Etz Chaim Petition Update

This is the latest version of the Etz Chaim of Teaneck Petition. I can understand the feeling of achdus (a closeness) that a Jew feels when they see that a Jewish Institution needs their help, but nothing is as it seems on the surface.

As you read the petition please keep in mind that Etz Chaim's claims are intellectually dishonest and misleading:

1. A few (neighbors) have been going to great lengths to use media and the internet to garner publicity and political support in their opposition to us, in the process painting a false and unfair picture of the history.
The Township of Teaneck’s records have to be kept public and anyone can request to copies of them. Its called a OPRA request (Open Public Records Act). There is a website called 554queenanne.info that has postings of all of the documents and transcripts of the Board of Adjustment meetings. It also contains all the news articles regarding Etz Chaim and 554 Queen Anne Rd.
The website is purely informational and contains all primary sources. If you want the true history of Etz Chaim’s struggles with the Township of Teaneck, warts and all, 554queenanne.info is the first place to go.


2. Despite the misimpression they have tried to convey, our group has been working together with the township of Teaneck from day one, with full transparency and cooperation through every step of the process up to and including the current proceedings.
This statement is false. They have not been transparent with the Township. If Etz Chaim were truly transparent in their intention for usage of the room and creation of a Shul, there would be no need for this petition and the hearings would have little objection, if any, from the neighbors to granting the needed variances.


3. We would like to send a message of support that the community supports the freedoms of religion that this country has afforded us, and that you support the approval of the zoning application of Etz Chaim of Teaneck.
Etz Chaim’s religious freedoms have not been denied. They still meet at 554 Queen Anne Rd for services. No one is stopping them. The issues they are facing stem from their originally applying for a variance that called their sanctuary a family room and not a synagogue.


4. As such, we would appreciate it greatly if you would take this opportunity to show such support, and we would also appreciate your forwarding this email to any others in your communities who may be similarly inclined to show their support. Anyone residing in New Jersey can reply to this email with their name, as well as other residents of their home wishing to show support.
The Board of Beth Aaron (an Orthodox synagogue in Teaneck) had a request to send out the petition to all of it’s members, to show support for Etz Chaim. Beth Aaron’s board voted down the request. The Rabbi of Beth Aaron is a very close friend of Rabbi Daniel Feldman, the Rabbi of Etz Chaim, and the Beth Aaron board contains one of the founding members of, and still majorly affiliated with, Etz Chaim of Teaneck and it still didn’t pass. I am sure other Orthodox Synagogues in Teaneck are also voting it down.


There are tons and tons of stories about schools and Yeshivot operating illegally and ignoring the building codes and zoning laws of their local municipalities. The news stories have become so frequent that it’s becoming the norm, like the stories we read every few days about another Rubashkin or Dwek.

Why can't they follow the rules or are the rules only for goyim (non-Jews)??  

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From: Etz Chaim News
To:
Sent: Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:21 pm
Subject: Board of Variance hearing is 1 week away. We need a few more votes. Please help out by just hitting reply.


Our board of variance hearing is just 1 week away.
We need a few more votes.
Please help out by just replying to this email with your name.
Nothing more is needed.
If you could, please check with any family, friends, co-workers to see if they would allow you to add their name in support of this variance.
Thank you.

**************************
We are currently applying for variances necessary to be zoned as a house of worship, a process every shul goes through at some point in its history. While many of our neighbors have been welcoming and supportive, a few have been going to great lengths to use media and the internet to garner publicity and political support in their opposition to us, in the process painting a false and unfair picture of the history. Despite the misimpression they have tried to convey, our group has been working together with the township of Teaneck from day one, with full transparency and cooperation through every step of the process up to and including the current proceedings.
We would like to send a message of support that the community supports the freedoms of religion that this country has afforded us, and that you support the approval of the zoning application of Etz Chaim of Teaneck.
As such, we would appreciate it greatly if you would take this opportunity to show such support, and we would also appreciate your forwarding this email to any others in your communities who may be similarly inclined to show their support. Anyone residing in New Jersey can reply to this email with their name, as well as other residents of their home wishing to show support.
Thank you.
Etz Chaim of Teaneck