JEWISH PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE ERUV -JPOEWHB.COM

eruv decision

2011-11-09T08:37:00.002-05:00

The East End Eruv Association filed for a Preliminary Injunction for permission to go forward with contracts between themselves and Verizon and LIPA for the installation of an eruv with the determination that no municipal approval was required.

Judge Wexler of the Federal Court has issued a thorough and well reasoned decision denying the Association’s motion for a preliminary injunction. We are reviewing the determination with our attorneys and assessing its implications. We will continue to monitor all developments and will, as always, seek to have our voice and interests of the local community heard by any Court or municipality making a determination affecting our community.

PLEASE ATTEND AUG 21 10AM AT STAR B0GGS

2011-08-12T19:38:00.002-04:00

Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv (JPOE)

UPDATE ON LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS

Special Meeting
Sunday, August 21th
Starr Boggs
Westhampton Beach
10:00AM

Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv (JPOE)
PO: BOX 1741
WHB, NY 11978

WWW.JPOEWHB.COM JPOEWHB@GMAIL.COM

PLEASE HELP OUR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FUND

2011-07-26T18:37:00.000-04:00

TO ALL OUR FRIENDS OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE ERUV

I want to thank all of you who contributed to our fight against the installation of an eruv. It was interesting that our biggest contributors were those who used to or presently live in the Five Towns and have homes in the Westhampton area. These people know what happened to the value of their homes, their town and their school district by the infusion of an ultra orthodox population into their town.
Because of their efforts we raised enough money to hire an attorney and give him a retainer. WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. WE HAVE RAISED 40 PERCENT OF OR GOAL AND NEED TO RAISE ANOTHER 15000 DOLLARS.
WE have over 200 names on our mailing list. All of you are very passionate and have made your voices heard on the opposition to the eruv. But I must say, to date only 25 people out of 200 have contributed to our legal fund. Again these 25 people were very generous and a lot of them know firsthand about what happens when an eruv and an orthodox population takes over.
For those who haven’t given – 175 of you – NOW IS THE TIME TO HELP THE CAUSE - NOW IS THE TIME THAT YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP US ARE BEING ANSWERED. WE NEED CONTRIBUTIONS TO CONTINUE OUR FIGHT. WE ARE ENTERING, AS THE PREVIOUS EMAILED LETTER STATES, A VERY CRITICAL PHASE WHERE AN ERUV MIGHT BE PUT IN PLACE WHILE THE LEGALITY OF IT IS FOUGHT IN THE COURTS. IT WOULD BE A SHAME NOT TO CONTINUE OUR FIGHT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF FUNDS. IF WE FAIL BECAUSE WE DIDN’T HAVE THE PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION WE HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT OURSELVES.
PLEASE MAKE OUT YOUR CHECKS TO JPOE AND SEND IT TO
JPOE
PO BOX 1741
WESTHAMPTON BEACH NY 11978

we need your help now please read and contribute

2011-07-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

JEWISH PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE ERUV (JPOE)

Update on the eruv situation – WE NEED YOUR HELP RIGHT NOW!
As most of you know, the proposal for an expanded eruv is now in the hands of the lawyers and the courts. The Town of Southampton and the Villages of Quogue and Westhampton Beach are the defendants in the case at hand and are represented by 3 separate law firms. The plaintiffs (East End Eruv Association) are represented by one national law firm.
We of the JPOE are very uncomfortable with not being directly represented in this litigation, that directly affects our homes, families and the tranquility of our area as well as concern over our home values.
Who is really looking out for our direct interests?
We have been clearly advised that we should file with the court to allow our organization to intervene, thus giving us legal standing with the court and all parties concerned. This will allow us and our concerns to be heard and our interests protected.
The latest information is that the Eruv association has asked for a temporary eruv to be put in place until a final ruling is made on the litigation. This will be decided within the next few weeks and if granted will be a setback for our efforts. If we lose
the injunction phase, there is a very good possibility the eruv will be put in place while this goes thru the courts –possibly for years. IF WE WIN, THERE WILL BE NO ERUV WHILE IT IS FOUGHT OUT IN THE COURTS. THIS IS WHY WE NEED LEGAL REPRESENTATION.
Many of you ask what you can do for the JPOE.
I must say, we have all done a fabulous job getting us to the point that we are at today. The challenge we have for all of us – is -Have we done enough to protect our villages and homes?
In the past few years, the infrastructure of our town has been improved tremendously- expansion of all our schools, a new library, new ball fields with lights, an ice skating rink and a playground. We were all willing to pay for this in increased taxes. Yet when it comes to protecting the future of our village – this organization cannot increase taxes – we must rely on donations.
In order, to take it to the next step, we really need legal representation to present our point of view to the courts by filing a brief, stating our position and seeking day to day advice. We are up against very strong opposition and we really can’t just count on the Town and Villages to represent our point of view.
At this point we not only need your continued support and your continued communication with your neighbors and friends on the subject, but we need more.
We need to raise money to hire legal advice. We are in the fight of our life and without your financial help we could lose.
An eruv could be in place in a matter of months. We need our own legal representation to represent us -the residents and families of this area. We must fight the opposition lawyers who talk about anti-Semitism.
THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO PROTECT OURSELVES WITH OUR OWN LEGAL REPRESENTATION. WHO IS WATCHING OUT FOR ALL OF US TO PROTECT OUR VILLAGE AND OUR PROPERTY VALUES?
Towns across the country that have eruvs have a large orthodox population – this town and village does not. But it’s the desire and financial benefit of the rabbi to make sure it does. An eruv will be a magnet or “field of dreams” for the infusion of the orthodox. You know the movie – “Build it and they will come.”
I must say that our recent fund raising efforts have fallen way short of our needs. There is very little money left for mailings, advertising and most of all hiring the proper legal counsel. Since our first meeting when passions and contributions flowed, there has been a curiosity to what is happening with the eruv but very little financial support. Most must believe the fight is over – far from it – the fight is just beginning. We must return to the contribution level of a few years ago when we started this fight. A fight that even the mayor agrees that if it wasn’t for the support of JPOE there would be an eruv in place today.
It is now time to, please, not look to the left and right and DO NOT think that your neighbor will help fund our efforts. We need you! We need to raise at least $25,000 dollars to continue our efforts in the manner that is needed to represent this cause. We need you to open up your hearts and wallets and contribute like most of you did a few years ago. Please, the fact that you gave a few years ago –got us to 2nd base – we now need your help to win the battle-get us home.
If every person opposed to the eruv would contribute, we would be in a better position to get our points across to the judge – who is being told this is an anti-Semitism issue or a violation of the first amendment. ... PLEASE give like you did in the past – it’s the cost of a night out -to protect your home and village. PLEASE , tell your neighbors – knock on doors – tell your golf buddies or whomever! This fund raising effort must be met and we only have a couple of weeks to do it. PLEASE, we are at a very serious point in time – we can lose our fight and the eruv will be in place and the make-up of the town will change forever. We need legal representation to do the proper legal work to help to prevent this. Please keep the fight going- we are in a critical point.

Ask your friends and neighbors to help the cause. PLEASE mail your contributions at once to:
JPOE
PO Box 1741
Westhampton Beach, NY 11978
Give like you did in the past and if you haven’t donated money to the cause – now is the time!!!!!
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE JPOE

letter from arnold scheiffer 1/17/2011

2011-01-27T07:53:00.000-05:00

JPOE News Update - January 17, 2011

As we begin the New Year, we would like to take the time to bring you up to date on the Eruv situation.

The East End Eruv Association has filed suit in Federal Court in Brooklyn against the Mayors of Westhampton Beach and Quogue, Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst and all Trustees and Councilpersons of the three Villages/Town.

