The following article appears in today’s Journal News:  Attorneys representing Pomona village and a developer of a planned rabbinical college had their first face-off before a U.S. District Court judge. Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov sued the village in July 2007, arguing that Pomona’s land-use regulation and conduct prohibited it from building and operating the college and housing for students on a 130-acre site off routes 202 and 306. The village then filed a motion to dismiss the case with Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, who has been handling the lawsuit. The hearing was for Karas to ask both sides questions to render his opinion of whether to continue the lawsuit. Marci A. Hamilton, attorney for Pomona and an expert on the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, known as RLUIPA, presented the village’s case first, arguing that Pomona has never received an application from the developer on the project, so the village officials and residents didn’t know what Tartikov really wanted to build on the site. The developer has said that it wanted to build a rabbinical college and dormitories for at least 250 students and their families. Karas jumped into the center of Tartikov’s complaint, the village’s alleged discriminatory attitude. “Is this all about real estate?” Karas said. Karas then read a quote from former village Mayor Herbert Marshall, which was made long before the lawsuit. The quote, which was part of Tartikov’s complaint, was about Marshall’s speaking before residents that he would be unable to discuss the developer’s plan because his attorney stopped him from doing so. The judge also asked about the village’s accreditation requirement. The village ordinance does not allow nonaccredited colleges and educational facilities to build dorms. Tartikov, being nonaccredited, would need the exemption to submit its plans. But the village wouldn’t grant the exemption. Tartikov’s attorneys have said that because of the programs it offered, the rabbinical college cannot be accredited. Karas asked what Tartikov could do to submit its plan without accreditation. Pomona Village Attorney Doris Ulman said that the developer could petition for a zone change. Paul Savad, a Nanuet lawyer representing Tartikov, told Karas that applying for a zone change would give the village a tool to further delay the process, discouraging the developer from proceeding. Roman P. Storzer, attorney for the developer, told the judge that the village’s actions have been discriminatory against Hasidic Jewish students, who simply wish to enjoy their rights to study. Savad also told the judge that the developer wanted a level playing field, which would let Tartikov submit the plan. At the end of the hearing, Karas spoke to attorneys and to people sitting in the back, including people from the Hasidic Jewish community and Pomona village officials. “I recognize that this is a very important case for both of you,” Karas said. “I do the best I can.” It will be the judge’s discretion when to render his opinion on the motion to dismiss. Hamilton said she would expect Karas to come back with his opinion in six to 12 months. (LoHud.com)

The Journal News reports: The village and developers of a proposed rabbinical college will be in federal court Wednesday to air their sides of a lawsuit charging discrimination against Hasidic Jews. U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Karas will hear both the village’s argument for why Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov’s lawsuit should be dismissed, and arguments by Tartikov’s lawyers for continuing the case. This will be the first court appearance since Tartikov filed the lawsuit July 10, 2007, in federal court in White Plains. In the interim, both sides have presented written arguments, but Judge Karas apparently wants to hear more from the parties, as well as to have an opportunity to question the attorneys. Tartikov initially stunned the village of 3,000 people by informally proposing the development of housing for 1,000 or more students and their families on 130 acres off Routes 202 and 306. Since then, Paul Savad, a Nanuet attorney representing Tartikov, has said that the intent was to build for only 250 students. He said the larger number represented a maximum build out for planning purposes. Savad could not be reached Friday at his office or cell phone number. Another Tartikov attorney, John Stepanovich of Virginia Beach, Va., said the lawsuit’s target was the village’s zoning. He said Tartikov sought “a meaningful application process, and we believe it cannot occur without judicial intervention and supervision by the federal court.” Village Attorney Doris Ulman said the village could not have discriminated against Tartikov because the organization has not filed an application for its project. “We never denied anything,” Ulman said. “There isn’t one piece of paper in the village to indicate what they want to do.” Tartikov asked the village in 2007 to grant it an exemption from village codes so it could submit construction plans without zone changes or variances from zoning laws. That was rejected by the village, which saw giving an exemption to Tartikov and not to others as discrimination that violated the state and federal constitutions. Wednesday’s court session will be the third one scheduled this year. A previous hearing was postponed at the request of Pomona’s lawyers, and Karas canceled another. Tartikov’s plan for a 15-year rabbinical training program has been viewed by some village residents as a guise for housing. Congregation Kahal Minchas Chinuch, which formed the Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov, was affiliated with another organization that proposed 750 housing units on Staten Island in the late 1990s. That housing was to be for Hasidic residents of Brooklyn, but the project died amid concerns about overdevelopment. Savad has said that the Pomona project was religious in nature, and it would not impact the surrounding community. He said construction would be located at the center of the site and buffers would screen it from passersby. In its lawsuit, Tartikov argues that the village previously delayed Yeshiva of Spring Valley’s plans on the same site with negotiations and regulations that made the construction impracticable. Tartikov bought the property for $13 million from Yeshiva of Spring Valley in 2005. (LoHud.com)

