Manhattan, NY – he Great Sukkah Controversy in TriBeCa has been amicably settled in time for the Jewish holidays, with a new location found nearby for the sukkah and an offer by opponents of its placement in a park to cover the costs of staffing.
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Chabad of TriBeCa had originally asked the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation if it could place a sukkah — a ritual hut used for the eight-day Jewish harvest holiday of Sukkot that begins the evening of Oct. 12 — in Duane Park, a small triangular traffic-island of a park with a single walkway.
Several members of the TriBeCa committee of the local community board, Community Board 1, objected to the move, arguing that it was too small a park and that a sukkah might violate First Amendment strictures against the establishment of religion. The Friends of Duane Park, a group of local advocates, also opposed the sukkah, partly because they were planning a fund-raising tour of nearby lofts that required the park as a starting point.
The issue was scheduled to be voted on by the full membership of Community Board 1 on Tuesday night. But over the weekend and on Monday, the board’s chairwoman, Julie Menin, scoured the neighborhood and found a real estate company, B. Jaffe Real Estate, willing to offer an empty lot at 70 Warren Street near Church Street as the location for the sukkah. The lot is twice the size of Duane Park.
The owner agreed to remove cars and other materials stored on the lot, but insisted that Chabad have insurance, a place for bathrooms, weekend staffing and restrict visiting hours to 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The head of the local Chabad, Rabbi Zalman Paris, who was surprised by the controversy since Chabad has put up sukkahs in other parks, appreciates the new offer.
Charles Karp, who manages several buildings in the area for Jaffe Real Estate, said he offered the lot because “I’m trying to be a good neighbor.”
This is a most generous and sensible offer by Mr. Karp and the Jaffee Real estate firm. From all points of view, it is preferable that the Sukka is being built on private rather than public land. Hopefully the Chabad representatives will comply with all the reasonable requirements enumerated by the R.E. firm.
that’s even better than the park
That park in question is a tiny little thing. Years ago it was surrounded by cheese and egg distributers including Millers and I think World Cheese (Thurm). I’m sure the park is better these days,but what harm can a succah do?
I am still waiting for someone to show me chapter & verse where this is a first amendment issue? I love how the liberals loath the constitution EXCEPT when they need it & then they are wrong!
I don’t understand the requirement which states “a place for bathrooms”. Seriously, does Mr. Karp require that the Tribeca Chabad bring in portable toilets?
Weird how people get upset when their tiny patch of public space is taken over for almost two weeks by a private group representing one particular religion.