[By Rabbi Aaron Lankry*]

Jews have endured Anti-Semitism for centuries, but to encounter it here in beautiful Sunny Isles, Florida is something I could never have imagined. I want everyone to learn how the City has targeted shuls and in particular B’Nai Zion Congregation.

I became a Board member of the shul hoping to infuse new Torah life and learning into the Jewish community of Sunny Isles. I saw the need for a learning program for children, to teach Alef Beis, give lessons of Yomim Tovim and instill an awareness of Jewish heritage.

For years, the City of Sunny Isles Beach used B’Nai Zions banquet hall for a children’s summer day camp, however when the shul offered programs of their own to the community, the City shut us down. I personally asked Mayor Edelcup if we could have this program at the shul, to which he replied yes. I invited the fire department to inspect the premises and made the minor corrections they asked for. When this work was completed, I called for a second inspection. I was suddenly informed that in order to get the necessary permits, the shul would now be required to install a whole new sprinkler system among other things. I asked the fire department why after giving us only minor corrections, are you now adding this? They replied, “someone from the City requested this.”  We had no choice but to spend thousands of dollars on equipment and supplies and finally the program and preschool was launched with great success. We had over 40 students and over a hundred very pleased parents and grandparents. The shul was coming to life and I added Torah classes for adults as well.

A few weeks later, the Mayor, who noticed the new interest and increased shul attendance showed up at  B’Nai Zion shouting “This is not legal! You cannot do this! I will shut you down!” He found various problems and requested many additional permits. To prevent an outrageous fine of $500 per day according to the warning sent us, I had no choice but to shut down the preschool and immediately stop the programs. Begging others for favors, I moved the preschool to another shul in a different city, to the great disappointment of our members. Several days later during davening on the first day of Succos, the City sent in the police department, with all its gear, to aggressively shut down all learning programs. This was done during class hours, and had it not been YomTov it would have been a traumatizing experience for our children. City officials seemed almost dismayed that no children were present. This event was all too reminiscent of the age-old agonies Jews suffered in other countries ruled by tyranny.

A year later I hired a consultant with the intent to open a charter school to enable hundreds of Jewish kids going to public school, a free Jewish education. We went to City Hall to meet with a representative and discuss what requirements were necessary to accomplish this. As we entered her office, she looked at us and before I could say one word, she said, “the answer is no!” Surprised, I replied, “But I haven’t asked anything yet?” Unbelievably, her ridiculous response to me was, “I have a crystal ball and I know your question and the answer is NO!” Shocked, I asked her, “And what is my question?” She then said, “You want to put a religious school there (BNai Zion)”  I replied, “No, I want to put a charter school there and this is my consultant.” She responded, “Zoning does not allow it.” When I asked her “What is my zoning?” she said “residential.”  “Actually,” I told her, “it is CU zone (community use)” and I showed her this on the zoning map. She replied, “All this doesn’t matter, anything you want to do over there, the answer is NO!”  She pointed her finger upward toward the office of Mayor Edelcup and smiled.

The synagogue was continually harassed with all types of fines and restrictions. Every week there were inspectors constantly on the premises demanding we fix or change one thing after another. There was no let up. In an effort to resolve this now untenable situation, I arranged a meeting hoping to reach out to the Mayor and arrive at an amicable agreement. Mayor Edelcups demeanor was hostile, arrogant and extremely antagonistic. I tried to appeal to the Mayors sense of commitment to the community so I was absolutely stunned when Mayor Edelcup angrily said, “THIS COMMUNITY IS A BUNCH OF PIGS.” When I asked the Mayor if he would like to be quoted saying that, his response to me was a string of foul language.

B’Nai Zion continued to be slammed with fines and violations from the City and forced to pour money into correcting these violations. For example, we had to demolish a solid concrete walkway that had withstood countless hurricanes without the slightest dent. The City claimed this was an imminent danger, yet independent builders and contractors declared it strong and safe and did not understand how it could possibly be a danger much less an imminent one! Removal of this heavy structure required a bulldozer, took an entire day to tear down and cost the synagogue thousands of dollars.

The City then devised a new way to persecute Congregation B’Nai Zion – one that would effectively put an end to any future plans for the Jewish community of Sunny Isles. The shul received a notice that the City wished to make Cong B’Nai Zion a historical site. The City sent an identical notice to St. Mary Magdalen Church. When church officials responded that they were not interested in becoming a historic site, the City immediately backed down. But when the shul responded the same way, the City told us we had no choice in the matter and that they were moving ahead with their plan to designate it a historic landmark. The City even hired a consultant at a cost of thousands of taxpayer dollars to prepare a report in support of this.

The City’s attempt to designate this building a historic landmark when it is only 38 years old is the height of audacity! Especially since Sunny Isles had many other waterfront structures over 100 years old which the City tore down to build new high rise buildings along the coast. As long as it was profitable, preserving history was ignored in those instances. In fact, there is nothing distinctive about the architect or design of Cong. B’Nai Zion that warrants making it a historic landmark. No other religious buildings of similar design across our nation have been given such landmark designation.

The grievous dilemma the shul now finds itself in is directly due to the desire of the Mayor and City officials working with him to stunt the growth of the shul and the Jewish community and cause it to shut down. These events demonstrate the anti-Semitism and bad faith at work in our Sunny Isles City Offices which has been going on far too long. The testimony below of Mr. Robert Solera, a former 10 year city employee and code enforcement inspector, is taken directly from City Hall records and further substantiates the terrible ordeal the shul has been put through. Mr. Solera clearly testifies to comments and direct commands from Mayor Edelcup to look for and do anything that will compromise the shul. Robert Solera’s statement is compelling and this community owes him a large debt of gratitude for speaking out.

This outrage is not the American way and should not be happening here in Sunny Isles, Florida! We, our parents and our grandparents, came to this land for religious freedom and a chance to spread Torah to all of Klal Yisroel. Mayor Edelcup and his cohorts are taking away this freedom. We must meet this challenge because corrupt government officials will not stop with this shul. This abuse of power will only continue if we do nothing – the federal government will step in and address this IF we take a united stand.

Please sign the petition against this historical designation and discrimination of a shul. Each voice counts, your signature can make the difference! You can access the petition by clicking HERE or pasting the following link into your web browser: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/788/166/008/

[*Rabbi Aaron Lankry was born in Morocco, and raised in New York. He received ordination from the Chief Rabbinate in Israel in the areas of Shabbos, Niddah, Issur v’Heter, and Aveilas. He was the Rabbi at Ohel Leah in Hong Kong, and started the Menorah Academy in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In addition, he served as the Senior Rabbi at Kehilla Edmond J. Safra Synagogue in Aventura, Florida and is currently the Rov of Kehilas Kodesh Or Chayim, in Monsey, New York. Rabbi Lankry received his Ph.D. equivalent in Rabbinic Studies at Bais Medresh Gevoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. Rabbi Lankry is a certified mohel, shochet, bodek, menaker, musmach from Philadelphia Bes Din on seder ha’get.]

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