San Diego City Councilman Ralph Inzunza, accepting an award from the United
Jewish Federation for his role in securing the proper zoning for a Hillel
House across the street from UCSD, disclosed that friends of another Jewish
institution have approached him for help in a land-use dispute.

During UJF's annual meeting on June 12, Inzunza erroneously identified that
congregation at "Temple Beth El,"  but subsequently corrected himself to say
that it was Congregation Adat Yeshurun.

The problem, as explained by Inzunza and La Jolla residents, concerns the
reluctance of congregants to use the synagogue¹s parking lot at 8625 La
Jolla Scenic Drive North because of the Orthodox prohibition against driving
on the Shabbat.

Because many congregants live beyond walking distance to the congregation,
they drive their cars anyway, but to avoid embarrassment they park in the
neighborhood and then walk to the shul.

The synagogue, aware of neighbors' concerns, has posted on its Web site a
plea to its congregants not to park on nearby residential streets during
"shul events." Instructions particularly stress that congregants should not
park on Nottingham Place or on Kilbourne.

Additionally the synagogue has urged its congregants to refrain from parking
on the portion of La Jolla Scenic Drive North that is south of the
synagogue.

"This could potentially inconvenience you, but compliance with this policy
is paramount," a notice on the Adat Yeshurun Web site states. "This includes
all of our shul members and any guests who wish to attend our services or
functions."

There had been some complaints to the city during Rosh HaShanah and Yom
Kippur from neighbors who pointed out that Congregation Adat Yeshurun had
been required to provide a parking lot as a condition for its construction
permit. "What was the point of such a parking lot if people didn't use it?"
some neighbors inquired of 1st District Councilman Scott Peters, who
represents the La Jolla area.

Similar complaints triggered inquiries by the city's Code Compliance Office,
site visitations and meetings among representatives of the congregation and
the neighbors. An entrance gate that had been closed on Shabbats in front of
Congregation Adat Yeshurun's parking lot has been left open, though almost
all congregants prefer to walk rather than drive through it.

Joe Ross, a field representative for Councilman Peters, said up to the point
Inzunza had broached the subject at the UJF meeting, he was under the
impression that the problem was well on the way to being solved by the
neighbors in direct conversations with the congregation.

Rabbi Jeffrey Wohlgelernter, the congregation's spiritual leader, said he
was under a similar impression. "We are in the process of dealing with this
in the appropriate way with the city, and we are certain we will be able to
come to an amicable conclusion," he told Heritage.

Ross said the congregation itself is not violating any law, and that if
congregants choose to avail themselves of legal street parking, the city has
no reason to interfere. Eventually, he said, La Jolla will need to
promulgate an overall parking plan to take into account its growth both in
population and as a destination for visitors.

Inzunza did not identify the parties who asked him to help Congregation Adat
Yeshurun, but he said that as far as he was concerned, people must respect
the religious diversity of the city. If for religious reasons people feel
uncomfortable using the parking lot, he said, the city should not try to
prohibit them from using legal parking spaces on the street.

Inzunza represents the 8th City Council District in the southern part of the
City of San Diego, including San Ysidro, where he grew up. After Peters
indicated his opposition to construction of the Hillel House across the
street from the UCSD campus, proponents of the project asked Inzunza for his
help.