Chabad, Hasidic Jewish group, revives suit against Atlantic Beach over proposed religious center
A rendering of the proposed Chabad center in Atlantic Beach. Credit: EDNY
A Hasidic Jewish organization has revived a previously settled federal discrimination lawsuit against the Village of Atlantic Beach after the municipality's zoning appeals board rejected the group's application to build a religious and education center.
The amended complaint, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, is the latest battle in a three-year struggle between the Chabad Lubavitch of the Beaches and the village regarding the fate of a vacant property on Park Street less than a block from Village Hall.
The suit names the village, its zoning board of appeals, Mayor George Pappas and Atlantic Beach's board of trustees.
The lawsuit contends the village engaged in a prolonged campaign of discrimination against Chabad — citing previously unreported texts and emails from Atlantic Beach officials to one another that the plaintiffs describe as "antisemitic" — culminating in the zoning board rejecting the group's application last month.
In its decision, the zoning board cited the size of proposed signage and a drive-thru canopy, the lack of available parking spots and potential traffic backups as reasons to reject the application.
"The requested relief should be and is hereby denied as the variants and special permits requested are numerous and substantial; an undesirable change will be produced in the character of the neighborhood," the board wrote, adding that the "proposed use would sufficiently detract from the public's health, safety and welfare."
The Chabad-Lubavitch branch of Orthodox Judaism is known for its eagerness to engage with the broader Jewish community by opening religious centers and establishing presences throughout the world.
Jeremy Dys, Chabad's attorney from the nonprofit First Liberty Institute, a conservative religious group based in Texas, said the village "even after recognizing that they engaged in discrimination in the first place, have doubled down on it and are trying their level best, willing to stake their resources, on keeping Chabad of the Beaches out of Atlantic Beach. This type of discrimination has no place in our country."
Village officials did not respond to requests for comment while Rabbi Eli Goodman, director of the Chabad, declined to comment.
In 2021, Chabad, looking to expand its South Shore footprint — the group also has a location in nearby Long Beach — purchased for $950,000 a nearly 10,000-square-foot property that had previously been home to a Capital One Bank and had been vacant for more than three years.
The group planned to open a Chabad House offering religious services and education, as well as Jewish outreach activities including drive-thru kosher food sales.
After the property sale, and after Chabad held an outdoor menorah lighting attended by some village officials, the village announced it would seize the property through eminent domain to build its own community and lifeguard operations center. The move came even as village officials held no previous public discussions about such a project and Atlantic Beach already owned several available nearby properties to build their center, the revived suit says.
Chabad then filed a federal lawsuit, citing religious discrimination, to block the village from taking the property by eminent domain.
Texts and emails obtained in discovery — and included in the amended complaint — allegedly show village officials planning ways to block the Chabad.
For example, in one text exchange alleged in the complaint, Village Associate Justice Alison Lewis wrote to Pappas: "Most people don’t want the Chabad and just don’t want to say it. Any secular Jew doesn’t want them." Pappas responded: "Very true."
Trustee Patricia Beaumont, in another alleged exchange with colleagues included in the complaint, wrote it was "scary" that Orthodox Jews were "buying the world town-by-town, city-by-city."
Newsday sought comment from Lewis, Pappas and Beaumont through the village but those requests were not returned.
In November 2023, the village settled the lawsuit, agreeing to drop its eminent domain proceedings, to pay Chabad $400,000 over the next four years and to adopt a resolution welcoming Chabad to the village. No payments have yet been made to the Chabad, Dys said.
The zoning board of appeals held a hearing in August on Chabad's plans because the property is not zoned for religious purposes. The board denied the application on Nov. 12, citing potential traffic and parking issues and the scope of some building modifications.
The village's lone house of worship is the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach, which serves Modern Orthodox congregants.
A Hasidic Jewish organization has revived a previously settled federal discrimination lawsuit against the Village of Atlantic Beach after the municipality's zoning appeals board rejected the group's application to build a religious and education center.
