Lubavitch of Cambridge, an Orthodox Jewish center, wants to change expansion plans that were previously approved in a groundbreaking settlement with the city of Cambridge. Lubavitch wants to construct a slightly larger structure and has applied to the Cambridge Historical Commission to demolish all three historic buildings on the site, instead of one building as it previously planned.
But after a Historical Commission hearing on Lubavitch’s demolition application was inexplicably cancelled in January, no one will say what happens next.
Besides the demolition issue, Lubavitch is facing a lawsuit from a contractor claiming that Lubavitch owes $110,000 for work that was done on the project. The suit by Sydney Project Management Inc. was filed in Middlesex Superior Court on April 21 and Lubavitch has not yet responded. The contractor filed documents in the Middlesex Registry of Deeds, including a copy of its suit, that could affect Lubavitch’s ability to borrow money using its property as collateral.
The complaint in the suit didn’t specify what the company did for Lubavitch, just that Sydney was hired as the “owner’s representative.” Joshua Sydney attended a Feb. 6, 2025 meeting of the Historical Commission on Lubavitch’s behalf, when the commission agreed with Lubavitch’s application to tear down one of the three buildings on site, according to a report in the Harvard Crimson. That demolition was part of the Jewish center’s previous expansion plan.
There is one more legal unknown relating to Lubavitch. The city and Lubavitch announced last June that they had settled the Lubavitch suit – the announcement came when the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a plan to quadruple the indoor space of the center after rejecting a much smaller expansion the previous year. Shortly afterward, the city revealed it was paying $540,000 to Lubavitch as part of the settlement.
Despite the agreement, the case goes on in federal court in Boston, with a status hearing scheduled in June. Asked why, city spokesperson Jeremy Warnick said “the litigation has not yet been resolved.” He added that “due to the ongoing litigation we are unable to offer further information” or make the settlement agreement public. Previously, Warnick said the agreement wouldn’t be disclosed until Lubavitch receives a building permit for its expansion.
Warnick also said the Jan. 8 Historical Commission hearing was cancelled and no future hearings related to the Lubavitch demolition application would be held “per the advice of counsel, based on the application of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) to the current application.”
He declined to share anything else “due to the ongoing litigation.”
The federal law he cited bars communities from enacting land use rules that impose a “substantial burden” on a person or entity’s religious exercise unless the government has a “compelling interest” and adopts regulations that are the “least restrictive” option. The law also bars governments from treating religious uses differently from other uses.
It was the basis of Lubavitch’’s suit against the city and also impelled Cambridge to change zoning rules to give projects by religious organizations the same freedom from zoning restrictions that housing developers won when the city adopted its multi-family zoning ordinance allowing multi-family projects on any lot of 5,000 square feet or more in most city neighborhoods. Lubavitch had proposed the zoning changes after filing its suit.
Rabbi Hirshy Zarchi, who heads Lubavitch, didn’t respond to email messages asking what the organization intends to do and also seeking a response to the suit by Sydney Project Management. A lawyer for the contractor did not return an email message. Sydney Project Management’s telephone connects to an extension for Joshua Sydney, which says the mailbox is full.
There was no obvious sign of construction activity at Lubavitch’s Banks St. site on a recent visit. An awning that covers an outdoor dining area – cited by Lubavitch as a sign of its need for expansion because there isn’t enough indoor space to serve meals after religious services – is still up.
Lubavitch is a fast-growing worldwide movement that emphasizes outreach to Jews whether or not they are Orthodox. In the United States the group has a special focus on college students. Lubavitch of Cambridge is also known as Harvard Chabad because of its ties to Harvard University; Rabbi Zarchi is a Jewish chaplain at Harvard, though the organization is not part of the university.
The group serves meals after religious services. It has also assembled a network of associated programs, including five childcare centers, a Jewish elementary school, and activities for families such as support groups for new mothers.
Lubavitch established its center on Banks St in 1999. The quiet two-way street feeds into Mt. Auburn St. A neighborhood organization, the Kerry Corner Neighborhood Association, opposed the expansion, saying it would harm the neighborhood by increasing density and “intensity of use.” Lubavitch said opposition by neighbors and some zoning board members stemmed from anti-Semitism.
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