By COLlive reporter
Jewish people from the United States and the world were shocked last week to read about the court-ordered demolition of the newly-built, $1 million Chabad House Hospitality Center in Towson, Maryland.
The article, first posted on COLlive.com, has been widely shared by Jews from all walks of life, expressing their concern that such an unprecedented decision must be carried out within 30 days.
A Charidy campaign setup to support the ongoing legal efforts to stop the destruction, has raised over $100,000 from over 1,000 donors. The campaign page has over 20,000 visits.
Now, a group of Chabad Shluchim from Maryland and around the country have formed a task force to prevent the destruction. They will be launching a major effort to ensure the future of the Jewish life at Towson.
The group includes Maryland Rabbis Levi Druk, Velvel Gopin, Mendy Kaplan, Kushi Shusterman and Shalom Zirkind, joined by Rabbis Eli Rivkin and Dovid Eliezrie from California, and coordinated by Rabbi Motti Seligson.
Levi Rabinowitz, from Baltimore, who has vast experience in crisis management, will be providing professional direction to this effort.
The Task Force goals are to create a comprehensive strategy to prevent the destruction of the Chabad House Hospitality Center, directed by Shluchim Rabbi Mendy and Sheiny Rivkin.
VIDEO: Chabad Towson Crisis: The Story.
Video produced and filmed by Mendel Katz
You can help this effort by making a donation at charidy.com/chabadtowson
and please continue to give us updates. we have donated and are davening and want to know.
I am #26. I received what I consider a thoughtful response from Councilman Marks, which I will append at the bottom of my remarks. It is unfortunate that buy-in from the neighborhood was not obtained at the outset. That said, I believe that at this point in time the Councilman’s suggestion to move the building to another location is probably the best solution. That will still be less costly than demolishing it and then having to start over from scratch at a different location. I urge that funds be collected to move the building, if enough can be raised reasonably… Read more »
with all due respect to an exceptional lawyer,nat lewin is a constitutional lawyer and not necessarily the best person for this particular case. what’s needed here is clearly siyayta dishmaya and, b’derech hatevah, a HUGE ourcry and a lawyer who can figure out how to present this case to the best of chabad’s advantage! judges who really want to can find loopholes that facilitate the winning or losing of a case. we need to daven that the plaintiffs against this chabad house lose their case hands down and don’t drag it on and on… write this situation in your P”N… Read more »
A simple permits does not override a real property covenant.
Local zoning board has not duty to do due diligence on title.
Town is not complicit.
The only person with unclean hands was Chabad in thinking they can get away with it , and the penalty for the illegal act would be les than the gains.
Nevertheless, I would like to see a GoFundMe campaign to move house.
#17 @ # 25 1) Building Permits Do Not Override Covenants 2) Town is not complicit since it was not on notice of real property covenant when permits issued, nor did it have a duty to do a title search 3) The actual notice just after only excavation (July 27, 2016) and the title report exception (2008) make Chabad a willful violator aka “unclean hands” legal doctrine in equity. “Despite receiving actual notice of the restrictive covenants in 2008 and again in July 2016, Rabbi Rivkin testified that FOL decided to “go ahead and build” anyway and to proceed “aggressively.”… Read more »
Not an issue on the town? They approved the building and all of the renovations and additions.
To 17 and 25, it’s true that he knew, but if they anyway gave all of the necessary permits then that should override this covenant. At the very least it should mitigate this since the town is also complicit.
Never mind imputing intentions to the neighbor, concentrate on helping the Chabad House. Donate to the campaign. FWIW, I wrote to the council member asking him to influence the court to allow to move the building back to the required setback, instead of demolishing it.
Anyone following this case should read the report from #17 Judges follow rules. Chabad does great work but in this case they knowingly ignored the rule and hoped for the best. The judge did not give Chabad 30 day notice. They had years notice and lost an appeal. Its time that we stop crying Antisemitism each time we break the the law and get in trouble. Save it for the important things. See the following articles. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/towson/ph-tt-chabadruling-0419-20170418-story.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/towson/ph-tt-towson-goucher-chabad-1105-20161114-story.html
The neighbor has been refusing a settlement of any kind no matter how large – she wants the building destroyed
Ms. Hackner (if that’s your real name), thank you for your views. I know you are considered as we all are but I am with the “this isn’t anti-Semitism” views this time. It’s a legal issue and the neighbors do have the right to protest the building. Seems like the shaliach might not have looked at all of the fine print either. Either way, I wish him hatzlacha.