Ramapo, NY – The town’s denial of a property tax exemption for 130 acres owned in Pomona by Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov won the support of a state Supreme Court judge. In his decision Wednesday, Justice John La Cava ruled in part that Tartikov’s profit from a summer camp negated its tax-exempt status. That was particularly true, La Cava decided, because the property was otherwise undeveloped, so the camp couldn’t be connected to other activities. His decision could mean more town, county and school-tax revenue but would have no impact on village taxes because Pomona granted an exemption to Tartikov. Whether Tartikov will appeal was undetermined. Tartikov sued the town in 2007, charging it was entitled to the same exemption granted to a prior owner, Yeshiva of Spring Valley, which had a similar arrangement with the summer camp. A 2005 agreement between Tartikov and Camp Merokim Inc. called for $331,000 to be paid to Tartikov between 2005 and 2009. Ramapo Town Attorney Michael Klein said yesterday, “We denied the exception as soon as we became aware of the agreement between the camp and the property owner.” Joel Scheinert, a Nanuet attorney representing Tartikov in the tax case, could not be reached yesterday at his office. Another Tartikov attorney, Paul Savad of Nanuet, said the decision had “no bearing on the College of Tartikov’s efforts to build the college. This is about a camp. It has nothing to do with the college.” It has a lot to do, though, with tax dollars. Ramapo Assessor Scott Shedler said the court decision, which covers 2006-08, could mean a cumulative $280,000 in town, county and school taxes. Pomona, though, has nothing to gain because it rejected Shedler’s decision. So while Pomona budgeted about $200,000 this year to oppose a discrimination lawsuit brought by Tartikov – the group charges that zoning discriminates against Hasidic Jews – the village will be out $12,000 of tax revenue this year on an assessment of about $750,000. Pomona’s loss totals about $20,000, including last year’s exemption. Village Attorney Doris Ullman said it was too late to change the exemption status in 2009 because the tax roll closed April 1. “We will consider it certainly for the upcoming years,” Ullman said. The village board voted, with two members opposed, to override Shedler after hearing Scheinert’s account of Yeshiva of Spring Valley’s exemption. In court, La Cava found that Tartikov relied substantially on a 1958 case regarding the tax exemption of Pace College, despite the operation of a profit-making cafeteria on campus. The cafeteria, though, was part of the college’s day-to-day operation, while the summer camp was the only activity on Tartikov’s property. “In essence, there were no other religious or nonprofit activities for the (for-profit camp) to be incidental to,” La Cava ruled. Tartikov has announced plans for a rabbinical college off routes 202 and 306 but has not filed plans with the village. An initial proposal showed a possibility of more than 1,000 students living there, plus family members, but Savad has said the intent was for only about 250 students residing near the center of the property. (LINK to article on Lohud.com)

