Kiryas Joel, NY – Residents who sued to dissolve the village last year, claiming widespread discrimination against dissident community members, filed an appeal last week challenging a court ruling in November that struck down all but one of their claims.
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A group of parties brought the case in federal court last year to argue that religious and public roles are so entangled in the Satmar Hasidic community that it amounts to an unconstitutional establishment of religion.
Attorneys for the village and main congregation called the case a hodgepodge of old grievances that had already been tried and dismissed in state courts — hardly proof of “pervasive discrimination,” as the plaintiffs alleged .
U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff largely sided with the defendants. Rather than press the one claim he allowed to stand, dissidents have brought their full complaint to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
That’s a real Kvod Shomayim! Going to secular court to settle a machlokes of sinas chinom.
they have their own shul, schools, and would live in peace if they weren’t so vindictive! the money they spend on these lawsuits could be distributed to people who have no bread to put on the table. btw, amongst their own group.
This, my dear friends, is much, much worse than benign sinas chinom. This is an active campaign to severely hurt and damage those that lead the holy congregation and community of Kiryas Yoel, possibly the only city in the world that was designed from its very formulation and inception, including its homes, roadways, pathways, and sewers, as a Torah observant community. Ordinarily, if one is unhappy where one lives, he or she can pick themselves up and move to anywhere else they may possibly wish. This is America and there is a whole goaning smorgasboard of observant communities both here as well as in Canada or even Mexico that would eagerly welcome them. Literally, the so-called dissidents wage war on every ioata possible, including synagogues, simcha halls, and cemetry space. After 120 years, each and every one of them will have to explain their dirty dastardly actions to the Supreme Judge. May Heaven have mercy on their blemished souls. Teshuva is never premature and accepted at all times.
“Kiryas Yoel, possibly the only city in the world that was designed from its very formulation and inception, including its homes, roadways, pathways, and sewers, as a Torah observant community.”
And meanwhile, NY taxpayers bay a bundle in taxes so this community can lead a Torah observant lifestyle. The rest of us have to work for a living, pay taxes and contribute to society. There is more federal funding in KJ than in Kentucky!