An eiruv in Woodbury, New York. A Bais Yaakov in Nanuet, New York. A Chabad house in Towson, Maryland. Without doubt, America’s Orthodox community is growing. But along with that growth and expansion come uncomfortable and sometimes significant growing pains. In these three small communities, local Jews are fighting locals for recognition.
Yehuda Buchweitz is a partner at the prestigious law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and has an impressive list of legal achievements to his credit. But he is also known as the heroic legal defender of eiruvin in the New York–New Jersey area. And, he says, he has never lost a case.
His latest job is representing the Rockland Eruv Association against the Village of Woodbury, where the mayor has proposed a law that would “regulate” the use of eiruvin.
According to the local Times Herald-Record, Mayor Michael Queenan insists that “the law is meant to set rules and a degree of uniformity for eiruvs as they become more common, and to address any potential safety concerns.” He adds that homeowners are likewise required to obtain permits for sheds, decks, and fences. He insists there is no desire to interfere with anyone’s religious rights.