The dispute over a proposed Tartikov Yeshiva in Rockland County returns to federal court Feb. 10. U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Karas will hear arguments in regards to the village’s request to dismiss a lawsuit by Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov. In its lawsuit, the group accused the village of prejudice against Chassidim, and alleged that its zoning discriminated against the planned Yeshiva. “We expect a ruling to be made after the oral arguments,” John Stepanovich, a lawyer for Tartikov, said last week of the hearing scheduled in White Plains. The village of Pomona, which is home to about 3,000 people, was upset two years ago by the news that 1,000 or more students and their families could be coming to live in the Yeshiva’s six-story apartment buildings. But Paul Savad, a Nanuet attorney representing Tartiko, said the intent was to build only enough for 250 students. “It’s not like all of a sudden 1,000 students are going to appear in the village of Pomona,” Savad said, explaining that the higher figures were initially used only for planning purposes showing the maximum build-out of the property. “But that was just for the environmental review,” Savad said. “All we’re asking for is that the village must consider our request for 250 students.” What could keep the village from considering the application is an ordinance that prohibits non-accredited educational facilities from building dormitories. Tartikov doesn’t qualify for accretidation because it has no certifiable academic program. Tartikov has also sparked debate among its neighbors in Pomona because of its efforts to obtain tax-exempt status.  Locals have complained that the high concentration of organizations with tax-exempt status in Monsey and Spring Valley unfairly increases the burden on the remaining taxpayers. (Dov Gordon – YWN / LoHud.com)

[The Journal News reports:] The Pomona Village board voted last night to continue a property-tax exemption for Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov. The Town of Ramapo revoked a similar exemption last year (reported HERE on YWN), which meant that Tartikov was liable for town, school and county taxes, as well as water and fire district charges. The town withdrew Tartikov’s exemption, not on the basis of the organization’s tax-exempt status as a religious group, but rather on profits from Camp Merokim operating on the 130 acres off routes 202 and 306. After Ramapo billed Tartikov $78,000 for taxes going back one year, Tartikov sued the town in July 2007. The lawsuit is pending, as is another in which Tartikov charges that Pomona’s building and zoning codes discriminated against the Hasidic community.

According to the Journal News website, Tartikov Rabbinical College has filed a lawsuit against the town of Ramapo – denying a tax exemption and for seeking back taxes on its property. Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov states in the lawsuit that the taxable assessment of $597,500 was “erroneous and illegal” because the property “should be declared one hundred percent exempt.” Ramapo is seeking about $78,000 in taxes retroactive one year. Its opinion did not consider whether Tartikov was entitled to an exemption as a religious corporation, but rather focused on a day camp operating on the 130-acre site in Pomona. Because the camp collects fees from the campers and in turn pays Tartikov – $331,000 between 2005 and 2009 – the camp is run by a third party ineligible for an exemption, Ramapo Assessor Scott Shedler said. Journal News

The town of Ramapo is seeking back property taxes from the Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov after rejecting the college’s bid to declare the Pomona site tax exempt. The college, in turn, intends to file a lawsuit against the town in state Supreme Court this week, said Joel Scheinert, a Nanuet attorney representing Tartikov in its tax case. Ramapo’s Board of Assessment Review granted Assessor Scott Shedler’s petition to seek taxes retroactive to one year, Town Attorney Michael Klein said. The sum is about $78,000, Shedler said, and does not include taxes due the village of Pomona. That figure was unavailable, but is likely to be small because major services, such as police and road maintenance, are covered by town taxes. (The Journal News)