The real triumph will be when Maryland gives the building to the Muslims and they open a Chabad House for yidden. Don’t roll your eyes. The day is approaching…
A desgrace , another case of pure anti semitism, probably be given to the Muslims. Shame on Merryland.
If the neighbor will take 50K and drop suit why not go that route and pay lawyer 15K and put it to sleep. Use the rest for Chabad house 🙂
Nat Lewin had his day. He handled 5 Teves and the Menorah issue.
With the Rubashkin case, he’s proved himself to not be the lawyer that he used to be.
Let’s get a good lawyer on this instead of a famous lawyer.
I don’t really understand the problem here. In crown Hieghts on crown street between Brooklyn and New York ave is a non finished home. The construction was stopped because of neighbors complaints. On eastern parkway and Kingston is the same. On Troy and Carroll is an empty lot. This morning s in the center of crown heights. Why. The neighbors are fighting the construction. When a local school wanted to expand who complained the neighbors. Yes you are not living there. There are neighbors and they have rights too. A community in Long Island wanted to build a Mikveh. The… Read more »
It sounds like you are making an assumption about the neighbor situation. did it ever occur to you that perhaps they are just simply anti semitic? and if they are Jewish, they are the worst kind of anti semites.
https://www.mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/unreported-opinions/0372s17.pdf This is a legal question dealing with real property law. 1) Court ruled Rabbi had actual knowledge of a front yard setback from 2008 title report and from notice from neighbor when he decided to build after excavation. 2) Rabbi wanted to build a community center with synagogue, which is more than just a Chabad house, and zoning did not allow for community center. 3) As a Jew, I would not want an out of context Church, blocking my aesthetic views, with high volume traffic next door to my house in a residential neighborhood, especially if the zoning does… Read more »
Cities and towns rarely tear down construction, even when within their rights, instead finding equitable solutions short of destruction. This neighbor is being implacable, unfair, and is refusing even excessive financial remediation. There is a solution!
Towson can move to take the neighbor’s house by eminent domain, to provide for the public good – the Chabad House and services it provides, while extinguishing the apparent anti-Semitic stench brought over the people of Towson. I suspect, instead of that route, the neighbor would agree to remediation quite quickly!
look into the case, it’s basically because the neighbors are upset at the Chabad house… the main plaintiff is the neighbor on the left “Robin Zoll”
these legal things are the chitzonius the real problem is that the neighbors aren’t happy with the Jewish activities, what can be done to reach out to them? Maybe they are Jewish? Teach Sheva Mitzvos?
This legal battle isn’t good for anyone, it’s like the neighbors are going against their own self interests just to hurt yidden…
What about Rubaskins lawyer from LA, Gary Apfel? He should be contacted.
i mentioned the same thing in the other article.
Its called RLUPA and a number of Shuls (not just chabad) have won lawsuits based on this law.
I’m sure though Rabbi Rivkin explored this avenue
But we need some big names in the legal field…
What can I do?
Maybe it’s possible to use the same approach in DC offices used by Rabbi Dov Drizin in NJ, to protect religious rights. Though a different scenario, the underlying intentions are similar, to cause problems to a Jewish house of worship…
hey teves is coming soon!! it will be a complete victory!
if you are looking for something else to do the website had information to email a council man. I did just that!
kol hakavod to all those invloved
heard people talking about this story on shabbos but was not fully aware of the extent and details. THANK YOU COL FOR KEEPING US INFORMED
I still cannot believe that such crazy things are happening in our times. I firmly believe that the only way we can withstand is TOGETHER – like they say in the video kol yisroel areivim zeh lozeh
Read that campaign. That is what they’re raising money for, to pay legal fees for him to fight the case.
So wonderful to see so much achdus
Shluchim helping shluchim!
Am Yisroel chai!!
I heard that he may be taking the case – is this true?
Thank you for the update may we hear revealed good news soon!