, where accessible parking spaces are available.

The School Entrance is now reserved for Becker and Helfman students and their families. The Rotunda will no longer serve as an entrance.

The courtyard is really coming along with delivery this week of a variety of trees and plants. Landscaping work continues this week and there may also be a turf delivery… stay tuned!

We’re making such good progress on the new building! Courtyard demo is now complete, and construction crews have begun to build a new 4-foot wall that will separate the new event lawn from the playground. Bricks now cover most of the exterior. And the interior… wait until you see it!

Courtyard demo began late last week and continues this week, including removal of the wall that — until today! — ran alongside the Becker playground.

Brick by brick…

Work is continuing on the interior of The Jerold B. Katz Family Center for Jewish Learning, and masonry work is now in its second week!

We have (dry)walls inside and workers are laying bricks outside!

The interior of The Jerold B. Katz Center for Jewish Learning is really taking shape now that the various rooms are becoming distinguishable from each other.

Drywall is nearly complete on the first floor and beginning on the second floor.

We have windows!

Construction crews are making terrific progress. They’re on schedule to complete overhead mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) work this month, and are on track to begin wall framing on the second floor.

On Friday, February 6, our emergency generator was delivered and set on its pad in the Gaylor Parking Facility. Should an emergency occur, the generator will power the fire pump and life safety systems.

Great news! The Proler Chapel and Art Gallery will be accessible again beginning January 22!

North Lobby construction is ongoing, so you’ll get to the Chapel through Feld Hall (using the side entrance by the kitchen) or the Sanctuary (via the South Lobby).

Signs will direct you to the Chapel and the Rotunda Security staff will also know the best route on any particular day (especially important if there’s an event in Feld).

North Lobby demo is on track and construction crews are making good progress on the exterior framing, sheathing and waterproofing of the new building.

This week, Friday’s Kabbalat Shabbat service will be held in the Barish Sanctuary and Saturday’s Shabbat morning service will be held in the Board Room. Please check building screens for the updates. You can access the Barish Sanctuary via the South Lobby by walking through the Rotunda and Administrative Hallway.

Over the winter break, construction crews were busy framing and sheathing exterior load-bearing walls and completing work on utilities to support the new building.

This week, demolition work began on the North Lobby, where the new building will eventually be connected to the existing building. As a result, the Proler Chapel and Art Gallery are currently inaccessible. 

While the chapel is temporarily unavailable, Kabbalat Shabbat services will be held in the Barish Sanctuary. Shabbat morning services normally held in the Proler Chapel will be in the Stillman-Lack Library or the Board Room. Please check building screens for the updates.

You can access the Barish Sanctuary via the South Lobby by walking through the Rotunda and Administrative Hallway.

We hit two exciting milestones recently when construction crews placed steel for the skybridge over to the school wing’s second floor, and when concrete was poured for the second floor slab. Enjoy this timelapse video of the concrete pour! 

Over the next two weeks, crews will be working on framing and sheathing exterior load-bearing walls and completing work on site utilities. They will also begin preparing to demo the North Lobby to connect the new and existing buildings.

Please note, the West Drive will be closed to all traffic between December 18 – 26. Everyone coming to CEE during that time will enter and exit through the East Gate.

UPDATE: The walkway will now be closed on Friday, December 12. On Wednesday morning, the ground was determined to be too soft and potentially unsafe for construction workers to place steel for the skybridge. Safety is always our first priority!

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The walkway to the building will be closed for most of the day on Wednesday, December 10, while construction crews are placing steel for the skybridge that will connect the new building to the second floor of the school wing. If you’re coming to CEE on Wednesday, you’ll use the School Entrance to enter the building. The walkway is expected to reopen later in the day.

On Monday, November 10, Becker School PreK and Kindergarten students had an opportunity to write their names on one of the beams that is above the entrance to the Jerold B. Katz Family Center for Jewish Learning.

And on Sunday, November 23, Emanu El members who generously donated more than $100,000 to the L’Dor Vador campaign for the new building were able to write blessings and greetings on two beams for the new building.

These beams won’t be visible when the building is completed, but their names and words of hope and blessing will be a permanent fixture within its walls.

Watch this timelapse video of crews erecting the steel frame of the new building. Weeks of work in 17 seconds!

Thanks again to our Emanu El Houston members Arlene & Marshall Hoffman for donating the steel!

