Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By simmons on May 20, 2017

Gotham Gold: Daniel Halfon, who put together the new album, once worked at New York?s Shearith Israel.

New Yorks oldest synagogue is having a hard time erecting a new building, as community groups on the Upper West Side file suit against a city agency to stop Shearith Israels planned expansion.

According to the suit filed against New Yorks Board of Standards and Appeals a body which oversees zoning issues the agency only allowed the nine-story building to go forward because its a institutionally biased administrative body which regularly rules in favor of real estate developers.

Shearith Israels building would be the tallest mid-block structure on West 70th Street, and requires special permit from the city.

Controversially, the building will contain a community center and classes on the bottom floors, and expensive condos with park views on the top.

The neighborhood groups that filed the suit have claimed that Shearith Israel is committing a fraud by using the need for more congregational space as an excuse to rake in money through pricey real estate sales.

Shearith Israel was founded by Portuguese and Spanish immigrants to New York in the late 1600s, and is now led by Rabbi Meir Soloveichik.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

See more here:

Neighbors Sue NYC Agency Over UWS Synagogue Expansion - Forward

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