Verizon sued three Long Island towns on behalf of observant Jews. The villages prohibit the phone company from posting “lechis” on utility poles – little strips that create an “eruv,” or zone where Orthodox Jews can carry objects or push baby carriages or wheelchairs to synagogue on the Sabbath and on Yom Kippur.
Verizon New York and co-plaintiff Long Island Lighting Co. say the towns must allow Orthodox Jews to tie the lechis to utility poles, to comply with religious observances,.
The defendants in the federal complaint are the Village of Westhampton Beach, the Village of Quogue and the Town of Southampton. (The Long Island Lighting Company also does business under the name LIPA.)
“Lechis are wooden or plastic strips that do not interfere with the use or operation of utility poles; they have been installed in many locations throughout the country, including on Long Island, and they raise no health or safety concerns,” the complaint states.
Verizon and LIPA say they “are not aware of any aesthetic, safety, traffic, fiscal, or other problem that that would be caused by the attachment of lechis to utility poles in Westhampton Beach, Quogue, and Southampton, and are not aware of any compelling governmental interest sufficient to restrict the attachment of such lechis.”
So they authorized written agreements with the East End Eruv Association granting permission to place the eruvs, according to the complaint.
“Representatives of defendants have stated publicly that they will not permit the Eruv to be established, that the installation of lechis would violate various local laws, and have threatened to impose fines and/or to take other legal action against Verizon New York and LIPA if they permit the installation of lechis,” the complaint states.
The East End Eruv Association claims the towns’ threats violate the First Amendment.
The plaintiffs say the issue has sparked “intense local debate and opposition,” leading to the formation of groups such as Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv and the Alliance for Separation of Church and State in the Greater Westhampton Area.
Other opponents “expressed a desire to avoid an influx of Orthodox Jewish people into the affected area, including citing fears that the Eruv will lead to the creation of an Orthodox Jewish enclave, that property values will decline, or that the ‘character’ of the communities will be disturbed,” the complaint states.
The utility companies say they are not taking a side on the controversy.
“Defendants’ threats and actions have created a situation in which the obligations and rights of Verizon New York and LIPA are uncertain and the resolution of which turns, in part, on significant questions of federal constitutional and statutory law. … No matter which party or parties are right, Verizon New York and LIPA require clarification of the applicability and enforceability of the cited local laws and of Verizon New York’s and LIP A’s associated rights and obligations,” the complaint states.
The companies say the towns cannot enforce the regulations barring the creation of eruvs until the courts address the matter. “That controversy is ripe and appropriate for resolution by this Court,” the complaint states.
Verizon and LIPA ask that the towns be barred from enforcing laws restricting the construction of eruvs, unless the court specifically allows the regulations.
Verizon and LIPA are represented by Michael Wiles of Debevoise & Plimpton.
(Source: Court House News)
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12 Responses
This is a little confusing whose being sued verizon or long island
This has been going on in various municipalities for at least 10-15 years. Anyone who believes that there is no anti-semitism in this country just read this line from the article:
Other opponents “expressed a desire to avoid an influx of Orthodox Jewish people into the affected area, including citing fears that the Eruv will lead to the creation of an Orthodox Jewish enclave, that property values will decline, or that the ‘character’ of the communities will be disturbed,” the complaint states.
Unfortunately, some against the Eruv are Jew themselves who choose not to be frum and don’t want the deep down guilt facing them.
Very happy to be a Verizon customer!! Althought their motives are probably not altruistic – I bet they don’t want towns legislating what they can or can’t do with their lines and poles.
#1, whats confusing? Verizon and LIPA are suing various LI towns for the rights of the jews to hang an eruv on poles which are owned by Verizon and LIPA. Basically, if Verizon and LIPA gave jews the right to hang an eruv on their poles, the Town’s should not be able to dictate to Verizon what they can and can’t do.
It’s not anti semistism to worry about a neighboorhoods character changing.
If the shoe was on the other foot and an openly “toeivah” couple wanted to move in or an “african american” family. There would be meetings and town halls and cries of “crisis” accross the board.
So in this we can only see that when Jews want to keep “undesirables” out of their community, it’s fine. But if a community doesnt want to bend to every whim of the Jewish population then they are anti-semites.
(and lets not forget that not every spectrum of the religious community even agrees that there can be an eruv in a certain place. I know that when the Eruv nearly tore my community apart when it was put up.)
Let’s lose the double standard and then maybe we can talk.
It’s not about the Jews obviously, it’s about Verizon’s greed. The philosophy is the same.
Mr. Pun (no. 6),
From what I’ve seen of your postings, you operate by a single standard: an irrational refusal to associate the term “anti-Semitism” with instances of its clear manifestation. Even more, you remark acidically, sneeringly at those with a reality based assessment of events like the movement to ban completely harmless eruvin that meet the needs of religiously observant Jews: “cue charges of anti-Semitism…now”, you rued of another piece today here. It’s obvious from your condescending criticism of Jews that you well recognize that the events reported on bear the hallmarks of classical anti-Semitism. But instead of attacking the anti-Semitism, you focus your harangue on those who do.
Be clever, and pull your head out of the sand. We’re not ostriches. The best and only effective way to cope with reality is to acknowledge it.
Have a good Shabbos.
cleverjewishpun – I would obviously not WANT toeivaniks to move into my neighborhood, but the constitutionality of it remains the same. If they wanted to put a ribbon on a tree for that lifestyle, as much as it would repulse me, there should be nothing a town ordinance could do to stop it. sorry, but the double standard is against me on this one.
Lots of people are missing the point here. Here’s how I read it. Verizon and LIPA agreed to cooperate with the Eruv association. The town says if they do so, they’ll sue Verizon and LIPA. The utilities are afraid that if they back down, the Eruv association will sue them. The utilities want the court to rule on the legality of the Eruv so they can proceed (or not) without getting sued.
CleverJewishPun: I disagree with your comment and resent your global accusation of racism against our people.
There are a number of major Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn, and they are very much “integrated”, to various extents. Also, note the appearance (on YWN video, if I recall) of David Greenfield and his Black counterpart (whose name I cannot recall) in the City council appearing together during the recent NYC blizzard.
Moreover, every “Jewish” neighborhood that I know of (other than the very few enclaves like New Square) are a mix of both Jews and non-Jews of every stripe.
Sadly, there are certainly some (according to published reports I’ve seen) secular Jews (likely tinokos shenishbu) in addition to non-Jews, who are behind this attempt to ban the Eruvin, but I do not know first-hand.
#8, When I dont get a job or when I’m pulled over for speeding, I dont automatically assume that the cop or h.r.person is a bible thumping anti semite. When I see a news story and the person affected got the short end of the stick and happens to be jewish, I dont automatically assume that antisemitism was the cause. My yard stick for anti-semitism is more 1940’s then 2011. If a group of “youths” deface a shul or loot a kosher butcher shop then we can play the anti semite card. But to claim every single little instance where the Jewish Community doesnt get it’s way is anti semitism?
To me it seems like we play the anti semite card just like a different “enslaved” people play the race card, and we dont really need to emulate them do we?
The Jews have survived through tremndous hard ship and real anti semitism so lets not cheapen what our Bubbies and Zadiehs went through by claiming anti semitism where it isnt really there.