Toms River, NJ – Over 1,200 local residents attended a packed hearing Thursday night in Toms River to voice their opinions over a controversial Chabad Jewish Center that is being run by an Orthodox Jewish rabbi out of his private residence home on Church Road.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
APP.com (http://on.app.com/1NtC3cJ) reports that Rabbi Moshe Gourarie argued that his Jewish Center—which he claims draws only 15 to 20 people weekly to Sabbath—is legal in its current residential zone, but opponents of the center believe Gourarie is in violation of a 2009 township zoning ordinance revision which banned churches in the residential zone in which his property is located.
After a four-hour, sometimes contentious hearing, zoning board members rejected Gourarie’s case and said that he must file an application requesting a variance from the Board of Adjustment in order to continue running his center.
Over 5,000 local residents have already signed a petition opposing Gourarie’s application.
Opponents openly questioned Gourarie’s claim that he had no intention of expanding the size of his congregation at his 7-acre lot, with most citing the property’s proximity to nearby Lakewood and its large Orthodox Jewish population as reasons for concern.
Maybe a Beis Medrash doesn’t belong on “Church” Road So he should sell the property and buy someplace else he might have more mazel.
Mr Joe Field … No comments ?????
When Chabad and Litfaks meet!!
Toms River Bund Party
Brown shirts
The guy has 7 acres, and has 15 people over for sabbath meals.
What a joke you are toms river, a national disgrace
FOLLOW the simple laws people!!! How hard is it? I know of one shul which was in a residential neighborhood… It was not zoned for a shul. They have huge crowds all the time… and it is a massive building. Parking during the week is a mess. They were told to stop the construction/expansion. They didn’t. Huge huge mess. Then the shul claims “anti-Semitism”. UM>>>> NO commercial or religious institutions were allowed in that area. They did it without permits and then when stopped because it is illegal how is it anti-Semitism???
beautiful kiddish hashem !!
If I live on that street in Tom’s Cabin and invite every weekend 25 a 30 of my pals toy home to play poker or to party until 3AM do I need a zoning variance? The answer is No! Well, in the same way I can invite my buddies even all Jewish to my home where we can chose to meditate or pray out loud. As long as I don’t put I a large or even small sign outside to affect the look of the neighborhood, I did not violate the zoning laws. The rabbi should insist the people come to play dreidel but then some begin praying that they win, and there is nothing to stop them. Let the Tom Cabin neighbors that oppose the rabbi scream UNCLE but keep the dreidel game going. …checks Shomer Shabbos we have a receipt book….. Thank you for listening.
There’s a Federal law which allows houses of worship in all residential areas as long as the buildings are up to local code. There is no way that town can stop him. A school is not protected in the same way.
Sadly, it will only be after these arrogant yidden suffer some horrible encounter with their neighbors that they will realize that you have to obey the law and don’t impose yourself where you are not wanted. At that time of suffering, it will be too late to say “we told you so”. We’ve seen this movie before and it will end badly.
growing up in lakewood my father always made fun of chabad. however now that im a grown man myself i have nothing but good to say about chabad. they have helped me numerous times throughout my business travels. recently i have had tremendous hatzlochoh in my parnasa and i secretly donate to chabad.
I can’t believe that you guys don’t see the anti semitism here. Including from self hating Jews that are Orthophobic. He’s on 7 acres. Presumably he has plenty of room that he doesn’t need to disturb neighbors. But if neighbors don’t like him, I can understand that there is minimal inconvenience of those who may have parked on main road etc. but 5,000 people sign petition against shul?! Seriously?! How are their lives adversely affected by Rabbi’s minyan? (Or could it be a reform/conservative led effort based on turf and they are happy to have support of any people who hate Orthodox Jews, whether Jewish or not).