The story behind the gargoyle is far more mundane then one would hope. The current owner of the synagogue thought it looked cool so he hung it there....thats really all there is too it...oh and its not iron...its foam and plastic....not far from a spencers halloween decoration...
However the building, the gates of prayer, is new orleans second oldest synagogue and is quite rich in history itself. The brick drive to build the synagogue had completed before the outbreak of the civil war. To prevent the bricks from being seized and reutilized by the military the congregation hid the bricks in their attics and walls...keeping them safe until construction began. Thats what I call bringing religion into your home.