Continuing arrangements set up for the Jewish New Year last week, families from the nation’s largest Conservative synagogue will assemble this evening and all day tomorrow for Yom Kippur services at the nation’s largest megachurch. Congregation Beth Yeshurun’s own facilities have been unusable since the synagogue on Beechnut St. — on the other side of the West Loop from Meyerland Plaza — took on as much as 4 ft. of water after Hurricane Harvey.
The interfaith arrangement was brokered initially by Congressman John Culberson. After receiving extensive criticism for not opening its doors to flooding victims immediately following the first Harvey storms, Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church eventually served as a shelter for as many as 450 evacuees. For Rosh Hashanah services last week, Lakewood arranged for a rotating slide show of 40 high-resolution photos depicting portions of Beth Yeshurun’s damaged sanctuaries to be displayed on the 24-ft.-by-12-ft. Jumbotron behind the stage of the 16,800-seat former Houston Rockets basketball arena in Greenway Plaza.
- Lakewood Church to host Beth Yeshurun for High Holy Days [Jewish Herald-Voice]
- Church transformed into synagogue for HHD [Jewish Herald-Voice]
- You Won’t Believe What Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church Is Doing Now [Charisma News]
- Jewish congregation to worship at Lakewood Church for High Holidays [KHOU]
- Joel Osteen Opens His Church to Jewish Congregation for High Holidays After Synagogue Flooded by Harvey [Newsweek]
- Previously on Swamplot: Real Estate Works In Mysterious Ways: Houston Agrees To Sell Lakewood Church to Lakewood Church;Â Real Estate Lessons from Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church: It Is Better To Lease, Then To Buy; Lakewood Church Now Offers Drive-Thru Service; Your Best Deal Now: Will Lakewood Buy Its Own Church?
Photos of Rosh Hashanah services in Lakewood Church, in front of projected image of stained glass from a Beth Yeshurun sanctuary: Lakewood Church
To further elaborate, Joel is a leach because he convinces the gullible to fork over their money to a fake church. Meanwhile he lives like a Saudi sheik, contributing nothing in taxes – forcing people who aren’t gullible enough to give him our money to further subsidize his lifestyle by paying the taxes that his considerable real estate holdings would otherwise generate.
The ________ / ________ moves in mysterious ways.
I never understood the criticism of Lakewood for not opening as a shelter; there’s very little benefit to having multiple shelters at random locations when there was sPace available at The GRB and reliant. Ask the Red Cross how running all those separate shelters worked out.
How eirenic!
@Commenter7: Good job. Less religion more alcohol
Lakewood Church is the worst real estate deal in Houston history. A major venue in a valuable area essentially given away for free and guaranteed zero in property tax contributions for the foreseeable future. All for the benefit of an eccentric millionaire selling hot air.
Common- I thought the city leased it to them and is getting paid. If I’m wrong then I agree with you.
Great title and subtitle for this post, Swamplot!