Thursday, October 1, 2026
Four years after getting the green light to expand its synagogue in a residential Lawrence neighborhood, Congregation Bais Medrash of Harborview still has plenty of work left to do, and has now run into trouble with neighbors after construction of the building went beyond variances granted by the village Board of Zoning Appeals.
Bais Medrash, which only operates on the Sabbath and high holidays and thus does not require parking, went before the Lawrence BZA on Dec. 3 in the hope of getting new variances approved for its expansion, including a 23-foot setback from the curb, five feet less than what had been granted by the zoning board in 2005. After the synagogue presented its case for new variances during a four-and-a-half-hour hearing at the Lawrence Country Club that did not end until 12:45 a.m., the BZA reserved its decision until its Jan. 13 meeting.
Bais Medrash’s proposal for an even larger facility than it initially planned has drawn strong opposition from residents who live in the vicinity of the Orthodox congregation, which now operates out of a house at 218 Harborview South while its new facility is being built next door. The neighbors are concerned that synagogue officials may eventually try to make it a fully operational religious institution that requires parking.
