As previously reported here on FAA News, on Tuesday night, the Jackson Township Council voted to formally settle a lawsuit filed in 2017 by Agudath Israel which claimed that the Council had deliberately passed zoning regulations making it impossible for Orthodox Jews to build schools and dormitories and eruvs. This violated RLUIPA, a federal law that prohibits local municipalities from imposing or implementing overly restrictive zoning and other land use regulations that significantly affect the free religious exercise of a person, assembly, or institution.
Following the Council meeting, Agudath Israel released a statement which states:
Agudath Israel and the Council have now finalized an agreement which allows for schools and dormitories to be built without disrupting the character of suburban life in Jackson. Moreover, the Council will pass ordinances that will allow every neighborhood to have a house of worship, eruv, and mikva. These had been previously prohibited by the Township.
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This "agreement which allows for schools and dormitories to be built without disrupting the character of suburban life in Jackson" has not yet been publicized.
Likely, the residents who filed a lawsuit to try to overturn Bais Yaakov of Jackson's Planning Board approval are quite skeptical if Agudath Israel's settlement will indeed "allow for schools and dormitories to be built without disrupting the character of suburban life in Jackson."
More importantly, it appears that Rabbi Avi Schnall, Director of Agudath Israel’s New Jersey Office, has forgotten - or is hoping that we will forget - which Mayor signed the anti-semitic ordinances into law!
The press release states:
Significantly, none of the current council members sat on the Council when it was originally sued. Agudath Israel’s New Jersey Office is very grateful to the current council members for their willingness to work together with the community in reaching this favorable result. Agudath Israel is also grateful to Mayor Mike Reina, a longtime partner and friend of the Jackson community, for his support.
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Hm.. actually Mayor Reina just so happens to be the guy who signed these very same anti-semitic ordinances into law. In fact, this point was highlighted by Agudath Israel in their court filings.
Seems that now, Rabbi Schnall is hoping that we will all forget that uncomfortable point and just say that Reina is a "longtime partner and friend of the Jackson community."
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