A home synagogue in Thornhill, ON

Pic: staff

A proposed change by the City of Vaughan to a by-law governing the zoning of places of worship is necessary, say councillors, because of longstanding complaints from Thornhill residents living next to “basement synagogues” and other home-based religious facilities.

The change, part of the city’s new official plan about places of worship, would mean that in the future, synagogues in Vaughan would have to be located on major roads, such as Clark Ave., or arterial roads, such as Bathurst St. or Dufferin St and also be outside commercial employment areas and agricultural land. The buildings would have to feature 26 meters or more of right of way, and would not be able to impact on the existing road network.

Thornhill, with its large Jewish population, features multiple, mainly Orthodox, small congregations located in houses on residential streets. Complaints by neighbouring residents range from parking congestion to excessive noise levels, the city claims. The shuls are also potentially in violation of property standards requirements and fire code laws, according to Ward 5 Councillor Alan Shefman, who said they are very likely already illegal under current zoning.

“People say, ‘Oh, we’re just building a little shtiblach here.’ Guess what happens? You don’t have the space on your lot, then people are parking in front of other people’s houses all the time,” he said. “Think about you as a home owner. You’re not terribly happy about people parking in front of your house every day.”

Vaughan does not keep an official tally of these synagogues, due to the fact that they fit into a grey area and do not generally register with the city. However, Shalom Life was told that there are at least four or five established locations that councillors are aware of.

Shefman said that the change is designed to preserve residential neighbourhoods against institutional use.

“Whenever one of these things squeezes into a residential neighbourhood, what we end up with is all the neighbours screaming,” he said. He gave the example of a house at the end of Arnold Ave. near Bathurst that has been a synagogue for many years. “It’s been no end of pain for people in the area.”

Ward 4 Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco explained that the move is not about making life difficult for people to attend religious services, but she said that “resident have the right to enjoy their neighbourhood.”

What about religious Jews who need to attend a shul within walking distance of their house?

“We know for a fact that (there are always members who) drive to a place that’s close and then they walk,” said Racco, emphasizing that parking congestion is a large part of the problem.

“We’re just trying to be sensitive to everyone because we live in a very multicultural community,” she said.

Shalom Life contacted multiple home-based synagogues in Thornhill. While most declined to comment, none were aware of the proposed zoning changes or an upcoming public forum (a notice of public meeting appeared in the Vaughan Citizen and the Liberal this week) where residents will have the opportunity to voice their concerns.

It is also unclear whether current home-based shuls would be affected by the zoning change.

“I can’t give you any response on that but that can be a question asked at the public meeting on June 1st,” said Racco.

Rabbi Aryeh Gotfryd of home-based Thornhill Congregation Beis Malkeinu said that contrary to the city’s claim that residential shuls generate grievances from their neighbours, he has not received one complaint in 13 years.