Oak Park, MI – In an historic vote, members of the Oak Park City Council voted Monday night to allow the sales of beer and wine by the glass in local restaurants and taverns.
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The DETROIT FREE PRESS (http://on.freep.com/149NCBM) reports that the vote ended over six decades of ongoing debate, and is being championed by many public officials as a major step towards “revitalizing” its slumping business community.
Zeena Attisha, local restaurant owner and founder of Citizens for a Strong Oak Park, an organization that actively supported the bill, said, “I am very proud of this council, proud of this mayor,” after the vote was announced.
The 3-1 vote, however, was not met with cheers by everyone in attendance, as members of Oak Park’s Orthodox community stared straight ahead in silence while the rest of the room clapped.
“What they just did was horrible,” said Aaron Tobin, a 52 year-old Orthodox Jew who is currently running for city council.
Tobin said that “if elected” he will work to repeal the change.
Can someone enlighten me what’s the big deal?
What differences does this make to the frum Yidden.
Why are Jews opposed?
Why are they against it?
Nothing wrong with a glass of wine with dinner. Stop imposing your values on everyone else.
Why do yidden care?
? are Oak Park Jews influenced by Muslims, Mormons, or Baptists? Judaism allows alcohol – i don’t understand the problem
That seems strange. Why should “orthodox” Jews oppose the sale of wine and beer in restaurants? Something is not right with this article. The Southern Baptists used to oppose liquor by the drink in the south, but after many years, the policies were reversed,which helped local business.
Why are the orthodox jews getting involved in this particular issue?
Can someone please explain why the measure has upset the orthodox community?
I’m sorry, but what’s the problem?
whats the problem selling liquor?
There must be something missing in the story; what is our interest in preventing patrons from having a glass of beer or wine at a non-kosher restaurant?
wjhat exactly is the issue here? Jerusalem Pizza doesnt want to sell wine by the glass they dont have to…
Can someone explain what their objection is ?
Whats with the erhrliche yidden of Oak Park?? Is there some new chumrah against wine and schnaps? I guess they’ve never had a Kiddush club at the local shul.
Why the opposition? As far as I know wine and beer have always been sold by the glass (since prohibition), in most cities.
I’ll drink to that.
Why should their religious beliefs trump everyone else’s freedoms?
What does selling wine in glasses have to do with orthodox Jews?
What is their problem? Why are they mixing into this, and why does it bother them?
21 comments yet no ones the answer make that 22
by reading the original free press article, apparently theres concern about this law opening immodest franchises in our neighborhood. theres a petition to put this law to ballot.
Too bad VIN doesnt post the whole story as we are all sure there’s more!
while it seems like a non-issue to most of us, the news coverage makes it sound like the Orthodox Jewish population has banned the serving of beer or wine, when it was the city of Oak Park that made that decision back in the 1940’s. The more conservation population doesn’t want people coming to town to drink and drive.
Checked online. Seems like they want it to stay a town where people dont get drunk. It was voted into law by the people in 1945 and was reaffirmed 4-5 times by popular vote. Most recently in 2005. This time no vote was put forward to the people as it should have been, rather the council voted on their own. They are also worried that the next step will be topless bars and since it is a family community they want it to stay clean. In the 2010 census the community was more than 50% black so its not like there are a majority of jews forcing any religiousness, its a community trying to keep clean.
Here’s your answer:
“But resident Aaronn Tobin, who is running as a first-time candidate for the City Council in November, complained city officials should have put the issue to a citywide vote.”
I live near Oak Park, historically it has been a “bedroom” community with very few small businesses and restaurants. It has always been a “dry” city. Oak Parkers just visit restaurants in nearby communities like Southfield if they want to enjoy fine dining.
I have no idea why frum Jews would be opposed to non-kosher or even kosher restaurants (if any nice kosher restaurants even existed here) serving alcohol, especially since no one in Southfield, Farmington, Birmingham or any neighboring communities have the slightest problem with it.
As I stated in a better article. “The democratic process has been obliterated,”. THIS is the issue. The people of Oak Park should have been able to vote on this important issue that changes the atmosphere and laws in their city. We were denied that basic American right. One media source wanted to make an issue of Orthodox Jews vs them. This is not the issue. Many Black Church group are very much opposed to this change too. Most residents, Jewish or not are opposed to this , and they have voted against this three times in the past. Also, the quote in an article where is says that when elected that I would fight against this is out of context. What I said was “If elected, I would fight against this, if that’s what the people wanted.
Fox2 News, and other outlets never even mention that I was an Orthodox Jew, as is the correct way to cover this story.
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/22850521/long-dry-oak-park-eateries-can-sell-beer-wine
http://www.dailytribune.com/article/20130716/NEWS01/130719655/oak-park-lifts-alcohol-prohibition-at-restaurants#full_story
-Aaron Tobin http://www.votefortobin.com
This story is nonsense, Orthodox Jews did not object to this at all. Aaron Tobin and a couple kids who follow him around objected to it. He does have good reason to object to it, because the politicians went against the will of the people (they voted against it for some reason). Furthermore this measure only allows a few restaurants to sell alcohol (I guess making donations to the mayor helps) and none of them are Kosher.
P.S. Jerusalem Pizza is in Southfield, not Oak Park.
This sounds like an attempt to make this an ‘Orthodox Jews are Puritans and hurting small businesses’ when it seems like it is really about lack of due process and democracy. yasher koach to the candidate. Good luck.