A bit of background:

At the beginning in 2008, when an attempt was made to put up an eruv in the Village of Westhampton Beach, many people were unaware of its ramifications and its effect on the lives of the people in the Village and on the Village itself. As people and our municipal leaders learned of the true facts, opposition rose dramatically from all quarters and the request for an eruv was withdrawn.

Some months ago a request for a much larger eruv, 11.8 square miles, by the East End Eruv Association was made to Verizon and LIPA.

The new eruv covered parts of the Village of Quogue, all of Westhampton Beach and parts of the Town of Southampton.

This time most of you (our members and friends), most of the area residents, and municipal leaders were familiar with the situation.

When all of you and hundreds of citizens of the Westhampton/Quogue area sent petitions to Verizon and LIPA and the municipal leaders, it was clear that we expected local laws to be enforced and prohibit any installation of signage pertaining to an eruv.

The result was that the municipalities advised Verizon and LIPA in a very clear manner that municipal laws and ordinances would be enforced. Verizon and LIPA took no action.

Last week the East End Eruv Association filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in Brooklyn.

I am not a lawyer, but this seems to be an effort to intimidate the Town/Villages to go against laws and codes and allow Verizon and LIPA to install the eruv markers.

We as residents need to continue to encourage our leaders to fight against any installation of an eruv in the Westhampton area.

The plaintiffs of the suit are Marvin Tenzer, Carol and Alan Schechter, Clinton Greenbaum and Morris Tuchman(remember him from the disastrous “informational” meeting he led at the Synagogue in the summer of 2008. The law firm is Weil Gotshal Manges LLP, attorney Robert Sugarman. You would think a law firm as prestigious as Weil Gotshal could find pro-bono work that serves the good of all society – not one that is for a handful of people against the well-being of an entire area.

The eruv area requested this time is 11.8 square miles. This begs the question as to where those who are asking for an eruv would walk. There is only one house of Worship in Westhampton Beach and it is much further from the eruv boundaries than most people would be willing or able to walk. What is the developmental purpose of this eruv?

The real reason for this lawsuit is most likely to see if the municipalities are willing to are spend the money and resources to continue to fight an eruv in our area - an eruv for a handful of families and a large area with one house of worship that is too far away to be of use for most of the eruv area.

Today, unlike 2 years ago, the citizens of our area are overwhelmingly opposed and our leaders are united in league with their residents.

Make sure that you tell your Village and Town leaders that you want to continue the fight to maintain our way of life in our Villages and Towns!

Our best to you for the New Year and thank you for your support!

Arnold Sheiffer

Chairman

Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv

PS: The JPOE can use volunteers especially with computer and clerical skills - email jpoewhb@gmail.com

harry katz letter to press

2011-01-27T07:50:00.002-05:00

Please read below:
This letter is even more interesting now in context with Marvin Tenzer(attorney for and head of East End Eruv Assoc.) commenting to The Jewish Week about monetary figures in the lawsuit and "a multi-million dollar award".

Letter to the Editor of Southampton Press by Harry Katz which he shared with the JPOE

Letter was published in Thursday, January 20, 2011 edition.

It’s outrageous that the East End Eruv Association has filed a suit against Southampton Town and its neighboring communities, alleging religious discrimination regarding the erection of eruvs on public utilities(Group Pushing for Religious Boundries Files Sui)t on 27east.com, January 20, 2011.

It’s disheartening to see to what extent an outside group, with only minimal ties to the community, pushes the envelope with regard to religious freedom and separation of

Church and state and then, when met with resistance, initiates a lawsuit against the taxpayers in the host community. All the old standards have been put in play: the use of a “not-for-profit

Agency, claims of “religious discrimination” and finally, a lawsuit.

This is a tough group to go up against, a group that wishes to reshape communities to fit its religious fundamentalism, wherever it sets up shop, and has the wealth and legal clout to do what it has to do. This is a group that is always looking out for its own self-interest first and at whatever the cost to the community around them.

Wouldn’t it be something if the group initiating and supporting this lawsuit actually embarked on a project to help the poor of the Town of Southampton or did something worthwhile for others instead of sucking out its resources.

letter from mayor quogue to verizon

2010-12-21T16:13:00.002-05:00

Village of Quogue, N.Y.
P.O. Box 926
Quogue. New York 11959-0926

PETER SARTORIUS Mayor
MARCIA ROSE KOZIARZ Village Clerk

(631)653-4498 Fax (631) 653-4776

December 17. 2010
William J. Balcerski. Esq.
Assistant General Counsel
Verizon Corporation
One Verizon Way
Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920-1097
Dear Mr. Balcerski:
1 received your communication of December I. 2010 in which you forwarded without comment another letter from counsel for the East End Eruv Association, Inc. While I think that a volley of legal opinion letters is not particularly fruitful, I have discussed the latest letter with our counsel and therefore will make a few short points.
The claim that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ("RLUIPA") is relevant to creation of an eruv is not supported by the statutory language. RLUIPA is only triggered by imposition or implementation of a "zoning or landmarking law” where the claimant has a property interest in the regulated land. Neither circumstance applies in this instance.
Although the Association attempts to make it sound as though the serious establishment clause concerns raised by its demands are settled, the cases cited do not address the full range of arguments under the establishment clause. No federal court of appeals, let alone the United States Supreme Court, has addressed the permissibility of an eruv.
The Village assiduously polices its rights of way and removes unauthorized signs and other private encroachments. No government can achieve 100% compliance at all times. There is no basis for a claim of discriminatory enforcement, and in any event that is most certainly not a judgment that Verizon is authorized to make.

Page 2
As you know from prior correspondence. Chapter 158 of the Quogue Village Code applies to the entire right of way, not just the pavement. Section 6-602 of the New York Village Law applies to both streets and public grounds. The notion asserted by the Association that there is no regulation because the poles are not on the pavement is absurd.
In short, there are laws that we believe clearly prohibit the attachment of lechis to utility poles without the Village's permission, and we will enforce them against Verizon and LIPA as the owners of the poles. The Village's ordinance provides for fines of SI .000 per day and other penalties.
Should you wish to discuss this matter, feel free to call me or our Village Attorney or special counsel.
Sincerely,
Peter Sartorius Mayor
cc:
Supervisor Anna Throne-Moist. Town of Southampton
Mayor Conrad W. Teller. Village of Westhampton Beach
Michelle Pincus, Esq.
Richard E. DePetris, Esq.
William W. Esseks. Esq.
Marci A. Hamilton, Esq.

contact verizon

2010-11-09T19:42:00.002-05:00

VERY IMPORTANT - NEED TO ADDRESS QUICKLY!!!!!

WRITE YOUR DISPLEASURE TO VERIZON AND LIPA REAGARDING THEIR PENDING AGREEMENT TO INSTALL AN ERUV ON THE UTILITY POLES THAT WERE INSTALLED AND ARE MAINTAINED BY THE FEES THAT WE PAY.

GO TO THE BLOG WWW.JPOEWHB.COM TO SEE AD LAST WEEK IN SOUTHAMPTON PRESS AND INDEPENDENT RUN BY A VERIZON SHAREHOLDER AS TO HIS DISPLEASURE WITH VERIZON'S ATTEMPT TO CHANGE OUR COMMUNITY!!!!!!!!

BELOW ARE NAMES, ADDRESSES AND EMAIL FOR CONTACT TO APPROPRIATE EXECUTIVES AT VERIZON:(LIPA IN NEXT EMAIL)

VERIZON

William J. Balcerski

Assistant General Counsel

VC54N070A

One Verizon Way

Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920-1097

908-559-5560

908-766-8264 (fax)

william.j.balcerski@verizon.com

AND

John J. Collins

Legal Secretary

Verizon Legal Department

908-559-5571

john.j.collins@verizon.com

BELOW ARE INDEPENDENT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD-THEY SHOULD RECEIVE LETTERS ALSO!