The amended complaint, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, is the latest battle in a three-year struggle between the Chabad Lubavitch of the Beaches and the village regarding the fate of a vacant property on Park Street less than a block from Village Hall.
The suit names the village, its zoning board of appeals, Mayor George Pappas and Atlantic Beach's board of trustees.
The lawsuit contends the village engaged in a prolonged campaign of discrimination against Chabad — citing previously unreported texts and emails from Atlantic Beach officials to one another that the plaintiffs describe as "antisemitic" — culminating in the zoning board rejecting the group's application last month.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- A Hasidic Jewish organization has revived a previously settled federal discrimination lawsuit against the Village of Atlantic Beach.
- The lawsuit contends the village engaged in a prolonged campaign of discrimination against Chabad, culminating in the zoning board of appeals rejecting the group's application to build a religious and education center.
- The zoning board cited the size of proposed signage, the lack of available parking spots and potential traffic backups as reasons to reject the application.
In its decision, the zoning board cited the size of proposed signage and a drive-thru canopy, the lack of available parking spots and potential traffic backups as reasons to reject the application.
"The requested relief should be and is hereby denied as the variants and special permits requested are numerous and substantial; an undesirable change will be produced in the character of the neighborhood," the board wrote, adding that the "proposed use would sufficiently detract from the public's health, safety and welfare."
The Chabad-Lubavitch branch of Orthodox Judaism is known for its eagerness to engage with the broader Jewish community by opening religious centers and establishing presences throughout the world.
Jeremy Dys, Chabad's attorney from the nonprofit First Liberty Institute, a conservative religious group based in Texas, said the village "even after recognizing that they engaged in discrimination in the first place, have doubled down on it and are trying their level best, willing to stake their resources, on keeping Chabad of the Beaches out of Atlantic Beach. This type of discrimination has no place in our country."
Village officials did not respond to requests for comment while Rabbi Eli Goodman, director of the Chabad, declined to comment.
In 2021, Chabad, looking to expand its South Shore footprint — the group also has a location in nearby Long Beach — purchased for $950,000 a nearly 10,000-square-foot property that had previously been home to a Capital One Bank and had been vacant for more than three years.
The group planned to open a Chabad House offering religious services and education, as well as Jewish outreach activities including drive-thru kosher food sales.
After the property sale, and after Chabad held an outdoor menorah lighting attended by some village officials, the village announced it would seize the property through eminent domain to build its own community and lifeguard operations center. The move came even as village officials held no previous public discussions about such a project and Atlantic Beach already owned several available nearby properties to build their center, the revived suit says.
Chabad then filed a federal lawsuit, citing religious discrimination, to block the village from taking the property by eminent domain.
Texts and emails obtained in discovery — and included in the amended complaint — allegedly show village officials planning ways to block the Chabad.
For example, in one text exchange alleged in the complaint, Village Associate Justice Alison Lewis wrote to Pappas: "Most people don’t want the Chabad and just don’t want to say it. Any secular Jew doesn’t want them." Pappas responded: "Very true."
Trustee Patricia Beaumont, in another alleged exchange with colleagues included in the complaint, wrote it was "scary" that Orthodox Jews were "buying the world town-by-town, city-by-city."
Newsday sought comment from Lewis, Pappas and Beaumont through the village but those requests were not returned.
In November 2023, the village settled the lawsuit, agreeing to drop its eminent domain proceedings, to pay Chabad $400,000 over the next four years and to adopt a resolution welcoming Chabad to the village. No payments have yet been made to the Chabad, Dys said.
The zoning board of appeals held a hearing in August on Chabad's plans because the property is not zoned for religious purposes. The board denied the application on Nov. 12, citing potential traffic and parking issues and the scope of some building modifications.
The village's lone house of worship is the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach, which serves Modern Orthodox congregants.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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