Toms River shul's day in court notches a zoning wars victory
he Bais Brucha shul in Toms River, New Jersey, won a big victory last Friday in its three-year legal battle with the township. A federal judge ruled in the congregation’s favor in its lawsuit against Toms River, finding that the township had conducted a discriminatory campaign to hinder the growth of the local Orthodox Jewish community.
The court victory clears the way for Bais Brucha’s plans to build a 4,680-square foot shul in the North Dover section of Toms River that will accommodate its growing membership.
“Our clients are deeply grateful that the court has affirmed the fundamental principle that places of worship must not face unjust and discriminatory exclusion from any municipality,” said Bais Brucha attorney Roman P. Storzer. “We remain committed to defending our clients’ rights to live, learn and worship as freely as any other citizen.”
The shul, led by Rav Mordechai Sekula, initially applied for a zoning permit on the property more than three years ago. The Toms River township denied the application in January 2021, based on zoning laws then in effect that forbade construction of houses of worship in the area where the Bais Brucha property is located.
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