Lawyers for the Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov and several Rabbis today filed suit against the Village of Pomona and its representatives for the right to build and operate an educational facility to train rabbinical judges in perhaps the most prominent religious freedom case of its kind yet to be filed.  The complaint was filed at the United States District Court, Southern District of New York courthouse in White Plains. The action was brought by plaintiffs to redress violations of their civil rights as protected by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), the Fair Housing Act, and constitutional protections of free speech and freedom of religion.  Lawyers for the Plaintiff include: New York litigator, Paul Savad; Roman Storzer, a First Amendment and RLUIPA expert based in Washington DC and former director of litigation for the renowned Becket Fund for Religious Liberty; and John Stepanovich, a national civil rights lawyer based in Virginia, who successfully brought a similar suit against the Village of Airmont, NY. The first phase of proposed development plans for the Rabbinical College would include places of worship, educational buildings, and housing for 250 students and their families on a 100-acre site in the Village of Pomona (an additional 30 acres was also purchased as a buffer).  Representatives from the college have asked to meet with village representatives to discuss these plans on numerous occasions, but were rebuffed each time.  By refusing to meet with the Congregation and its representatives, the village left plaintiffs with no option but to seek relief in federal court against the village’s illegal zoning ordinances, which violate every land use provision of RLUIPA, the Fair Housing Act, and a variety of constitutional and other civil rights protections. “There is a history of discrimination against the Hasidic community here,” said Nanuet-based attorney Paul Savad. “Over the past several years, the Village of Pomona and its Board of Trustees have repeatedly used legislative and administrative means to prevent a variety of Jewish-affiliated institutions from developing this property for religious use.”  Controversy in Pomona over the proposed Rabbinical College already has altered the outcome of a local election, spurred relentless anti-Hasidic community opposition, and presented squarely the question of whether this Jewish community will be permitted to maintain its religious traditions. “The Rabbinical College has engaged all the necessary professionals, including architects, engineers, and traffic experts, and has determined the impact on the surrounding community and environment to be minimal,” Savad added. “They deserve the same consideration that any other development would enjoy under village planning code.” “This is an extreme case, one that brings to mind the civil rights conflicts of the 1960s.  We need to stop the Village of Pomona, and municipalities across the country, from using their zoning power as a tool to control unpopular religious groups,” said attorney Roman Storzer. “RLUIPA supersedes local zoning codes in cases such as this by allowing municipalities to consider plans for the development of religious uses that may otherwise be prohibited outright, like this College.  By denying the Rabbinical College the right to even apply for the necessary permits, while secular colleges or colleges of other religious traditions would be permitted, and even refusing to meet with Congregation representatives, the village has violated the letter and the spirit of the First

The town has denied a property tax exemption to Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov because of a summer camp on the Pomona property. The camp is to pay $331,000 to Tartikov between 2005 and 2009. It also seemed to Town Attorney Michael Klein that Tartikov needed to take “concrete steps to show that they were on the way to lawfully use the property for an exempt purpose.” Paul Savad, a Nanuet attorney representing Tartikov, said that the camp was a temporary use while the organization moves toward its goal of a college to train rabbis for religious courts. He said Yeshiva of Spring Valley, the former property owner, had a tax exemption while operating the camp, and he didn’t understand why Tartikov couldn’t do the same. TJN

[By Michael Fragin & Michael Tobman] Rare is the week that passes without a new legal action pitting a New York suburb against the Orthodox or Hasidic Jewish community. Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, Westchester, and Suffolk Counties have been host to a flurry of litigation centered around Orthodox Jews, their foundational religious needs, and, often, their housing needs. While American suburban life may not have contemplated the diversity presented by the Orthodox Jewish community, the time is long past to move away from confrontation, and towards a more realistic embrace of a new normal that isn’t going away. Discriminatory litigation against Hasidim is a form of bias — as real as the racism that generated civil rights litigation, as real as the gender discrimination that led to Title VII protections, and as real as the calls for judicial fairness that produced marriage equality. In this case, it’s the lawsuits themselves that are the discriminatory acts. An egregious example is the Sullivan County Town of Mamakating, which has for the past three years generated frivolous litigation against Hasidic Jews. Local officials there have been rebuffed by the Courts at every turn in their quest to halt the development of a Hasidic enclave in their area, and the continued official abuse of municipal resources to abet these suits will likely lead the Town down the path already trod by the Rockland County Village of Airmont, where taxpayers faced over $1 million in federal fines after being sued by the DOJ for engaging in similar tactics. It’s hard to see the blizzard of legal action by Mamakating as anything but a publicly financed effort to thwart a Hasidic Jewish influx. A women’s ritual bath at the site of a former spa was rejected by the Town, only to be ordered approved by the Court. Federal litigation initiated by the Town to stop housing for Hasidic Jews was summarily dismissed by a Federal District Court Judge. State court action to prevent Hasidic voters from casting ballots was similarly rejected. Other suits include absurd scenarios- like the Town of Mamakating suing itself over an annexation it already approved. The Mamakating Town Supervisor proudly estimated in a message to supporters that he spent more than a quarter of a million dollars, or 10% of the Town’s 2015 general budget, on litigation against Hasidim. This number might increase 100 fold if the Town become subject to damages for its actions. Mamakating may be Exhibit A of the unregulated use of the public treasury as litigation war chest, but there are others. The Village of Pomona in Rockland County busted mightily through the state property tax cap, and raised taxes last year by nearly 50% to fund its litigation against the Tartikov Hasidim in their area. Non Hasidic Orthodox Jews have also been judicially warned that they are not welcome in certain communities. On the tony East End of Long Island, The Village of Westhampton Beach, the Town of Southampton, and the Village of Quogue spent millions on state and federal lawsuits to prevent the designation of an Eruv, a nearly invisible symbol that permits observant Jews to carry items in public thoroughfares on the Sabbath. The lawsuit against the Eruv was so absurd it was parodied by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. This litigation was settled after the municipalities

