The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today commended a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey Attorney General in defense of the Mahwah Eruv and access to public parks by observant Jews. The lawsuit alleges that the Township of Mahwah and its Council enacted two ordinances for the purpose of removing an Eruv and barring Hassidic Jews from local parks.
“We commend New Jersey Attorney General Porrino for his leadership in support of religious freedom,” said Joshua Cohen, ADL New Jersey Regional Director. “ADL firmly believes that these ordinances violate the letter and spirit of the U.S. and New Jersey Constitutions, as well as state anti-discrimination laws.”
Mr. Cohen added, “An eruv is a constitutionally permissible religious accommodation that allows one segment of a community to go about their lives while adhering to their core religious beliefs. AG Porrino’s action sends the strong message that the religious freedom of all faiths in Mahwah should be protected against intolerance or exclusion. We urge the Township to foster an inclusive and welcoming community for all by amicably resolving this lawsuit.”
Filed in Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Bergen County, the lawsuit charges that the Township’s Council – influenced by vocal anti-Orthodox-Jewish sentiment of some residents – engaged in unlawful discrimination aimed at halting an unwanted “infiltration” by Orthodox Jews – particularly from neighboring Rockland County, NY.
Asserting constitutional and statutory violations, the lawsuit claims that the Township amended a local sign ordinance with the intent to bar the posting of “lechis” on utility polices. Lechis are unobtrusive plastic strips that denote the boundaries of an eruv used by Sabbath-observant Orthodox Jews. It also alleges that the Township adopted an ordinance prohibiting non-New-Jersey-residents from using its parks for the specific purpose of barring access by Hassidic Jews.
Prior to the filing of the lawsuit, ADL sent a letter to the Township urging it to rescind the amendment to the sign ordinance. The League also condemned three separate incidents of vandalism targeting the Mahwah Eruv and applauded local law enforcement for investigating these incidents as hate crimes.