Becker School’s PreK and Kindergarten kids wrote their names on one of the steel beams on Monday, November 10, before it was “flown” into place.

This week, construction crews should complete the steel frame of the new building. Crews will also begin trenching along the East Drive for installation of sanitary lines.

This week, construction crews are continuing to frame the new building with steel beams. You can also expect to see crews begin trenching along the East Drive for installation of sanitary lines.

The Jerold B. Katz Family Center for Jewish Learning is starting to take shape! Steel deliveries last week meant construction crews could begin framing the building and they are making good progress.

We received the first steel delivery on Tuesday, October 21, and over the next few weeks you’ll start to see the frame of the building being erected. Exciting!

Steel deliveries will continue for the rest of this week and you can expect sporadic traffic delays at the East Gate.

If you’re coming to temple this week, please allow additional time to get through the gate, especially for parents dropping off their children at Becker School or members attending early morning events.

Concrete for the new driveway of the Jerold B. Katz Center for Jewish Learning is expected to be poured on Friday, October 17, which means the East Gate will be closed until approximately 12:00 p.m. All traffic during that time, including Becker School drop-offs and pick-ups, will be routed to the West Gate. Please be patient and watch for two-way traffic.

You may also see construction crews begin to mobilize to the West Lot after the sukkah is removed on Wednesday.

We’re making significant progress on the Jerold B. Katz Family Center for Jewish Learning! Now that the slab has been poured, construction crews are working to connect the underground utilities will begin demolition of the old driveway to make way for the new driveway.

September 16

Construction crews will pour the slab for the new building tomorrow (Sept. 18). As a result, we expect the East Gate to be closed from 5am – 1pm.

All traffic to Emanu El during that timeframe, including Becker School drop-offs and pick-ups, will be routed to the West Gate. If you’re trying to access the Gaylor Parking Facility, that may mean two-way traffic temporarily on a driveway that is normally one-way. Traffic delays on Sunset Blvd are also possible while concrete trucks are waiting to enter the campus. We appreciate your patience!

September 18

It’s an exciting day at Emanu El as we reach a milestone in construction of the Jerold B. Katz Family Center for Jewish Learning – pouring the slab! This also means it’s time to place 18 pennies into the foundation 💙💙

Construction crews are making great progress! Last week they focused on installation of the grade beams for load distribution of the exterior walls, and began digging the elevator pit for the new building. The elevator pit is the space below the lowest landing of an elevator that houses essential equipment like elevator rails, impact equipment, and the piston. This week, they’re also scheduled to begin work on installation of “Underground MEPs,” which refers to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and infrastructure routed beneath the ground surface.

Over the last week, the crews completed drilling piers and filled (or “capped”) them with concrete. They have since dug trenches for the grade beams, and — after placing rebar in the trenches — are now filling them with concrete. Grade beams are reinforced concrete beams that run alongside the base of a building, helping spread the weight of the exterior walls and keep the foundation stable. Together with the piers, they will provide load distribution for the exterior walls and help support the weight of the new building.

Beginning this week, crews have begun drilling piers for the foundation. This involves drilling holes and placing steel reinforcement (rebar) in those holes. Concrete is then poured into the hole, filling it and encasing the rebar. The load distribution provided by the piers will ensure additional support for the new building.

This week, construction crews continue to bring in select fill as they work to create the necessary density to support the new building.

If you missed the reveal of the decades-old time capsule found outside the Proler Chapel during concrete removal, click here to see all five videos and some images.

You likely won’t see much activity over the next fews days. Dirt has been brought in for the building pad and compacted. The construction crew is currently waiting for test results to determine if they’ve reached the necessary density to support the slab for the new building.

If you missed last week’s reveal of the decades-old time capsule found outside the Proler Chapel during concrete removal, all five videos and some images are on the website.

You can stay up-to-date on construction information, videos & photos on our website.

Weekly updates are posted Tuesdays (#TransformationTuesday) on the website, Facebook, and Instagram. (Urgent alerts will be sent by email and/or text message.)

This week’s update is one of the cooler ones we’re likely to post. You may have seen our discovery of the time capsule and today’s update is specific to the removal of the time capsule from the PVC pipe where it has been stored, under concrete, for several decades, and its transportation to a safe location where it can dry out and be assessed.

