Hasidic Yeshiva Sues NYC In Federal Court Over Wedding Ban

Brooklyn yeshiva Imrei Chaim Viznitz sues city for 'unfair crackdown' on weddings at school.

Brooklyn yeshiva Imrei Chaim Viznitz sues city for 'unfair crackdown' on weddings at school
By Scott Shifrel • NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A Brooklyn yeshiva says in a new federal lawsuit that a recent city crackdown on weddings at the Jewish school is just not kosher.

Yeshiva Imrei Chaim Viznitz in Borough Park has been able to hold weddings at its assembly hall since the 1990s.

But two years ago, the Buildings Department decided that it needed to approve the more than 150 weddings held there annually on a case-by-case basis, according to the suit in Manhattan Federal Court.

And now, the city says the yeshiva should not be hosting commercial events at all in a residential area.

"We get inspectors there at least once a week interrupting religious services," said the yeshiva's lawyer, Stuart Klein. "We just can't deal with this anymore. It's starting to affect our business."

The yeshiva, which has more than 600 students at its 53rd St. building, says that the city has allowed other religious institutions to maintain halls without all the inspections.

"We are being subjected to a different standard than everyone else," Klein said.

City lawyers have yet to see the lawsuit, said a law department spokeswoman. The yeshiva lost a similar case in state court.

If I remember this story correctly, hasidic neighbors complained to the city about noise and trash on a near nightly basis. Unfortunately, I can't find the post, which would be a year or more old.

[Hat Tip: Seymour.]

Comments

[Menachem Mendel lll]

"Biblical arch enemy of the Jewish people and the paradigm for all future enemies of the Jewish people and antisemites."

-Nathan Lewin ESQ.

[seymour]

the suite was originated by so frum neighbors

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

"If I remember this story correctly, hasidic neighbors complained to the city about noise and trash on a near nightly basis. Unfortunately, I can't find the post, which would be a year or more old."

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2009/08/annals-of-neighborly-relationsillegal-hasidic-wedding-hall-riles-neighbors-123.html

Not sure if this is the same hall, but noise and blocking driveways of neighboring homes will cause residents to complain about zoning violations.

[harold]

Does that mean that they will be closing down Ateres Chaya and Ateres Chinka? These are major wedding halls in Brooklyn.

Ateres Chaya, like Viznitz is in Boro Park and Ateres Chinka is in Flatbush. The city will run into stiff opposition if they begin to close down most of the major frum wedding venues.

[Jason]

There's always the Tombs. I hear they throw a mean Hasidic affair there.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

An earlier story may not have been posted to this site, and is no longer on WNYW-TV's servers. However the video can be linked to through here:
http://www.vosizneias.com/28666/2009/03/10/borough-park-ny-fox-5-investigate-
vishnitz-wedding-hall-a-quality-of-life-issues/

[shmuel]

No complaints emanate from the neighbors of Atarot Chinka and Chaya, so they're unlikely to be closed.

[Zalman Alpert]

I have charedi friends who live close to this site and they go crazy at night from the noise the hall makes. Chassidim need to know that you just can't open a shul wherever and you jsut can't open a social hall wherever . Halacha has strict regualtions about "gezel sheinoh," being deprived of sleep. halacha too believes in living in a civil manner.Children babies , mothers and all others have a right to sleep !
Most chasidim have long forgotten many of the basic rules of modern day society like social nicieties greetings, like please , thank you, most do not beleive in lines ins tores, most believe they do not need to obey traffic regualtions and should be immune to ticketing.many believe that rules about driving with cell phones, littering, selling stuff wherever do not apply to them Certainly parking in another person's driveway is not a sin.Opening the door for another person why should I ?
So what is a sin, well wearing a watch on Sabbath, not believing in customs like kapporath with chickens, not wearing a gartel.Try walking into a BP shtibel without a black hat, !
Frankly they have thrown the whole section of Torah law Bein adam lechaveiro out the window !

[David]

Posted by: Zalman Alpert | August 10, 2010 at 04:03 PM

Well summarised.

What is it about Charedim that they simply won't follow the laws of civilised society?

These behaviours are breeding enormous amounts of as yet - mainly hidden - antisemitism but one day the Charedim will go that one step too far and it will explode.

[Catcher50]

I think that the one question that hasn't been asked is who got there first. Most of you know that I seldom have any sympathy for the Haredim (especially since I'm Jewish and they belong to a cult that broke away from the Jewish religion), but...

My experience is that it is not unusual for people to move into a neighborhood containing a Synagogue or other facility that hosts, often noisy, events. At some point, they get fed up with the noise and they begin to complain about the Shul (or whatever). It's the fault of the neighbors, who should have taken a better look at the neighborhood, before they moved in.

BTW, this is first hand knowledge, on my part, and I will be happy to explain if asked.

[Jason]

Catcher, there is something to the concept of "coming to a nuisance," but if the event hall is violating the law by operating, it shouldn't matter who was there first.

What would you say, for example, if I checked out the neighborhood dozens of times, but never on a night when there was a wedding? Did I still not do enough diligence?