SEND TO CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS ADDRESS BELOW

IF YOU ARE SHAREHOLDERS BE SURE AND ADD THAT TO YOUR LETTER!

REMEMBER VERIZON IS TRYING TO SELL THEIR FIOS PRODUCT AND MANY ON US HAVE 2 LOCATIONS WHERE WE COULD PURCHASE FIOS!!!!!!!

IF ANY OF YOU KNOW ANY OF THESE DIRECTORS OF HAVE FRIENDS THAT DO, PHONE CALLS WOULD BE OF HELP!

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC Officers & Directors

Ivan G. Seidenberg

CEO

140 West St.

New York, NY 10007

Phone: 212-395-1000

Ivan G. Seidenberg - CEO

Total Compensation: $ 14.06 M

Mr. Seidenberg, 63, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon Communications Inc. Mr. Seidenberg has led Verizon since its inception, first as co-Chief Executive Officer in 2000, then as sole Chief Executive Officer since 2002 and as Chairman since 2004. Mr. Seidenberg began his career over 40 years ago with a predecessor of Verizon, holding positions of increasing responsibility, including serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NYNEX Corporation, then Bell Atlantic Corporation, both predecessors of Verizon. Mr. Seidenberg was instrumental in forming Verizon through a number of mergers and acquisitions, including Bell Atlantic and NYNEX (1997), GTE Corporation (2000) and MCI, Inc. (2006). He also helped create what is now Verizon Wireless in 1999 by bringing together the assets of Bell Atlantic Mobile, GTE Wireless and the U.S. properties of Vodafone AirTouch. In the past five years, Mr. Seidenberg has also served as a director of Honeywell International Inc. and Wyeth.

View Full Profile

M. Frances Keeth - DirectorTotal Compensation: $ —

Ms. Keeth, 63, was Executive Vice President, Chemicals of Royal Dutch Shell plc, an energy company, from 2005 to 2006. In this role Ms. Keeth was accountable for Shell�s global chemicals businesses, which produced $36.3 billion in third party revenue in 2006 and operated in 35 countries. During her 37-year career, Ms. Keeth held multiple positions of increasing responsibility at Shell in the finance and tax departments, including serving as Executive Vice President, Finance and Business Systems, Executive Vice President, Customer Fulfillment and Product Business Units and President and Chief Executive Officer of Shell Chemical LP, a U.S. operating company. In addition, from 1996 to 1997, Ms. Keeth was controller and principal accounting officer of Mobil Corporation. Ms. Keeth is also a director of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (since 2004) and Peabody Energy Corporation (since 2009).

Donald T. Nicolaisen - Director

Total Compensation: $ —

Mr. Nicolaisen, 65, was Chief Accountant of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2003 to 2005. In that role, Mr. Nicolaisen was responsible for establishing and enforcing accounting and auditing policy applicable to all U.S. reporting companies and for improving the professional performance of public company auditors. Prior to joining the SEC, he was a Partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers and its predecessors, which he joined in 1967. At PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mr. Nicolaisen served on the firm�s global and international boards, led the firm�s national office for accounting and SEC services from 1988 to 1994, led the firm�s financial services practice, and was responsible for auditing and providing risk management advice to large, complex multinational firms. Mr. Nicolaisen is also a director of MGIC Investment Corporation (since 2006), Morgan Stanley (since 2006) and Zurich Financial Services (since 2006).

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Clarence Otis,Jr - Director

Total Compensation: $ —

Mr. Otis, 53, has been Chairman of Darden Restaurants, Inc., a restaurant holding company, since 2005 and Chief Executive Officer since 2004. Darden Restaurants is the largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company in the world. As of May 31, 2009, the company�s 179,000 employees operated 1,773 restaurants in the United States and Canada and generated fiscal 2009 sales of $7.2 billion. Mr. Otis joined Darden in 1995 as Vice President and Treasurer and held positions of increasing responsibility, including serving as Chief Financial Officer from 1999 until 2002, Executive Vice President from 2002 to 2004, and President of Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill, a restaurant concept formerly owned and operated by Darden Restaurants, from 2002 to 2004. In addition to his consumer service, retail and finance experience at Darden Restaurants, Mr. Otis began serving as a class B director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in January 2010. In that role, he contributes to the formulation of monetary policy, oversight of the bank�s operational risk management and the review and appointment of senior management of the bank. Mr. Otis has been a director of Darden Restaurants since 2004 and Chairman since 2005. He is also a director of VF Corporation (since 2004). In the past five years, Mr. Otis has also served as a director of St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc.

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Robert W. Lane - Director

Total Compensation: $ —

Mr. Lane, 60, served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Deere & Company for over nine years, retiring from the CEO position in July 2009 and ceasing to serve as Chairman in February 2010. Deere & Company is an equipment manufacturer with 2009 revenues of $23.1 billion and approximately 51,000 employees. During his 28 years at Deere, Mr. Lane held positions of increasing responsibility across a wide variety of domestic and foreign units. These positions included serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company, President of the Worldwide Agricultural Equipment Division, Chief Financial Officer of the company and President and Chief Operating Officer of Deere Credit, Inc. Mr. Lane is also a director of General Electric Company (since 2005) and Northern Trust Corporation (since 2009) and a member of the supervisory board of BMW AG (since 2009). In the past five years, Mr. Lane has also served on the board of Deere & Company as its Chairman.

Hugh B. Price - Director

Total Compensation: $ —

Mr. Price, 68, was President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League from 1994 until 2003. During that time, Mr. Price restructured its board of directors, developed a new mission for the League and established its research and policy center. Following his work at the National Urban League, Mr. Price was Senior Advisor of DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP from 2003 to 2005 and a Senior Fellow of the Economic Studies Program at The Brookings Institution, an independent research and policy institute, from 2006 to 2008. He accepted his current positions at The Brookings Institution and Princeton University, a research university, in 2008. Prior to joining the National Urban League, Mr. Price held a variety of positions in journalism, law and public interest organizations, including serving on the Editorial Board of The New York Times. Mr. Price is also a director of MetLife, Inc. (since 1999) and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (since 1994).

John W. Snow - Director

Total Compensation: $ —

Dr. Snow, 70, was the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from February 2003 to June 2006. In that position, Dr. Snow was responsible for managing the finances of the U.S. Government, promoting economic growth and ensuring the safety and soundness of the U.S. and international financial systems. Prior to his appointment as Secretary of the Treasury, from 1989 to 2002, Dr. Snow was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CSX Corporation, which operated the largest rail network in the eastern United States and provided intermodal transportation, domestic container shipping and international marine terminal services. As of December 31, 2002, CSX Corporation had over $8 billion in annual operating revenues, $20 billion in assets and approximately 40,000 employees. He currently serves as the non-executive Chairman of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., a private investment fund. Dr. Snow is also a director of Marathon Oil Corporation (since 2006).

Dr. Sandra O. Moose,PhD - DirectodDr. Moose, 68, was Senior Vice President and Director of The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. (BCG) until 2004. At BCG, Dr. Mooseprovidestrategic planning, operational effectiveness and related consulting services to global clients in a variety of industries, including consumer and industrial goods, financial services and telecommunications, over a 35-year career. Dr. Moose managed BCG�s New York office from 1988 to 1998 and was Chair of the East Coast region, which accounted for approximately 20% of BCG�s overall revenues, from 1994 to 1999. In addition to her strategic planning expertise, Dr. Moose has been the chair or presiding director of several public companies and several charitable organizations, which has given her extensive expertise in corporate governance. Dr. Moose is also Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Natixis Advisor Funds (where she has served as a trustee of the funds and their predecessors since 1982) and Loomis Sayles Funds (where she has served as a trustee since 2003) and a director of The AES Corporation (since 2004). In the past five years, Dr. Moose has also served on the board of Rohm and Haas Company as its lead director.

