A longtime Chassidish beis medrash in Monsey is being demolished as the kehillah prepares to construct a significantly larger building to accommodate its growing number of mispallelim.

Video from the site shows heavy machinery tearing down the existing structure as work gets underway on the new project.

According to information accompanying the footage, the decision to replace the existing beis medrash was driven by increasing overcrowding, with the current building no longer large enough to comfortably accommodate the growing kehillah.

The demolition marks the first visible stage of the construction project, which will replace the existing structure with a new and more spacious beis medrash.

The project comes amid continued expansion of Monsey's Orthodox and Chassidish communities, which has prompted numerous local mosdos to expand their facilities in recent years.

Several major Monsey kehillos have undertaken substantial building projects. Breslov Chassidim in Monsey, for example, demolished an older beis medrash after it became too small for hundreds of mispallelim and subsequently held a cornerstone ceremony for a larger complex. Earlier this year, Belz also announced a roughly $20 million new educational building project in Monsey.

The newly planned beis medrash in the latest project is expected to provide additional space for the kehillah as its membership continues to grow.