Cheskel’s Shwarma King located at 3715 13th Avenue in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, the site of an unfortunate incident involving the sale of a non-kosher frankfurter is currently very busy. No longer answering questions about what transpired–that has been answered to the satisfaction of its supervising agency–Bais Din Tartikov but extremely busy trying to fulfill orders of everything ranging from Shwarma, fries and its trademark VIP Chulent. Says Shmuel Baron, owner of Cheskel Shwarma King “I have been extremely heartened by the support of the community for their trust and continued patronage of my restaurant. We have instituted new policies which in essence means that any type of purchase of meat will be handled by me personally, and not delegated to any employee Jewish or non-Jewish”. While the integrity of Shmuel Baron, owner of Cheskel’s Shwarma King has never been questioned, the discovery of non–Kosher meat—albeit for brief time span of several hours created an uproar in the greater Jewish community for several days. However after an exhaustive investigation by the certifying agency resulted in confirmation that this incident was an innocent yet tragic series of mistakes that could happen any restaurant.  Cheskel’s Shwarma King is a popular destination for consumers who keep a late schedule–open from 3 PM daily till past midnight. It offers a tasty selection of a specialty menu that has been personally put together by its owner Shmuel Baron who takes every facet of his restaurant operation very seriously. After the incident, Mr. Baron was very distraught at the prospect of a non–Kosher frankfurter being sold at his establishment and considered closing down Cheskel’s Shwarma King out of a sense of internal reckoning. However in deference of community Rabbis and leaders who felt that this would constitute an acknowledgement of guilt, Mr. Baron was encouraged to re–open his establishment which in fact he did to the delight of his loyal customers and the general community. “Again, I would like to thank the Tartikov Bais Din and all my friends, too numerous to mention, whose confidence in me enabled me to draw the strength to reopen Cheskel’s Shwarma King and continue serving the community with highest standards of Kashrus. I look forward to serving the community and on behalf of my family would like to express my HaKaros Hatov to everyone for their continued patronage of Cheskel’s Shwarma King”.  Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group, a spokesman for Mr. Baron, reiterated that the trust by the Tartikov Bais Din in Mr. Baron was never in doubt stating “from the onset of the investigation it became apparent that they were dealing with a situation of mistakes not intentions to G-D forbid cause anyone to eat non-Kosher. The enormous anguish on the part of Mr. Baron is indicative of an upright, highly ethical and moral individual who takes his responsibilities very personal and the continued certification of the Tartikov Bais Din is clearly the only proof of any consumer would need to be assured that Cheskel’s Shwarma King utilizes the highest standards of Kashrus”. (YWN Desk – NYC)

