Suit Fights Plan for Jewish Center in Place of Ghetto-Era Building

The Jewish community of Warsaw is advancing plans to demolish one of its historical, ghetto-era buildings in favor of new offices that would replace the White House on Twarda Street with a 20-story building.

A new center could accommodate more members during celebrations and on weekends for the community, which has tripled in size since the fall of Communism, according to the Associated Press.

But the Association of Protectors of Warsaw's Cultural Heritage has filed a petition to the Cultural Ministry asking that the building – one of the few that survived the German onslaught on the old Warsaw Ghetto -- be declared a historical site. The ministry is expected to decide on the issue in the coming months.

"An opinion that I can't agree with is that the building is more important than the future of the community," Andrzej Zozula, vice president of the Jewish community, told AP.

Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich also supports the plan to replace the building with a modern structure.

The white building reportedly is in a clear state of decay. Though it has a cellar that dates back more than two centuries, most of the building is about 130 years old and has undergone major transformations since.