John R. Stafford - Director

Total Compensation: $ —

Mr. Stafford, 72, was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wyeth. Mr. Stafford joined Wyeth (formerly American Home Products Corporation) in 1970 as General Counsel. During his 31-year career, Mr. Stafford held positions of increasing responsibility at the company, including serving as Executive Vice President. He became President of Wyeth in 1981 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 1986 until 2001 and as Chairman from 1986 until 2002. During Mr. Stafford�s tenure at the company, Wyeth grew to become one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, with significant pharmaceutical and consumer health care businesses. Wyeth generated $14.1 billion in net revenue in 2001 and had approximately 52,000 employees worldwide. Mr. Stafford is also a director of Honeywell International Inc. (since 1993). In the past five years, Mr. Stafford has also served as a director of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

Joseph Neubauer - Director

Mr. Neubauer, 68, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ARAMARK Holdings Corporation, a professional services company, and has served in those roles with ARAMARK and its predecessors for 25 years. ARAMARK�s approximately 255,000 employees provide food, hospitality, facility and uniform services in 22 countries and generated $12.3 billion in revenue during 2009. Mr. Neubauer joined ARAMARK�s predecessor, ARA Services, in 1979 as Executive Vice President of Finance and Development, Chief Financial Officer and a Director. He was elected President in 1983, Chief Executive Officer in 1983 and Chairman in 1984. Mr. Neubauer is also a director of Macy�s, Inc. (since 1992). In the past five years, Mr. Neubauer has also served as a director of Wachovia Corporation, the chairman of ARAMARK Corporation, and a director of CIGNA Corporation.

Thomas H. O'Brien - Director

Total Compensation: $ —

Mr. O�Brien, 73, was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Mr. O�Brien joined a predecessor of PNC in 1962. He served as Chief Executive Officer from 1985 until 2000 and Chairman from 1988 until 2001. During Mr. O�Brien�s tenure, PNC was one of the largest diversified financial services companies in the United States, with 2000 revenues of $5.1 billion and $69.8 billion in assets and $47.7 billion in deposits as of December 31, 2000. Mr. O�Brien was also Chairman of PNC Bank, N.A., a national banking institution, from 1993 to 2001. Mr. O�Brien is also a director of BlackRock, Inc. (since 1999). In the past five years, Mr. O�Brien has also served as Chairman of The PNC Financial Services Group and a director of Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs Company.

Richard L. Carrion - Director

Total Compensation: $ —

Mr. Carri�n, 57, has served for over 15 years as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of both Popular, Inc., a diversified bank holding company, and Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Popular�s principal bank subsidiary. Popular, Inc. is the largest financial institution based in Puerto Rico, with consolidated assets of $34.7 billion, total deposits of $25.9 billion and 9,400 employees as of December 31, 2009. In addition to his experience guiding these companies, Mr. Carri�n has been a class A director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York since January 2008. In that role, he contributes to the formulation of monetary policy, oversight of the bank�s operational risk management and the review and appointment of senior management of the bank. Mr. Carri�n is a director of Popular, Inc., of which he has been chairman since 1993. In the past five years, Mr. Carri�n has also served as a director of Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico, Inc. and Wyeth.

contact lipa

2010-11-09T19:39:00.000-05:00

Write your objection to LIPA using their poles for Religious Symbols.
We don’t allow prayer to God in our public schools. Why would we put religious symbols on our public utility poles -----poles that the customer’s fees(you and I) paid to install and pay to maintain.
This begs a question: Why not open the poles to all religions – Add the Stations of the Cross for the Christians, house prayer rugs around them for easy access to Muslins in their daily prayer, and perhaps the atheists have a symbol they would like.

Local Contact

LIPA/Lighting and Attachments Sectio
175 East Old Country Roa
Hicksville, New York 11801

Christopher Braglia, Manager Contract Management,

Hicksville- phone 516 545-5761 FAX 516 545-5734

c.braglia@service.LIpower.org

NOW WRITE TO THE COO AND BOARD MEMBERS:

TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE LIPA BOARD!

(EDITORIAL COMMENT-WHERE ARE THE BUISINESS PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD?)

WHAT A LESSON IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR)

LOOK AT BOARD MEETING DATE DEC 16TH - A GROUP SHOULD ATTEND!!!!!!!
Long Island Power Authority

333 Earle Ovington Blvd

Uniondale, NY 11553

(516) 222-7700

(516) 222-8048

(877) 275-5472

Michael D. Hervey, Chief Operating Officer

Michael D. Hervey, as Chief Operating Officer for the Long Island Power Authority, has responsibility for oversight of the operations, customer, resource, and industry facing aspects of LIPA’s T&D business and oversees the organization of the corporate office and contractual outsource agreements. The COO oversees development and maintenance of T&D business practices, policies and procedures, and associated functions of each. He also currently directly supervises the operational aspects of the T&D System and direct oversight responsibilities include planning, engineering, fleet management, construction, reliability, project management, system operations, and power restoration. He has over 29 years of experience in various operating roles in investor owned utilities and at the Authority.

Recent work includes development of SmartGrid strategies, implementation of storm hardening policies, capital expenditure value analysis, contract process metrics, maintenance policy review, substation and transmission system condition assessment, and reliability program policies, system spares methodology, improved planning criteria, root cause failure analysis, life cycle cost methodology and probability based risk analysis.

Mr. Hervey graduated from Iowa State University in 1981 with a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering. He also graduated from Hofstra University in 2003 with Honors with a Masters in Business Administration degree.

Howard E. Steinberg

Chairman, Appointed by: The Governor

Howard E. Steinberg is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in the Firm’s New York office. Mr. Steinberg is a member of the Firm’s Corporate Department and his practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and securities matters.

Prior to joining McDermott, Mr. Steinberg was Executive VP and General Counsel of Prudential Equity Group & Prudential Securities, Inc. Previously, Mr. Steinberg served in several senior executive positions at Reliance Group Holdings Inc., including Executive VP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining Reliance, he was a partner in the NY firm of Dewey Ballantine, where he specialized in corporate & securities law.

Prior to his appointment to LIPA, Mr. Steinberg served as Chairman of the New York State Thruway Authority and Chairman of the New York State Canal Corporation.

He has served as a member of the Board of Regents of Georgetown University, an Overseer of the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences, Chair of the Committee on Federal Regulation of the Securities Industry Association and a member of the Boards of Directors of Sheltering Arms Children's Service and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. While at Georgetown University Law Center, Mr. Steinberg was Editor of the Law Journal. Following his active enlisted service, Mr. Steinberg served as Captain, JACG, USAR.

Laurence S. Belinsky

Trustee, Appointed by: The Governor
Mr. Belinsky is the President and CEO of HELP USA, a $70 million Not-for-Profit organization which was founded in 1986 and recognized by the United States Congress as a national model. HELP USA is one of the country’s largest developers, builders and operators of service-enriched transitional and permanent housing. Currently, HELP USA has developed 28 residences and manages more than 2,200 units nationwide, each one providing high quality security, architectural aesthetics and comprehensive support services to the homeless, populations at risk of becoming homeless and working poor families.