[VIDEO PHOTO LINK BELOW] As YWN reported earlier, rumors are rapidly spreading throughout the Frum community about an alleged Kashrus scandal in a Boro Park restaurant. At the bottom of our earlier report, YWN wrote the following: “YWN would like to once again make it clear, that the above information is not necessarily facts, but due to the fact that we have been receiving hundreds of requests to post the story, and after consulting with a Rov, we have done so. As soon as any P’sak is given by a Mashgiach, or any Rabbonim in Boro Park, YWN will bring you the information.” As promised, YWN has spoken with the highly-credible Rav Hamachshir of the establishment in question, Rav Shmiel Teitelbaum Shlita, of Tartikov Bais Din. It must be publicly noted that YWN also spoke with Rav Babad Shlita, who is the Tartikov Rov. Rav Babad is NOT the Rav Hamachshir on this restaurant (as reported erroneously elsewhere), and his Hashgocha is an entirely separate business – with no connection to this store whatsoever. The following is what Rav Teitelbaum told YWN: “Approximately 1.5 years ago, Chaskel’s Shwarma King was sold to a Frum Sephardic Jew. The owner is an Erlich Yid (pious Jew), who asks Shailos (questions) on almost a daily basis – even on the smallest question which arise in his store. Two weeks ago, the Mashgiach mentioned to the owner that they were not satisfied with the current manager, so the owner immediately hired his brother-in-law to work as the store manager. Additionally, new non-Jewish employees were hired as well. Last evening, the store ran-out of hotdogs, and a new employee (non-Jew) was sent to the nearby “Kollel Store” to purchase a few packages until their next delivery arrived. The employee returned into the store openly carrying the non-Kosher hotdogs, prompting customers who were inside to start questioning the manager on what was going on. It seems that the employee never walked to the Kollel Store, but rather to a nearby grocery which carries non-Kosher meats. The Mashgiach was contacted at 2:00AM, and dispatched Mashgichim along with at least two independent Rabbonim to the store for a thorough investigation. The two Rabbonim are Rav Yitzchok Stein, and Rav Moshe Roth (son of Hagon Rav Chaskel Roth Shlita). During their investigation, at least 50 empty packages of Meal Mart hotdogs were found in the garbage, leading them to believe that the store had in fact just run out of hotdogs a few hours earlier. They searched the entire store, and found absolutely no evidence of any Treif other then the few packages of closed hotdogs just brought into the store” Rav Teitelbaum tells YWN that as of this moment, the Hashgocha remains on the establishment, and the non-Jewish employee (who was just hired last week) has since been fired. Rav Teitelbaum also felt the need to publicize the following: The individuals who witnessed the employee carrying in the hotdogs did the right thing by asking questions, but the way in which it was done is unacceptable. The Halacha requires them to question the Baal Din, but not to spread rumors across the community before allowing the Rav Hamachshir to conduct his investigation. The Hashgocha will be releasing an official statement in the next few hours – following a meeting

The following is a letter to the editor of The Journal News regarding the Town Supervisor not paying his property tax. The letter writer turned this into A scathing attack on Jews: St. Lawrence knows ways to skip taxes I am not at all surprised to read that Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence is in arrears for his property tax bill. (“Ramapo supervisor overdue on property taxes,” Dec. 21.) What surprises me is how he let this happen. Didn’t he learn anything from the precious voting bloc from Ramapo during his terms as supervisor? First, St. Lawrence can declare himself a rabbi. Then he can make the house a yeshiva. Then he can demand tax-free status for the property. If the Rabbinical College of Tartikov wins its lawsuit to build a rabbinical college in Pomona, he can apply to be a trained as a judge. After all, his degree from Harvard should count. Wait, he doesn’t have a degree from Harvard. No problem, the rabbinical college is not accredited anyway. If accepted, he gets 15 years of tax-free living. Once he’s done there, he will be at retirement age anyway and can move to Florida like the rest of Rocklander retirees! Ed Kobus Pomona.

The village of Pomona has asked a federal judge in US District Court in White Plains, to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov [as reported HERE on YW], that wants to build a rabbinical college that residents fear would change the area’s rural character. Tartikov, who wants to build the college on a 130-acre site off Routes 202 and 306, sued the village, arguing that Pomona’s land-use regulations and conduct prohibited it from building and operating the college. The congregation also asserted that the village discriminated against the Chasidic community. But the village argued that the case brought by the congregation, which had not filed an actual application for the project with the village, was “enormously premature,” and the congregation’s claims were “deeply flawed.” The village also stated that the congregation did not have standing to sue because the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, does not intend to exempt religious entities from the local land-use process. “Plaintiff’s tactic of ‘sue first, apply later’ … should be rejected, and their premature and meritless claims should be dismissed,” court papers stated. A congregation’s response would be filed by Jan. 14. (Source: The Journal News)

Organizers of the proposed Rabbinical College of Tartikov pledged to be “good neighbors” when meeting last night with Pomona residents, some of whom expressed concerns that they ultimately could be pushed out by an expanding ultra-Orthodox Jewish population.