Non-jewish Group Aids Synagogue

A group of non-Jews has rallied to support a new synagogue in the township of Norfolk which the local Planning and Zoning Commission tried to close down and now limits the days when religious services may be held. The case, involving Beit Havurah, is before the Common Pleas Court, the Connecticut Jewish Ledger reported.

The congregation was established in 1975 by a group of young Jewish professionals. It became embroiled in a controversy with neighbors who objected to the use of their 18-room house as a religious retreat. The Zoning Commission denied the congregation access to the building on grounds that it was “not a house of worship.” That ruling was overturned by the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Zoning Commission since then decreed that the synagogue could be used only on the Sabbath and major holidays.

A letter signed by some 30 community members, most of them non-Jews, protested what they termed “thoughtless violation of First Amendment religious rights.” They charged that the restrictions on Beit Havurah were “discriminatory” and that the town was violating the religious freedom of the congregants.

One of the non-Jewish signatories. Mrs. Elizabeth Davis, told the Jewish Ledger that the Zoning Commission violated “the American way of life” and called the congregation an asset to the community. Another signer, Mrs. Richard Hasbrouk, a member of the Church of Christ Congregational, said the synagogue was “good for the kids.” Mrs. Richard Barstow, also affiliated with the Congregational Church, said the real issue seems to be “property values.”