Prior to joining HELP USA, Mr. Belinsky was a Principal of Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. an investment banking firm. Mr. Belinsky has more than 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. He headed an international privatization advisory practice at KPMG LLP. He was a Vice President in Merrill Lynch’s investment banking group specializing in Municipal Finance. In addition, Mr. Belinsky has served in New York State’s executive branch and has served as Assistant Director of Special Projects for the New York State Housing Finance Agency developing homeless and special needs housing

Mr. Belinsky received a MBA from Columbia University School of Business and a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He is currently serving his second term as a Trustee of the Manhasset School Board. From April 2002 through April 2004 he has served as a Trustee for the Village of Plandome Heights. Previous to serving as a Trustee he served on the Village’s Zoning Board of Appeals. He and his wife live in Manhasset with their four children.

David L. Calone

Trustee, Appointed by: The Speaker of the Assembly

David L. Calone is the President and CEO of Jove Equity Partners LLC, a private equity and venture capital firm which invests in the internet, software, digital media, real estate and health care industries. Mr. Calone serves as a director of seven privately-held companies located throughout the United States. He is an inventor of a computer-based internet aggregation system that received U.S. Patent # 7,673,327.

In addition to his LIPA service, Mr. Calone has served as the Chairman of the Suffolk County Planning Commission since 2008. In that role he has led the Commission to focus on land use policies with county-wide impact including energy efficiency and distributed generation, smart growth, housing and public safety, and has initiated Suffolk County’s first Comprehensive Plan effort in over 30 years. He also serves as a board member of the United Way of Long Island, of the Long Island Angel Network and of the Long Island Index, and is a member of the Long Island Energeia Partnership Class of 2009. In 2008, he served as the head of the transition team for newly elected U.S. Congressman Jared Polis.

Previously, Mr. Calone was a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Honors Program where he received a 2003 Attorney General’s Award in recognition of his work fighting terrorism-related and corporate international crime including his role in the September 11th-related prosecutions. He also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the NY State Attorney General’s Office where he negotiated the largest state health care fraud settlement in New York history. He also worked as a litigation associate at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison in New York.

Mr. Calone is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School. He has a degree in economics from Princeton University where he was named a USA Today College Academic All-American, was the first person in Princeton’s history twice to be elected as student body president, and was selected as a White House intern.

Mr. Calone lives in Babylon with his wife, Kate, and their four year-old daughter and three-year old son.

X. Cristofer Damianos

Trustee, Appointed by: The Governor
X. Cristofer Damianos is a Principal of Damianos Realty Group LLC, a commercial real estate development company located in Smithtown, N.Y. specializing in the development, management and acquisition of office, retail and industrial properties throughout Long Island.

Mr. Damianos is also a member of the Association for a Better Long Island (ABLI), Vice-Chairman of the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages, Governor of St. George’s Golf & C.C. and Founder and Director of Gold Coast Bank as well as former Trustee of St. Charles Hospital and Rehabilitation Center.

Mr. Damianos was recently honored as Man of the Year by Brookhaven Memorial Hospital and is the 2007 recipient of the ABLI Developer of the Year Award.

He holds a B.A. from Tulane University and a M.B.A. from Adelphi University. He resides in Suffolk County with his wife and three children.

Gemma de Leon

Trustee, Appointed by: The Speaker of the Assembly

Gemma de Leon is the Executive Vice-President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, Local 1102, representing 13,000 members in the retail and service industries. She is responsible for negotiating and enforcing collective bargaining agreements and is the Local's chief operating officer. She also serves on the Executive Board of the International Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents 1.4 million workers in the United States and Canada.

Previously, she was Plan Manager of the local union's health and pension funds, which cover over 20,000 lives for major medical, hospitalization, dental and retirement benefits.

Ms. de Leon is also Vice-President of Association of Benefit Administrators, New York, a network of employee benefits, healthcare provider and investment professionals.

Ms. De Leon also serves on the Nassau County Youth Board which coordinates, funds and evaluates youth services for over 45,000 young men and women.

She is also an Advisory Board member of the Energeia Partnership of Molloy College, comprised of Long Island leaders dedicated to promoting civic responsibility and exploring solutions to issues affecting the region.

Ms. de Leon earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration and an M.B.A. in Marketing Management from St. John’s University. She resides in Wantagh with her husband James Lopresti and their children Mark and Matthew.

Lawrence Elovich

Trustee, Appointed by: The Governor

Honored by many civic, charitable, fraternal and political organizations, Mr. Lawrence E. Elovich of Elovich & Adell, Esqs. is a practicing trial lawyer specializing in personal injury cases. For the past 25 years, he has been the President of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. He is a Nassau University Medical Center trustee and member and Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society and Long Beach Cancer Care. In addition to holding numerous other positions, Mr. Elovich is a former Chairman of the Nassau County Bar Associations legislative committee and past President of the Long Beach Lawyers Association. He currently serves as the senior member of the Board of Trustees at the Long Beach Medical Center.

Mr. Elovich is a member of the Lynbrook Elks Lodge and was a past Exalted Ruler of the Long Beach Elks as well as an Executive Deputy District Governor and Zone Chairman of the Nassau County Lions. While attending law school, Mr. Elovich served as a Long Beach Special Patrolman for two years as well as serving as a volunteer fireman for the City of Long Beach Fire Department.

Currently residing in Long Beach with his wife of 43 years, Mr. Elovich enjoys general physical fitness activities and spending time with his three daughters and seven grandchildren.

John Fabio

Trustee, Appointed by: The Speaker of the Assembly

John Fabio served as Vice President of the Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation from 2001 to 2009. Previously, he served as an Educational Administrator with the New York City Board of Education SPARK (Students Assistance) Program, before retiring in 2001 after 32 years of service.

During his tenure with the Board of Education he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of SPARK in 25 Queens public high schools. Mr. Fabio also served as an adjunct college instructor in the Queens College Counselor Education program and the Department of Health Sciences at Brooklyn College.

In 1993 Mr. Fabio was elected to the North Hempstead Town Council where he served until 1997. Prior to his election as councilman, he served as a member of the Town of North Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals
For the past 30 years Mr. Fabio has been an active leader in community and civic affairs. He has severed as secretary to the Board of the Education and Assistance Corporation (EAC). He currently serves as president of the Greenvale Civic Association and was a founding member and past president of the North Hempstead Civic Coalition. Mr. Fabio also served as a member of the North Hempstead Councilmanic District Commission.

Mr. Fabio received his B.A. and M.S. degrees from Queens College, certification for Health Education from Brooklyn College, and New York State School Administrator and Supervisor certification from C.W. Post College.

Mr. Fabio and his wife have resided in Nassau County for the past 35 years.

Michael A. Fragin, MBA

Trustee, Appointed by: The Governor

Michael Fragin is a partner at the Ducat Investment Group, LP, an investment firm focusing on opportunities in real estate and mortgage debt throughout the United States. Prior to Ducat, Michael was a Managing Director at Paramount BioCapital, a life sciences merchant bank located in New York City.

Before entering the private sector, Michael served as Vice President of Strategic Planning at the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) where he oversaw the Authority's major capital development projects and was the liaison between the authority, the Bloomberg Administration, and other agencies redeveloping the World Trade Center site.

Prior to the BPCA, Mr. Fragin served as Executive Assistant to Governor George Pataki covering a wide range of political and policy areas. Previously, Mr. Fragin was CFO and executive director of the New York based Afikim Foundation where he was vital to the development and funding of educational projects worldwide. Mr. Fragin helped found and develop companies in the telecommunications and technology sectors prior to attending business school.

Mr. Fragin graduated from Yeshiva University, Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Economics and obtained his MBA in Finance and Management from Columbia Business School.

Mr. Fragin also serves as a Trustee and Fire Commissioner of the Incorporated Village of Lawrence in Nassau County. Fragin has been a political columnist with the Jewish Star newspaper, served for several years as a firefighter with the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department, and is an active Emergency Medical Technician with the Hatzalah Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Fragin participated in the rescue effort at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001, aiding dozens of wounded. Mr. Fragin, his wife and five children reside in Lawrence.

