Congregation Kol Shofar

Location:  Tiburon, Marin County, CA
Issue: Property Rights
Status: Open

Overview:  There is only one synagogue in Tiburon, a suburb in very wealthy Marin County near San Francisco, CA:  Congregation Kol Shofar.  This Jewish house of worship is located in a former middle school; a forty year old building that has been falling apart ever since the Congregation bought the building in 1984.  In an effort to modernize their facility, Kol Shofar submitted plans to remodel the structure in 2004.  These plans were repeatedly denied by the Tiburon Planning Commission, and after thoughtful deliberation, Kol Shofar realized their rights were being violated and hired the Becket Fund to defend them.

Articles & News Items

• "Synagogue in Tiburon, CA Calls on Becket Fund for Zoning Appeal," October 10, 2006
• ""Synagogue expansion fight gets ugly," - San Francisco Chronicle (10/23/2006)," October 24, 2006
• "'Tiburon council braced for tense talk on temple,' - Marin Independent Journal (10/22/2006)," October 24, 2006
• "'Synagogue Expansion Debated' - Marin Independent Journal (10/25/2006)," October 25, 2006
• "Opposing sides square off at hearing over synagogue - SF Chronicle (10/25/2006)," October 25, 2006
• ""Dick Spotswood: Tiburon council faces tough Kol Shofar decision," - Marin Independent Journal, October 30, 2006," October 31, 2006
• "Love thy neighbor: Kol Shofar rabbi battling residents of Tiburon over facility's expansion," November 15, 2006
• "Tiburon neighbors: It's an issue of noise, parking and traffic," November 15, 2006
• ""Tiburon makes compromise on Kol Shofar expansion" - Marin Independent Journal (Nov. 17, 2006)," November 20, 2006