For over 150 years, the First Roumanian Congregation spanned nearly half of a block on Rivington Street.  When the roof collapsed in early 2006, the few remaining congregants decided to tear the entire historic building down and construct anew, with apartments hosting now-towering rents above and perhaps a prayer space in the lobby.  I was stunned by the site of the collapsed temple and the careless manner in which religious materials were being cleared away, and began to document this, making pilgrimages to the site.  The resulting images gain purpose as an act of memorial, capturing the site as it was being swept from the earth, exploring the themes of time and its dilapidating effect on structure, and the presence of people through their objects instead of their beings, and ultimately, remembrance.