Short Hills Chabad rabbi meets with Millburn Township
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The township of Millburn informed Rabbi Mendel Solomon, who holds Shabbat services at Ahavat Torah, his property on White Oak Ridge Road, that he may be in violation of a zoning ordinance.
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August 11, 2010
A Chabad rabbi in Short Hills met with a Millburn Township official last week, in part to discuss zoning concerns and in part to distinguish himself from another local rabbi whose plans to build a new synagogue are facing local opposition.
Rabbi Mendel Solomon, who holds Shabbat services at Ahavat Torah, his property on White Oak Ridge Road, met Aug. 5 with Millburn Township engineer Tom Watkinson.
Earlier the town informed Solomon that he appears to be in violation of a zoning ordinance prohibiting the operation of a synagogue out of his home.
Accompanying Solomon was Rabbi Steven Bayar of Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, a Conservative synagogue. Bayar supports Solomon’s right to hold religious functions in his home.
“The only thing he has at his house is a minyan. I’m convinced he has a right to do what he’s doing,” said Bayar. “The issue clergy should be aware of is the ability for anyone to hold a prayer service in his house.”
Bayar said Solomon’s activities are distinct from those of Rabbi Mendel Bogomilsky. Bogomilsky is seeking zoning variances to build the Chai Center, a 16,350-square-foot synagogue on a double lot on Jefferson Avenue. Bogomilsky and his supporters have defended those plans before the Millburn Township Zoning Board of Adjustment in the face of sometimes heated opposition.
Solomon is affiliated with the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, the New Jersey headquarters of the Brooklyn-based Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters. Bogomilsky, although Lubavitch-trained, is not affiliated with the RCA or the World Headquarters.
“This has nothing to do with Bogomilsky’s operation,” Bayar said, discussing Solomon’s operations with a reporter. Bayar has been critical of Bogomilsky’s building plans and his presentation to township officials. He hopes Solomon is able to avoid the lengthy and divisive hearing process that has surrounded the Chai Center, he said.
“There’s a natural inclination to lump them together since they are both Chabad rabbis,” said Bayar. “And there’s a perception that’s what’s happening. Rabbi Solomon has been operating well over 10 years. All of a sudden, he’s been asked by the township to show that his is not a house of worship. It’s about timing.”
Watkinson offered few details about his meeting with Solomon and Bayar.
“We have some litigation going on that does not directly involve him, but it involves issues about houses of worship, and we have a special counsel handling this,” he told NJ Jewish News.
If the goal of the meeting was to avoid litigation, its impact is still unclear.
“Rabbi Solomon has some information he has to get to me still before any decision is made,” said Watkinson.
Solomon did not respond to messages from NJJN.
Bogomilsky was traveling and could not be reached for comment.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that Rabbi Mendel Solomon holds "daily" services at Ahavat Torah, his property on White Oak Ridge Road. Daily services are not held at Ahavat Torah. The article has been updated to reflect this correction. NJJN regrets the error.
Comments
Loyal Friend.
August 16, 2010
Rabbi Solomon is an incredible person; a man I’ve witnessed for years helping countless people at any time of the day of night. I’ve witnessed him sacrifice himself and his time. I’ve seen him handle issues that would most likely destroy most people’s ability to function, yet he overcame them while offering himself to countless others. I’ve watched him sit for hours talking to couples about their issues, their children’s issues, and how he could be there to help.
Rabbi Solomon is personally responsible for me being alive today, and being a functioning person. If not for him, I sincerely believe I wouldn’t be here right now.
I know the law is the law, and I know no one is above it; but if this is in any way, as stated above, an issue of timing, or a vindictive measure taken against a person to prove something against religious power, it should be revoked.
I can assure Rabbi Solomon’s purpose is to HELP people. It is what he lives for, and he exercises it more than most people ever hope to.
His life’s work there is to help people. And that should take precedence.
Raphy
August 18, 2010
I find it to be an utter disappointment and chilul Hashem that rabbis in our community are taking sides against each other. For two rabbis to attempt to distinguish themselves or their shuls from another to avoid an issue with the township is truly unfortunate. It is reminiscent of a dark time in recent history. Rather than create an internal controversy within the Jewish community, why don’t’ Rabbis Bayar and Solomon defend and support Rabbi Bogomilsky and the Chai Center? What will these rabbis tell the children of their congregants when asked what they did to help the other rabbi in their very own community facing an obstacle from the township? Will they say (a) I lent my support and compassion and demonstrated Ahavas Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew), or (b) I marched to city hall and distanced myself from this rabbi and his supporters?
We are in the month of Elul, a time of introspection and repentance. This is a time to create bridges, not controversies.
ask7
October 05, 2010
Nowhere in the Jewish News article of August 11, 2010, entitled “Short Hills Chabad rabbi meets with Millburn Township” did Johanna Ginsberg say that our beloved Rabbi, Mende Solomon, distanced himself or took sides against another rabbi.
Raphy paints with too broad a stroke on this complicated canvas, and may as well portray our inspired spiritual leader as a shameful Benedict Arnold, or even a ruthless Ghengis Cohen!
If our shul is being threatened, our actions must be truthful and aimed at self-preservation. The time to stand up for others can only occur when your feet are firmly placed on solid ground… not when the carpet is being slipped out from underneath us all. So the saying ” (a) I lent my support and compassion and demonstrated Ahavas Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew), ” is innapropriate if the end of the sentence is “and because I did this at the wrong time, to the wrong person, we lost the place where we pray.”