Chabad Sues for Discrimination Over Demolition Order

The operators of a Jewish outreach program are suing a Maryland county for discrimination over an expansion for their Chabad house.

The Baltimore Sun reports the Friends of Lubavitch sued Baltimore County on Thursday. The dispute centers on a house that serves as Chabad of Towson and Goucher.

The house’s residents, Rabbi Menachem Rivkin and Scheina Rivkin, were granted a county building permit to construct an addition twice the size of the original home. Neighbors filed legal challenges, saying the county approved the addition for a private residence only. Last month, a judge ordered the expansion’s demolition.

The lawsuit asserts many Chabad centers operate out of rabbis’ homes, and demolishing the addition would deprive Jewish students of their religious rights.

Baltimore County Attorney Michael Field declined to comment.