The Times Herald Record reports:
Judge Burton Ledina ordered a Hasidic sect to leave the former Homowack Lodge by 5 p.m. Thursday – a move that is expected to end the group’s near month-long standoff with state and emergency officials who have called the resort a potential deathtrap.
Ledina granted the temporary restraining order, saying that Congregation Bais Trana was operating a girls’ camp without a permit and there was “ample proof” of code violations and dangers.
Ledina said he wants children moved out quickly for safety reasons. By not ordering the group out, he said, he would be “flying in the face of state laws and regulations.”
The attorney general’s office brought the Supreme Court action on behalf of the state Department of Health, after the congregation defied a July 27 DOH commissioner’s order to vacate.
The Congregation was denied a permit on June 30 but occupied the buildings anyway and later declined to leave in spite of warnings from state, county and town emergency officials that the place is a serious fire hazard.
The group’s attorney, Perry Meltzer, asked the judge to allow the group two more weeks.
“They have to be returned to their parents,” Meltzer said. “They need a reasonable opportunity to contact each one of their parents.”
He estimated about 150 to 160 people were still in two buildings, including about 100 to 120 children.
During the three-hour hearing in Monticello, Meltzer attempted to prove existing conditions presented no danger.
Contractors who worked on the sprinkler and fire alarm systems testified the systems were working in the two buildings where the girls were staying. A mold-remediation contractor indicated that mold in these two buildings was under control. The operators have carted out several truck loads of garbage and debris from the basement.
On Monday, health officials and Mamakating’s code enforcement officer walked through several areas again. Assistant Attorney General Nick Garin played an 18-minute video of the tour during the hearing. The video revealed numerous violations, including evidence of mold, missing ceiling tiles, exposed wiring, leaks and water running over electrical boxes. It also showed that several rooms and a mikvah – a ritual bath – were filthy.
“It isn’t fit for human habitation,” Garin said.
Garin served one of the camp operators with Ledina’s order while she was sitting in the courtroom.
She walked away from a reporter seeking comment.
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23 Responses
Besides for being an absolute and clear danger to the children, this story now serves as another chilul hashem for the jewish people. How many stories have we heard the past few weeks that have reflected poorly on the jewish people as a whole? It is mind boggling, that a community with such a clear hierarchy of power has not made a better decision regarding this matter. When one person makes a decision in this community, people tend to listen. There are no quarrels or fights regarding this matter; It seems that people are content with the decision being made. Is there really a justification for such actions? What happens if a child god forbid gets killed? Who will we blame it on then? The state? of course we will because we always look to defer blame onto the state. How about taking some responsibility? Is there no matter of safety involved when trying to save money? Where are people shouting ” it is pikuach nefesh?” I can guarantee you that if it was a camp with your own children in it you would not be silent. Besides for the obvious danger in keeping the children in this harmful environment, it serves as another abominable act by the jewish people in a time where, quite frankly, we cannot afford to toy with our image.
This is just one more story suggesting to the world that frum Jews think that they are above the law. Its a shanda.
to # 1 & #2 , Have you heard the explanation from Skver before you wrote your comments ?
Have you thought about this for one minute ? Or you are just accepting everything you hear from the media ?
As I was reading this article one thing was going through my mind. Where is the Rebbe during all this? In a sect where what the leader says go why has he not ordered the place evacuaated and not make any further chillul hashem??? After what hapened last week I know there are some of you out there who will be saying that the government is out to wrongfully portray the jews but no shows the jews in a bad light more then us ourselves. What do you think a non-jew will think if he ever would drive down 13th avenue on any day? All these men and women who think that just because it is a 2 lane street il just block one lane while I leave my kid in the van and go shop for clothing. How can we expect our Medina shel chesed to respect us if we have zero respect for the guidelines they give us. Smiling in pictures that are on this site with police officers is not going to earn any respect from them. Respect is earned by listening and obeying rules of society and not by creating our own and doing what we want.
Why are we being the judge and jury against a fellow yid? What happened to Don Lekaf Zechus??
It is clear that they tried to work with the town, and the town had a clear agenda against them.
The camp shut two buildings that were cited for violations. The remaining issues were addressed by licensed engineers and contractors. The state won’t rest until they shut them down, and claim another victory against them “hasids”.
The camp is not playing above the law, they are in court, and addressing the issues. All they want is fair and equal treatment, something even our own frum people can’t seem to give them.
The question now is: Are people naive or just bigoted? Poster 3: There is no excuse for putting lives at danger. Any explanation would be deemed invalid as far as I am concerned. There is no justification for putting people in dangerous situations, especially life-threatening. Have you seen the Homowack lately? I have and I can tell you it is not “tip top.” It looks like it is secinds from collapsing. What you have done is the exact reason for my post. Stop making excuses for people; It is time we start taking responsibility for our wrongdoings. I am sure Madoff had explanations too, it does not make it right.
#1 and all other people who r quick to judge. I worked upstate in a camp and the violations that they are stating can sound worse than they really are. If someone takes off the plate to an outlet in a utility room and forgets to put it back on it is exposed wires if a pipe drips on a sealed electrical box it becomes something huge. Once u fail they won’t pass u till u can eat off the floor even if u do fix everything
if they feel that they are right , they can always appeal the judges decision .
