PROVIDENCE — Ting Barnard was just a year old when her father carried her on his back as he swam through the icy water of the Mekong River. Emerging from the river, then on the shores of Thailand, he waved down a helicopter that would help them continue their journey to the United States. When they landed as Laotian refugees, they had nothing but the clothes on their back. Wearing a floor-length yellow gown that mirrors traditional Laos lace, Barnard shared pieces of her story while standing on the steps of the long-vacant Temple Beth El on Broad Street. “We left loved ones... left cherished memories, and a place we once called home,” said Barnard. Today, Barnard is a business owner and philanthropist who serves on the board of the Papitto Opportunity Connection, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, and several other organizations. On Thursday, she served as the master of ceremonies of Carolyn Rafaelian’s long-awaited donation of the former Jewish temple property to the Center for Southeast Asians . The nonprofit organization plans to embark on a $16 million renovation project, which could take an estimated five years, to transform it into a modern community center with a senior adult day care, transitional housing with at least 11 units and communal space, and headquarters for some of the center’s programming. Barnard, who also serves on the board of the center, said the temple will become a space “for families like mine [who have] hope for the future. This day is very monumental.” The property was built in 1911 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s been vacant since its official closure as a Jewish temple since 2006 and it’s in “deplorable condition.” For years, it was named on most endangered properties lists , and was a focus of previous mayors in efforts that never fully came together, said Mayor Brett Smiley. “This has been a long time coming to find a forever home and steward for this building,” said Smiley, who thanked Rafaelian “for not giving up on it.” Rafaelian, the founder and previous executive of the Alex and Ani jewelry company, first purchased the property in 2015. Rafaelian, who is no longer involved with the company she founded in 2004 , had previously attempted to find a use for the temple before she planned to donate the property to College Unbound, another nonprofit organization. Those plans never came to fruition. After the ceremony on Thursday, Rafaelian told the Globe “patience has paid off.” “The right alliance happened,” said Rafaelian, now the owner of new jewelry company Metal Alchemist . “This place will now be born again in the most magnificent way.” While heading Alex and Ani, Rafaelian was known as a philanthropist through Charity by Design, an effort at the company that raised proceeds from sales to various organizations. The social impact arm of the company, which has gone through a series of financial challenges since her departure , previously raised more than $50 million to support breast cancer research, provide clean drinking water, and help animals in need, among other efforts. “Charity by Design, that philanthropic mindset will always live in my heart. That is everywhere I go and part of everything I do,” she said. Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said Rafaelian’s “legacy of charitable giving is legendary.” Channavy Chhay, the executive director of the Center for Southeast Asians, said the center will build a commercial kitchen inside the temple so community members can prepare culturally-appropriate dishes. Once opened, she said, every program offered at the community center will be free. The restoration project will also be complicated, Chhay told the Globe. “It’s not safe to go inside,” she said. “The wood is fractured. The roof has collapsed. And there’s stained glass.” By the mid-1900s, the congregation relocated to the East Side, said Sarah Mack, Rabbi of the Temple Beth El congregation now located on Orchard Ave in Providence. In 1954, the synagogue was sold to the new Congregation of Shaare Zedek, which added a two-story brick and concrete addition. Efforts to revitalize the building began by a group of artists and area residents in 2012, which eventually led to Rafaelian’s purchase. “This historic building was once the home to our congregation, and a gathering place for our Jewish community,” said Mack. “Over the years, many in our congregation have asked what is happening with the Temple Beth El Broad Street synagogue, and now... it will [be] once again turned into a vibrant community center.” Chhay said the center received $500,000 from the National Park Service and requested $7.25 million in appropriations from US Senator Jack Reed’s office for 2025. The center plans to launch a fundraising campaign to secure additional financing. “If we get that $7 million, we can start this right away,” she said. “My goal is to open in five years. It all comes down to funding and support from people who also don’t want this building to go away. So I’m going to stick my head out really far for this.” “So we cannot cut corners,” added Chhay. “This is going to be a transformation, this will be a home.”
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