James C. Herrmann

Trustee, Appointed by: The Senate Majority Leader
James C. Herrmann is the President of James C. Herrmann & Associates, Ltd., (JCH) a full service insurance agency and brokerage with offices in Rockville Centre, New York, Denver, Colorado and Atlanta, Georgia.
JCH has obtained National recognition as a leading provider of Environmental Risk Management & Insurance Services for commercial lending, mergers & acquisitions and Brownfield redevelopment.

Jim began his insurance career in 1986, specializing in healthcare professional liability and financial services. Today, these two areas represent a significant portion of JCH’s business as they insure many health care facilities, physicians and not-for-profit agencies. JCH is also the endorsed provider of environmental insurance for The Community Bankers Association of New York State with many prestigious lending clients.

Jim has been a speaker and participant at numerous national Brownfield and environmental insurance meetings and was honored to speak at the Brownfields Summit at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.

Jim is an Ex-Captain in The Rockville Centre Volunteer Fire Department, a Past President of The Friends of Mercy Medical Center and a past member of the Board of Directors of Mercy Medical Center and Our Lady of Consolation Nursing Home.

Jim resides in Nassau with his wife Donna, son James and twin daughters, Emma and Sarah.

Neal M. Lewis

Trustee, Appointed by: The Senate Majority Leader
Neal Lewis is an attorney with a broad range of experience in both civic and environmental matters. He is the former Executive Director of the Long Island Neighborhood Network, and is active on environmental issues. His extensive experience in organizing cooperative efforts involving large coalitions and study groups has helped enact policy changes at various governmental levels. Current project initiatives at the Sustainability Institute include the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force, the LI Clean Energy Roundtable, and the Long Island Interfaith Environmental Network.

In addition to his commitment to the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, Neal currently serves as a member of the Nassau County Planning Commission, the Nassau County Environmental Bond Act Advisory Committee, and was appointed by the Suffolk County Legislature to Co-Chair the Carbon Cap Committee and Suffolk County’s Homestead A-Syst Committee to develop an informational program for Suffolk residents to reduce risks associated with pesticide usage.

Neal was previously a member of the Nassau County Charter Revision Commission, which rewrote the charter (constitution) of Nassau County, to make it consistent with the one-person, one-vote constitutional principle. Neal authored and advocated in favor of budgetary, good-government, and environmental reforms that were adopted as amendments to the new Charter of Nassau County. Regarding service on the Charter Revision Commission, the Newsdayeditorial board wrote: “Nobody brought a greater sense of civic responsibility to the charter-revision effort than Neal Lewis.” (“Politicians Imperil Nassau’s Reforms,” Newsday editorial, September 19, 1994)

As an environmental attorney, Neal successfully litigated a case decided at the Appellate Division in New York on the question of pesticides used by golf courses (S.P.A.C.E. v. HURLEY, 739 N.Y.S.2d 164(2d Dept 2002)). He was also successful with a case raising similar issues at the lower court level against Suffolk County (Lewis v. Gaffney).

Neal received his bachelor ‘s degree from SUNY New Paltz and Juris Doctor from CUNY Law School. He is a graduate of the first Energeia class (2006) at Molloy College, and completed the Columbia Business School Institute for Not-for-profit Management’s Leadership Development Program (200

Susan Gordon Ryan

Trustee, Appointed by The Governor

Susan Gordon Ryan has held a variety of executive level positions in the field of education, government, and not for profits. She has had a distinguished career. She began her career as a special education teacher at the Henry Viscardi School in Albertson, NY.

After her special education career, she worked for the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historical Preservation. She founded the “Empire State Games for the Physically Challenged,” a fitness and competition program for people with disabilities, which serve approximately, 2000 children per year. She was able to use her personal and professional background to develop this unique and innovative program that is celebrating its 24th year.

She is also the first woman to serve as Long Island Regional Director for the NYS Parks, largest and busiest state park region. She coordinated all administration, programs, events and activities throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

After her 12-year tenure with the government, she moved on to work in the not-for-profit field including corporate and foundation relations at St. John’s University. She also coordinated government relations, special events and fundraising for several other not-for-profits. Before returning to the National Center for Disability Services, now known as ABILITIES, she served as the Chief Deputy Parks Commissioner for Nassau County Parks.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgement including NY Senate Woman of Distinction. She has served on the Nassau County Environmental Bond Act Committee and is a member of the Energeia Partnership.

Susan resides in Point Lookout with her husband Francis X. Ryan and children, Shayne and Taylor.

Suzette C. Smookler

Trustee, Appointed by: The Senate Majority Leader

Suzette C. Smookler of Port Jefferson, New York has had a distinguished career in healthcare and education. She currently is the Administrator for Hospitality Services at Stony Brook Medical Center.

Ms. Smookler served on the Port Jefferson School District Board of Education from 1996 to 2002 and for four years as President. She is a registered dietitian and served as the President of the Long Island Dietetic Association from 1984 to 1985.

Ms. Smookler was employed by the New York State Department of Health – Office of Health Systems Management from 1980-1991. In this role she monitored Long Island hospitals and long term care facilities for compliance to New York State and Federal codes and regulations.

Ms. Smookler earned her Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University and her Masters; Health Care Policy and Management from Stony Brook University.

Suzette was born in Glen Cove and raised in Nassau County. She and her husband have resided in Suffolk County for the past 33 years. They have three grown sons.

Lawrence J. Waldman

Trustee, Appointed by: The Governor

Mr. Waldman is partner in charge of commercial audit practice development at Holtz Rubenstein Reminick LLP. Mr. Waldman began his career in the Long Island office of KPMG, where he was the partner in charge of the audit practice and became Managing Partner in 1994. He has worked with publicly- and privately-held manufacturing and distribution companies, technology firms, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

Mr. Waldman has made significant contributions to the community with his membership in organizations including the Long Island United Way, the Long Island Association (LIA), the Long Island Philharmonic, the Jewish National Fund, and the Nassau County chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs.

He also has devoted time and energy to philanthropic organizations including the American Heart Association, the National Center for Disability Services, Long Island Children’s Museum, Family Service Association, American Jewish Committee, and Our Lady of Consolation Geriatric Care Center. Education is a priority to Mr. Waldman. He has served on the Board of Education of the East Williston Union Free School District and as treasurer of the Nassau/Suffolk School Boards Association.

He currently is chairman of the LIA Education Committee. An active alumnus of Hofstra University, he serves on the Alumni Association of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business and its Dean’s Council. He is an Associate Adjunct Professor of Accounting at Hofstra and is on the Advisory Board of the Long Island University School of Professional Accountancy.

His commitment to his community has resulted in numerous awards and citations from the organizations with which he has been involved.

Mr. Waldman earned Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degrees from Hofstra University.
Diana Weir

Trustee, Appointed by: The Governor
Diana Weir is Executive Vice-President of the Long Island Housing Partnership (LIHP), the largest not-for-profit developer of affordable workforce housing on Long Island.

Prior to joining LIHP, Ms. Weir served as the first Hispanic councilwoman on the East Hampton Town Board. From 1994 to 1999, she served as Chief-Of-Staff for New York’s First Congressional District, directing the overall operations of the Washington and Long Island district offices; advising on major policy issues, overseeing constituent services, interacting with community groups, constituents, elected officials, the news media and all levels of government.

Before working in government, Ms. Weir was Senior Vice-President at the Bank of The Hamptons, in charge of branch administration, including human resources and marketing, and participated in formulating the bank’s strategic plan. For the prior twenty years, Ms. Weir was Senior Vice-President and Corporate Secretary for Smithtown Bancorp, where she was in charge of administration and oversaw the computerization of the bank’s operations.

