Congregation Kol Shofar
Encyclopedia
Congregation Kol Shofar is a Conservative
synagogue founded in 1962 and located in Tiburon, California
. The congregation is led by Rabbi Chai Levy who was ordained in 2002 by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
in New York City.
. The Blackfield location was previously home to Reedland Woods Middle School from 1970 to 1976.
(RLUIPA), which prohibits "substantial burdens" on the exercise of religion by government regulations. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
threatened litigation on behalf of Kol Shofar depending on the outcome. Both Tiburon and Kol Shofar were sued by the Coalition in March 2007, alleging environmental and land-use violations.
In 2008, a Marin Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the expansion, and the Coalition filed an appeal with the 1st District Court of Appeal. The appeal was ultimately dropped later that same year, and Kol Shofar was able to proceed, agreeing not to seek repayment of court costs.
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
synagogue founded in 1962 and located in Tiburon, California
Tiburon, California
Tiburon is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. It occupies most of the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere occupies the south-east part of the peninsula and is contiguous with Tiburon...
. The congregation is led by Rabbi Chai Levy who was ordained in 2002 by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
in New York City.
History
In the 1960s and 1970s, Kol Shofar was a nomadic congregation, meeting in various locations around Marin County. In 1984 it acquired its current location at 215 Blackfield Drive in Tiburon, CaliforniaTiburon, California
Tiburon is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. It occupies most of the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere occupies the south-east part of the peninsula and is contiguous with Tiburon...
. The Blackfield location was previously home to Reedland Woods Middle School from 1970 to 1976.
Controversy
In 2006, Kol Shofar submitted plans to expand its synagogue space. The Tiburon Neighborhood Coalition opposed the construction, citing the traffic and noise impact due to the size of a new multi-purpose room and a proposed 27 additional events with up to 250 persons. That summer, the Tiburon Planning Commission rejected the expansion plans, claiming that Kol Shofar refused to engage in compromise discussions. As a result of the Planning Commission's rejection, the issue was brought to the attention of the town council who later that year approved a reduced synagogue expansion plan with restrictions on hours, parking, and number of events, as well as reducing the size of the social hall by 15 percent. Kol Shofar argued that Tiburon's restrictions would violate the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons ActReligious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act
The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act , , codified as et seq., is a United States federal law that prohibits the imposition of burdens on the ability of prisoners to worship as they please, as well as giving churches and other religious institutions a way to avoid burdensome...
(RLUIPA), which prohibits "substantial burdens" on the exercise of religion by government regulations. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC that describes itself as "a non-profit, public interest law firm defending the freedom of religion of people of all faiths." The Becket Fund operates in three arenas: in the courts of law , in the court of...
threatened litigation on behalf of Kol Shofar depending on the outcome. Both Tiburon and Kol Shofar were sued by the Coalition in March 2007, alleging environmental and land-use violations.
In 2008, a Marin Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the expansion, and the Coalition filed an appeal with the 1st District Court of Appeal. The appeal was ultimately dropped later that same year, and Kol Shofar was able to proceed, agreeing not to seek repayment of court costs.
Construction
Construction on the new space began in April 2009. The congregation held services in neighboring Westminster Presbyterian Church from February 8, 2009 until August 27, 2010. On August 27, 2010, the congregation held its first Shabbat services in its renovated sanctuary. The next day Kol Shofar held a reopening celebration. Members of the larger bay area Jewish community were in attendance. The project costed 17.5 million dollars, adding a brand new 8300 square feet (771.1 m²) social hall, additional parking, and four class rooms, as well as a renovated sanctuary space. Herman Coliver Locus Architecture of San Francisco designed the project.Past clergy
- Rabbi Lavey Darby (1991 - 2010)
- Rabbi David White (1977 - 1991)
- Rabbi Daniel B. Kohn