So #3 Dina d’malchusa… Only applies when you agree with it, of course this is a Chilul Hashem!!! Nobody is saying here that the town is right, but by defying the town its a Chilul Hashem.
Useyourbarin and all others. i was there 2 weeks ago. the violated areas are 2 buildings not being used. the camp and family buildings has been fixed up with all violations corrected. where the rabbi is? 1st he was in europe now i guess doing teshuva b4 ellul wen his chassidim come to learn from him how to do teshuva.
Disrespect for “goyishe” secular laws is NOT according to our Torah> Yirmiyohu hanovi instructed our people to respect the law of the land we are in during golus. Even in our own land these violations would not be permitted. Sakonos are an aveiro mid’oraisso! To all those saying ‘dan lchav zechus’,there has been ample time to disprove the newspaper and the government officials. We do not any longer live in filthy shtetls and ghettos. Let’s show our neighbors that we are just as good or better than the rest by behaving better,not with arrogance.
#6 ‘mind boggeling’, ‘mind boggeling’ do you have such a narrow mind take it easy, its not so boggeling ..not every piece of news is ‘mind boggeling’ dont over dramatize,its not so simple i know the inside story…
As being a Litvish’e Yid from out of town I am really ashamed of the ugly action that YWN is taking against the Skver Girls camp. Y are you showing such hate to Chassidim? Y don’t you verify by the other side and post here their view? You are handling this case just as a blog. STOP! STOP! Reb Aron ZATZA’L was so close to Skver do u think he is happy with your sinas chinum? It’s time to grow up and lets show to klal yisroel (even to chasidim) that we feel their pain what ever the case is. May we see Yeshuous now.
Random1: I could not agree more with your posts. The laws that are made for us is not like a cafeteria where we can pick and choose what we like or do not like. There is a major difference between thinking something is right and simply not caring and it seems like in this case its not caring. Why not stop crying and making a chilul hashem about it and take some time out of your busy “work” schedule and fix whatever problems you are told exist. And for those who will say that there is no money for that well then stop spending whatever money there is on gas guzzling suburbans and escalades and stop loading them up with more hatzala lights then the presidential motorcade.
“shimen” please don’t misquote what I wrote. I did not spell mind-boggling the way you did, that is incorrect. Secondly, if you know “the inside story” why dont you enlighten us and dispel the notion they are wrong? This is the equivalent of a child answering “because” when asked: “why did you do that?” Shall we all believe you Shimen because you claim to know the inside story? I am sure The State has their “inside story” as well. The only semi-intelligent post that makes sense is that the building has been vacated. However, even if this is true, it is a blatant Chilul Hashem when not abiding by the law no matter the circumstance. Please everyone, stop being so close-minded. When Al Sharpton makes controversial comments we are the first to jump down his back because he only defends his color. You are right now participating in the same narrow-minded nonsense he is.
# 13 proud of KAJ WH TIDE
i don’t understand your post . Disrespect what disrespect is there here . just the opposite , the courts ruled against them which is the normal legal process when someone is in possession of something that they don’t want to give up . now that the court has said that they must leave , they have two choices . leave and go home or appeal this decision and try to get a stay of this judges order . nothing wrong with this . there just doing things the good old American way.
Why would the camp put their campers in danger like this? How could the parents allow their children to be in such a sakana?
15- I dont see any “ugly action” against the camp being done by the YWN. The camp put their campers at risk and broke a few laws in the process. What sinas chinam is there in the posting? What is the relevance to Gedolim being close to skver? They broke the law, halachos and caused a big chillul hashem. YWN is just reporting the news. Should they only report what is favorable, happy and pleasing to read? Ok, so no information should be posted about the swine flu, stock markets, Obama, Congress or any “Baruch Dayan Emes”s.
Unfortunately, whichever way you slice it, this is a chilllul HaShem. Even if the court is overly critical and seems to be ‘picking on’ the camp, they have come accross as defiant and non-compliant.
Those that are ‘in the know’ about this chassidus know that there is poor leadership and management rampant in this community.
# 20 who says that they are non compliant . the court said they have to be out on Thursday . it is very easy to throw around the term chillul hashem when one does not know all the halochos of chillul hashem .
#20 i am from that community and there is excelent leadership in the community.square rebbe zol zein gezunt is one of the true few chassidic leaders of this generation.you are just throwing around unsubstanciated adjectives because of your sina for chassidim
Bottom line: DINA DIMALCHUSA DINA! FINISHED! This has nothing to do with anything if they feel its unsafe they use the same guidelines for every single camp! This is not the first camp to be inspected. Conform or leave!
The camp is non-compliant because they proceded to open the camp without a certificate of occupancy or the equivalent for camps.
I certainly do not hate chassidim. I wish there was effective spiritual leadership in New Square, but alas that is not the case. Problems abound and are slow to be addressed. Many of the inhabitants are the loveliest, warmest, humblest people one can hope to meet.
May Hkbh be ‘chonen da’as’ to the leaders so they can act with courage, wisdom and alacrity.
i have 1 simple question:
מי התיר לנו את החרם [הגר”א] ?!!