Ms Weir was appointed by Governor Pataki to the SUNY Stony Brook Council, and recently served on the search committee for the University’s fifth president. Ms. Weir served as a Suffolk County Human Rights Commissioner and co-chaired the Economic Development panel at the Long Island Hispanic Leadership Summit. Ms. Weir received many awards for her community work, among them New York City El Diario / La Prensa’s “Distinguished Latinas,” Suffolk County Hispanic Heritage Month’s “Hispanic Role Model” and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s “Small Business Minority Advocate of the Year
Diana has a son and daughter, three grandchildren and resides in Wainscott, New York.

letter to southampton press 11/4/2010

2010-11-05T08:18:00.001-04:00

To: Editor Southampton Press

Your article last week concerning an application for an eruv by the East End Eruv Association

has caused enormous concern on the part of hundreds upon hundreds of citizens directly affected by any such precipitous action by Verizon

one can well understand the consternation on the part of taxpayers and homeowners to such a project that would clearly change the character of their villages and hamlets as well as adversely affect their property values as it begins to alter the secular character of the communities in which we live
In a letter from Verizon’s Assistant General Counsel addressed to me dated March 10, 2009 , he clearly stated “ Verizon’s position remains that if the Village approves the attachments, Verizon will allow the attachments to be made to the poles subject to the execution of an appropriate attachment agreement.”
Why would Verizon not respect the municipal integrity of the Village of Quogue or the Town of Southampton neither of which have given any such approval

Why would Verizon rely on a legal opinion rendered by a lawyer who has been an ardent proponent of an eruv for years? Not only is this opinion in our belief self-serving, it is inaccurate as well as misleading.
Verizon should not put itself in a position of changing a community. Its job is to serve the community. Bowing to the wishes of a handful of local residents with a specific agenda at the cost to the vast majority, is not serving the people.
It is time that we investigate the true reasons for this eruv application. We may well find it is for the economic benefit for those who own and control the Hampton Synagogue and their hired minions.
It is time for investigative examinations and it is time that those that can, should preserve and protect the lawful rights and values of our people

Arnold Sheiffer
Chairman
Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv

ad in southampton press 11/4

2010-11-05T08:13:00.001-04:00

WHY WOULD YOU AGREE TO CHANGE OUR COMMUNITY FOREVER?

VERIZON

WHY WOULD YOU AGREE TO INSTALLING AN ERUV WITHOUT MAKING A COMMUNITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT?

VERIZON

WHY WOULD YOU MAKE AN AGREEMENT WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS?

VERIZON

WHY WOULD YOU IGNORE THE CONCERNS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS?

VERIZON

YOU ARE SUPPORTING

THE EAST END ERUV

YOU CAN’T SEE IT, YOU CAN’T TOUCH IT

BUT OUR COMMUNITY WILL FEEL IT

FOREVER!

CHUCK MANSFIELD

CONCERNED EAST END CITZEN

VERIZON SHAREHOLDER

LETTER TO ALL MEMBERS REGARDING VERIZON 11/1/2010

2010-11-01T10:22:00.000-04:00

Dear Members and Friends of JPOE,

As you know, the East End Eruv Association (eeea)is tying to push Verizon and LIPA to install the markers that would create an eruv in our area via utility poles in Westhampton and Quogue.

There was an article in the Southampton Press on 10/28/10. (We cannot copy and show it here due to copyright laws). Go to www.27East.com. The article stated that the End End Eruv Association had received approval from Verizon and Lipa to attach the markers needed to create an eruv.

Verizon informed the municipal authorities of the Village of Quogue and the Town of Southampton by the letter (copied at the end of this e-mail). The letter below is addressed to Mayor Sartorius and a similar letter went to Town of Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst.

The Verizon letter is stating a legal opinion paid for by the eeea from the same attorney who wrote letters to the press in 2008 supporting an eruv. We believe this opinion to be inaccurate as well as self-serving.

Please email Mayor Sartorius and Supervisor Throne-Holst that as their residents you want them to have their legal counsel respond quickly to Verizon and that it is your will as a resident that they vigorously fight this attempt to change our community.

Mayor Sartorius contact@villageofQuogue.com

Supervisor Throne-Holst athrone-holst@southamptontownny.gov

THE ERUV IS NOT A "FAIT ACCOMPLI" UNLESS YOU DO NOT TAKE THE TIME TO STAND UP FOR YOUR COMMUNITY!!!!!!!

Letter follows:

.From: William J. Balcerski
Assistant General Counsel

One Verizon Way
VC54N070A
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920-1097
Phone 908-559-5560
Fax 908-766-8264
William.J.Balcerski@Verizon.com

October 26. 2010
Mayor Peter S. Sartorius
Village of Quogue
P.O. Box 926
Quogue. New York 11959-0926

Re: East End Eruv Association

Dear Mayor Sartorius:

As you know, Verizon has received an application from the East End Eruv Association
(the "Association") to attach lechis to Verizon poles in order to create an eruv within the Town
of Southampton. Part of the eruv would be within the Village of Quogue.
Verizon does not object to the attachment of lechis to Verizon poles, so long as the work
is done pursuant to an appropriate license agreement and with appropriate protections to Verizon.
Accordingly, to the extent Verizon's own permission is required, Verizon intends to issue
licenses to permit the Association to attach lechis to Verizon' s poles.
The Village has previously stated that it believes that its approval is also required before
lechis may be attached to utility poles located within the Village. However. the Association
recently provided Verizon with the enclosed letters, including an opinion from counsel, stating
that permission from the Village is not necessary. The Association's counsel has argued that the
attachment of a lechi to an existing utility pole is not an "encroachment" or a "projection" within
the meaning of Section 158 of the Village Code. Counsel has also argued that attachments to
utility poles are found in other locations within Quogue, and that the attachment of lechis to
utility poles may not be restricted when other attachments have been allowed. See Tenafly Eruv
Ass'n v. Borough a/Tenafly, 309 F.3d 144 (3d Cir. 2002).

The Association's letters raised serious concerns. If your counsel has a response to the
Association's letters that you believe we should consider before we allow the Association to
proceed, please provide it to us as soon as possible.

Very truly yours,

.William J. Balcerski

Enclosure
cc: Marvin L. Tenzer
Robert G. Sugannan
Bruce S. Rosen
Mayor Conrad W. Teller
Village of Westhampton Beach
165 Mill Road
Westhampton Beach, New York 11978
Michelle Pincus, Esq.
Long Island Power Authority
333 Eagle Ovington Blvd.
Uniondale, NY 11553

Thank You

2010-09-26T11:39:00.000-04:00

hi everyone many people asked for the address to send contributions that are needed to fund mailings, advertising and meetings. Address is JPOE PO BOX 1741 WESTHAMPTON BEACH NY 11978

WRITE, CALL EMAIL TO STATE YOUR OPPOSITION TO THE ERUV

2010-09-18T11:11:00.000-04:00

BELOW ARE THE EMAIL AND STREET ADDRESSES THAT YOU SHOULD SEND YOUR LETTERS IN OPPOSITION OF THE ERUV. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SEE A SAMPLE LETTER TO THE OFFICIALS

WHAT CAN YOU DO? PLEASE TAKE THE TIME!

SHOW YOUR OPPOSITIONTO THE ERUV TO OFFICIALS!

Make sure Town and Village officials know your views! We are enclosing a suggested sample letter that you can address, sign and send to your elected officials. See Below.

