WASHINGTON - Wizards owner Abe Pollin was known for much more than just his ties to D.C. Sports. Pollin, who died Tuesday at the age of 85, was known as a charitable man who helped revitalize more than just downtown D.C.

Crews were setting up for Wednesday night's concert by Jewish reggae star Matisyahu and wheeling by a photo of the man who helped make the Sixth and I Synagogue a reality: Abe Pollin.

"Two weeks go, he could barely talk but somehow he decided to call me and to thank me for what Sixth and I has become," said Sixth and I Synagogue Director Esther Safran.

The historic synagogue, now home to a vibrant mix of Jewish religious, social and cultural activities, almost didn't make it.

When the original congregation outgrew it and moved north, the building was sold to Turner Memorial AME Church in 1951. It moved out in 2002.

Worried about the building's fate, Abe Pollin and developers Shelton Zuckerman and Doug Jamal, all chipped in to buy it.

In 2004, Pollin said, "I found out that they had a contract on their desk to sell it the next day for a nightclub...When I heard that I said, 'we can't let that happen.' We all got together and within 24 hours we bought it."

Zuckerman remembers calling Pollin for help with the deal.

"He said, I'll call you back in 10 minutes. And I remember so well, I actually looked at my watch and he called me back in 10 minutes. I swear to you! And he said, 'we'll do it,'" shared Zuckerman.

After a $2.5 million facelift, the synagogue opened again with Abe Pollin as board president and number one fan.

"When he gave you his word, or you needed him, he was always there for you," said Zuckerman.

The Sixth and I Synagogue made Newsweek's "America's 25 Most Vibrant Congregations" list and now it's one of Pollin's most lasting legacies.

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