עס האט זיך אנטוויקעלט א קאמף אין טאון אוו בלומינג גראוו, ווי די טאון באורד אין פלענינג באורד זענען שוין לאנג טרויעריג בארימט מיט א שטארקע האס צו אידן, אין יעצט טיילן זיי שרעקליכע צרות פאר א נייע אידישע שאפינג מאל מיט א גראסערי וואס דארף זיך דארט עפענען.
"אבינו מלכינו, בטל מעלינו כל גזירות קשות ורעות".
"אבינו מלכינו, בטל מעלינו כל גזירות קשות ורעות".
October 11, 2005
Anti-Semitism charged
Hasidic businesses' lawyer files notice of suit with town
By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com
Blooming Grove – A lawyer for two Hasidic businesses involved in a construction dispute with the town has filed papers suggesting anti-Semitism is to blame, prompting an angry denial by the town supervisor.
A notice warning the town of an impending lawsuit implies that officials stopped work on a commercial building and denied a request to modify the plans last month because the builders were "Hasidic Jews whose outward appearance evidences their religious orientation."
Elsewhere, the notice mentions comments by Planning Board members that "were made in an effort to stop completion of the building on the premises that will be used by persons of the Jewish faith."
The insinuation of anti-Semitism has infuriated Supervisor Charles Bohan, who accuses the builders' lawyer of weaving an unsubstantiated and inflammatory charge into what was otherwise a routine construction disagreement.
"It's insulting, and it's a cop-out for a violation of our building codes," he said.
Dennis Lynch, the builders' Nyack lawyer, said Blooming Grove officials acted unduly harshly toward his clients, although he offered no evidence supporting his claim of bias.
"There's no question that they were treated differently," he said. "But I'm not going to try this case in the press. I'll let a jury decide that."
Some recent disputes have prompted cries of bias against Hasidim, along with furious denials. Bohan himself courted controversy last year by calling Kiryas Joel a "parasite community." But he's not mentioned in the notice of claim, which is directed against the Planning Board and building inspector.
The building in question is a two-story structure on Route 17M, across from Museum Village. Nearly completed, it has places for five stores on the first floor and a second story that was supposed to hold offices and storage space but now is intended to be a kosher market.
Building Inspector Jeanne Ovensen says she ordered work stopped on Sept. 22 because the builders had failed to put windows on the second floor, as shown in the approved plans.
Less than a week later, the builders came before the Planning Board to request changes to their plans but were denied.
"Immediately, we're met with extreme hostility," recalled Lynch, who filed the notice of claim five days later, on Oct. 3.
Ovensen denies any discrimination. Planning Board Chairman Ralph Maffei couldn't be reached for comment.
The builders have continued construction in spite of Ovensen's order. Lynch says they can do so because he appealed the order to the Town Board, which Bohan denies.
Bohan, meanwhile, has asked the town attorney to send a complaint about Lynch to the state Bar Association.
"If this is the way we're going to have to look at every building application that comes in from somebody from Kiryas Joel, then guess what?" he said. "The war is on."
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/10/11/lawsuit1.htm
Anti-Semitism charged
Hasidic businesses' lawyer files notice of suit with town
By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com
Blooming Grove – A lawyer for two Hasidic businesses involved in a construction dispute with the town has filed papers suggesting anti-Semitism is to blame, prompting an angry denial by the town supervisor.
A notice warning the town of an impending lawsuit implies that officials stopped work on a commercial building and denied a request to modify the plans last month because the builders were "Hasidic Jews whose outward appearance evidences their religious orientation."
Elsewhere, the notice mentions comments by Planning Board members that "were made in an effort to stop completion of the building on the premises that will be used by persons of the Jewish faith."
The insinuation of anti-Semitism has infuriated Supervisor Charles Bohan, who accuses the builders' lawyer of weaving an unsubstantiated and inflammatory charge into what was otherwise a routine construction disagreement.
"It's insulting, and it's a cop-out for a violation of our building codes," he said.
Dennis Lynch, the builders' Nyack lawyer, said Blooming Grove officials acted unduly harshly toward his clients, although he offered no evidence supporting his claim of bias.
"There's no question that they were treated differently," he said. "But I'm not going to try this case in the press. I'll let a jury decide that."
Some recent disputes have prompted cries of bias against Hasidim, along with furious denials. Bohan himself courted controversy last year by calling Kiryas Joel a "parasite community." But he's not mentioned in the notice of claim, which is directed against the Planning Board and building inspector.
The building in question is a two-story structure on Route 17M, across from Museum Village. Nearly completed, it has places for five stores on the first floor and a second story that was supposed to hold offices and storage space but now is intended to be a kosher market.
Building Inspector Jeanne Ovensen says she ordered work stopped on Sept. 22 because the builders had failed to put windows on the second floor, as shown in the approved plans.
Less than a week later, the builders came before the Planning Board to request changes to their plans but were denied.
"Immediately, we're met with extreme hostility," recalled Lynch, who filed the notice of claim five days later, on Oct. 3.
Ovensen denies any discrimination. Planning Board Chairman Ralph Maffei couldn't be reached for comment.
The builders have continued construction in spite of Ovensen's order. Lynch says they can do so because he appealed the order to the Town Board, which Bohan denies.
Bohan, meanwhile, has asked the town attorney to send a complaint about Lynch to the state Bar Association.
"If this is the way we're going to have to look at every building application that comes in from somebody from Kiryas Joel, then guess what?" he said. "The war is on."
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/10/11/lawsuit1.htm