Elsewhere on site, crews continue removing debris and we waved “goodbye” to the trackhoe as its work concluded. Over the next few weeks, construction crews will prep the site for the building pad.

At the end of last week, crews completed demolition of the temporary cottages, or classrooms, and original walkway. This week, they have begun breaking up and cleaning concrete from the site in preparation for site grading and the foundation for the new building.

We are waiting for a permit from the City of Houston that will allow us to switch entry doors, so for now, continue to enter through the doors you have been using. We’ll let you know when we’re ready to switch to the doors by the Oshman Multi-Purpose Room (MPR).

Make sure to check out the Construction Photos and Construction Videos pages. They’re both being updated frequently. Send any questions to info@emanuelhouston.org.

Crews are continuing demolition of the cottages and this week began to demo original walkway as well. That work should be completed this week.

The temporary walkway that has been constructed is now your path into the building from the Gaylor Parking Facility. The walkway ends by the Oshman Multi-Purpose Room (MPR), but — for now — you’ll need to continue to use the doors you have been using to enter the building. We’ll let you know as soon as we’re ready to switch to the doors by the MPR.

IMPORTANT: We are expecting the East Gate entrance will be blocked tomorrow (Wednesday, July 9) between 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. for delivery of the construction trailer. Everyone entering campus during that time must use the West Gate, potentially as others are leaving through the same gate. A security guard will assist with two-way traffic, but please be especially mindful of other drivers as you enter or exit the campus.

Construction crews are continuing to prep for demolition of the temporary classrooms, and expect to pour concrete for the temporary walkway later this week. The transition to the temporary walkway is expected later this week.

Parking spots outside the reception area/Rotunda are now exclusively reserved for accessible parking and accessible drop-off. When those spots fill up, please use Level 1 of the Gaylor parking Facility. All others should park on Levels 2-4; Level 5 is reserved for construction workers.

Construction fencing has now been installed and contractors are preparing to demo the temporary classrooms and level ground alongside the playground for a temporary walkway to the building.

Parking spaces in front of the Reception area/Rotunda are now reserved for accessible parking only. Spaces are limited; if no accessible spaces are available, please exit and use the East Gate to access parking in the Gaylor Parking Facility.

As construction begins, it will be noisy around the cottages and the Becker School area during the demolition phase. Dust is also likely, especially during demo. The contractors will do their best to mitigate any dust issues, but please be patient and “pardon our dust.”

Starting June 30, you can expect to see the first steps for prep and demo needed for construction to begin. This will include:

• Construction fencing installed on campus, blocking off access to the construction areas.
• Demolition of the temporary classrooms.
• Leveling of ground along the playground to prep for concrete. This will become a new (temporary)  walkway that we’ll use through completion of construction.

You will begin to see construction workers in personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, vests, and safety glasses.

As with any major construction project, there will be some disruptions and inconveniences before the project is completed. We will do our best to mitigate those inconveniences and our goal is to keep you fully informed about what’s happening on campus and what to expect when you come to temple.

You can expect to see regular updates about construction activity, especially when it will require you to take a specific action. The website is your primary go-to for all construction-related information, and we will also post updates on social media, building screens, and, when needed, announcements during services.

If quick communication of a change is required, we will use email and text to make sure you have the necessary information.

We expect that construction will take a total of 13-18 months to complete and that the new building may be in use by the end of 2026.

You may enter the building through a different door, but nothing else will change within the existing building until it’s time to “break through” to connect the North Lobby and the second floor of the school wing, which will likely occur separately. At that point, there will be some disruption to Feld Hall, the Barish Sanctuary, the kitchen, and the second floor of the school wing.

The expansion project that will create the Jerold B. Katz Family Center for Jewish Learning, a two-story education and multi-purpose building, will complete a decades-old vision to unite our campus. It will expand our learning and gathering spaces; add a reception area and single point of entry for the entire campus; add flexible multi-purpose spaces to accommodate classes, parent groups, lectures, meetings, life-cycle celebrations, and social gatherings; and much more.

The Jerold B. Katz Family Center for Jewish Learning will provide eight permanent classrooms for the Helfman Religious School students and will provide meeting space that can be utilized for professional development for Becker School teachers. Additionally, the new Helfman classrooms will be connected by the skybridge to the existing classrooms located on the second floor of the school wing.

If you have any questions, please send them to info@emanuelhouston.org. We will respond within 24-48 hours.