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Hearing to Address Request to Build New Synagogue

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Residents who live near Chabad of the Valley will get the chance this week to air their opinions on whether the congregation should be allowed to build a new synagogue on the Hayvenhurst Avenue site.

City officials denied an earlier request in January after synagogue leaders asked permission to tear down their old building and erect a new one.

The Los Angeles City Board of Zoning Appeals has scheduled a public hearing on the matter Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at its headquarters, 201 N. Figueroa St., in Los Angeles.

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Chabad of the Valley moved into an old house at 4915 Hayvenhurst Ave. in 1973 and converted it into a synagogue. The 3,500-square-foot building is 50 years old and has fallen into disrepair, officials said.

Rather than pour money into the old building, leaders of the Orthodox Jewish synagogue want to tear it down and construct a new 5,000-square-foot structure, said Ben Reznik, a Century City attorney representing Chabad of the Valley.

“They really do need a new synagogue because the old one is falling apart and doesn’t meet their needs anymore,” Reznik said.

Zoning officials denied the earlier request because attendance at the synagogue was too low to warrant a larger building and they believed the proposed synagogue would look too commercial for the residential neighborhood, they said.

About 15 people gather at the synagogue each morning, and more than 40 attend Saturday Sabbath services, Reznik said.

Concerns about synagogue congregants who park on residential streets was also raised in a report issued by the Office of Zoning Administration.

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Although most congregants walk to the neighborhood synagogue, some drive, Reznik said. The proposed $500,000 building would house a library, a reception area, an office for Rabbi Joshua Gordon and a small, two-bedroom apartment for visitors.

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