See that tall, narrow watchtower? It’s the last remaining one of its kind in Chicago. Back in the day, firehouses used these towers to quickly spot fires. We are standing right in front of the Former Pullman Fire Station. It was built in 1894. That’s just one year after a huge fire ripped through the nearby Pullman factory. After that, George Pullman decided to make sure the town was prepared for any future disasters. The fire station served this community for years. It housed not only Engine Company 80 but also its brave firefighters. The station was built in the Romanesque style. It’s a grand old lady! The fire station has had a few lives since. The Chicago Fire Department operated it for a time. The Sherwin-Williams Company even used it as a storage facility for a while. Today, it’s a silent monument to what it used to be. It’s owned by the City of Chicago and isn’t in use anymore. Maybe that’s why it looks almost frozen in time. Maybe you can imagine the sirens wailing and the urgency that filled this building when the bells rang.
Congregation Or Torah
Rabbi Zvi Engel’s leadership guides Congregation Or Torah. This impressive Modern Orthodox Synagogue stands proudly in Skokie Illinois. It’s one