Residents and Homeowners of the Village of Quogue email or write or to:

Mayor Peter Sartorius

Village of Quogue

PO Box 926

Quogue, NY 11959

Email-contact@VillageofQuogue.com

And Town of Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne Holst and Trustees (address below)

Residents and Homeowners of the Village of Westhampton Beach

Your Mayor and Trustees have publically stated that they will uphold the will of the Village residents and oppose an application for an eruv in their Village. You can email the Mayor and Trustees your support for their stand.

mayor@westhamptonbeach.org

Please Email or Write to:

Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne- Holst and Trustees-address below

Residents and Homeowners of Quiogue and Westhampton email or write to:

Town of Southampton Officials

Anna Throne-Holst - Supervisor athrone-holst@southamptontownny.gov

Christopher Nuzzi - Trustee cnuzzi@southamptontownny.gov

Nancy Graboski – Trustee ngraboski@southamptontownny.gov

James Malone –Trustee jmalone@southamptontownny.gov

Bridget Fleming – Trustee bfleming@southamptontownny.gov

Town of Southampton

116 Hampton Road

Southampton, NY 11968

Email: athrone-holst@southamptontownny.gov

Thank you for your support as you stand up for your community.

Sincerely,

Arnold Sheiffer

Chairman JPOE

MEETING OF JPOE MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2010

10:00 AM

STARR BOGGS

We invite all of our members, supporters, and special guests.

The purpose of the meeting is to be informational and to answer the many questions we have received concerning the proposed eruv.

Among the many questions to be addressed are:

What are the circumstances surrounding the 2010 eruv proposal?

Who are the groups involved?

Who owns the Hampton Synagogue?

(As queried by the Long Island Independent in its September 1, 2010 article)

The JPOE reserves the right to deny admission to the meeting to any person or persons.

SAMPLE LETTER TO EMAIL OR SEND TO THE VILLAGE AND TOWN

2010-09-17T18:17:00.000-04:00

PLEASE LOOK AT MAILING OR BLOG OF MAILING FOR CORRECT EMAIL ADDRESS AND MAILING ADDRESSES. NOTE THAT THERE IS A MISTAKE IN SPELLING OF SOUTHAMPTON EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE MAILING - SOUTHAMPTON IS SPELLED WRONG - PLEASE CORRECT WHEN EMAILING

SEPTMEMBER 2010
DEAR
I SUPPORT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR EVERYONE AS A BASIC AMERICAN RIGHT.
I BELIEVE IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
CONSISTENT WITH DECISIONS OF THE UNITES STATES SUPREME COURT, I
BELIEVE THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT CARRY OUT THE LAWS OF ANY
RELIGION OR SHOW PREFERENCE TO ANY RELIGION OR RELIGIOUS GROUP.
GOVERNMENT AT EVERY LEVEL SHOULD REMAIN NEUTRAL AS BETWEEN
RELIGION AND IRRELIGION.
I ALSO BELIEYE THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT ENDORSE A GEOGRAPHIC
ZONE DRAWN ACCORDING TO RELIGIOUS IDENTITY. I THEREFORE OPPOSE ANY
REQUEST FOR GOVERNMENT ENDORSEMENT AND VALIDATION OF AN ERUV
BOUNDARY AND ZONE IN ANY VILLAGE, TOWN OR HAMLET WITHIN THE TOWN
OF SOUTHAMPTON.
SINCERELY,
NAME:
SIGNATURE:
ADDRESS:

PLEASE READ AND ATTEND THE MEETING 9/26 starboggs 10am

2010-09-17T17:55:00.001-04:00

JEWISH PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE ERUV(JPOE)
PO BOX 1741
WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NEW YORK
11978
www.jpoewhb.com email jpoewhb@gmail.com

Dear Neighbors,

We have become aware that a proposed plan for an eruv is being promulgated by an organization called The East End Eruv Association, which was formed on March 10, 2010 by Marvin Tenzer, an attorney and reported founder of the Hampton Synagogue.

While Mr. Tenzer says that the new association is separate from the Hampton Synagogue, we do not believe that is so.

The new eruv plan purportedly calls for an eruv to cover:
Part of the Village of Quogue
All of the Village of Westhampton Beach
*All of Hamlet of Quiogue
* An area of Westhampton

* Under the jurisdiction of the Town of Southampton

The following is a Press Release from the Westhampton Beach Officials

"The Board has just found out that a group has contacted the public utilities about creating an eruv boundary which includes part of the Village of Quogue, Quiogue, Westhampton Beach and part of Westhampton. It is the Board understanding that the establishment of an eruv that includes the Village would require the approval of the Board since it has exclusive jurisdiction over streets and public areas of the Village and has agreed to retain an attorney to represent Board to review that matter and to advise the Board whether the Board has any obligation to act on an application to establish an eruv."

See September 26th meeting information – back page

WHY WE AS JEWISH PEOPLE OPPOSE THE ERUV

As Jewish people we have always valued the secular, open nature of Westhampton Beach and its surrounding hamlets and villages.

We believe that proclaiming an eruv will change the character of
our village by supporting the interests of one religious sect over the interests of other sects and religions.

This in turn carries enormous social and economic consequences---some of which we have already experienced.

Rabbi Schneier’s 2008 charges of anti-semitism against the Jewish people opposed to the eruv, including many in his own Synagogue, were very damaging to Westhampton Beach. His public relations campaign, including New York City papers, created a false and unfortunate image for our Village.

The Real Estate values of our homes were impacted as our area was battered by false innuendos and controversy over the possible character changes to our Village. Prospective homebuyers are reluctant to buy in an area in upheaval!

Evidence from other small towns and villages where an eruv has been erected demonstrates an adverse impact on the local economy. (Our area of small towns and villages is not Washington, DC, or Manhattan points of reference often cited by pro-eruv groups.)

Our belief is that the purpose of the eruv is much broader than to simply benefit the few Orthodox families living in the area.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? PLEASE TAKE THE TIME!
SHOW YOUR OPPOSITIONTO THE ERUV TO OFFICIALS!

Make sure Town and Village officials know your views! We are enclosing a suggested sample letter that you can address, sign and send to your elected officials. See Below.

Residents and Homeowners of the Village of Quogue email or write or to:
Mayor Peter Sartorius
Village of Quogue
PO Box 926
Quogue, NY 11959
Email-contact@VillageofQuogue.com
And Town of Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne Holst and Trustees (address below)

Residents and Homeowners of the Village of Westhampton Beach
Your Mayor and Trustees have publically stated that they will uphold the will of the Village residents and oppose an application for an eruv in their Village. You can email the Mayor and Trustees your support for their stand.
mayor@westhamptonbeach.org
Please Email or Write to:
Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne- Holst and Trustees-address below

Residents and Homeowners of Quiogue and Westhampton email or write to:
Town of Southampton Officials
Anna Throne-Holst - Supervisor athrone-holst@southamptontownny.gov
Christopher Nuzzi - Trustee cnuzzi@southamptontownny.gov
Nancy Graboski – Trustee ngraboski@southamptontownny.gov
James Malone –Trustee jmalone@southamptontownny.gov
Bridget Fleming – Trustee bfleming@southamptontownny.gov
Town of Southampton
116 Hampton Road
Southampton, NY 11968
Email: athrone-holst@southamptontownny.gov

Thank you for your support as you stand up for your community.

Sincerely,
Arnold Sheiffer
Chairman JPOE

MEETING OF JPOE MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2010
10:00 AM
STARR BOGGS

We invite all of our members, supporters, and special guests.

The purpose of the meeting is to be informational and to answer the many questions we have received concerning the proposed eruv.

Among the many questions to be addressed are:

What are the circumstances surrounding the 2010 eruv proposal?

Who are the groups involved?

Who owns the Hampton Synagogue?
(As queried by the Long Island Independent in its September 1, 2010 article)

The JPOE reserves the right to deny admission to the meeting to any person or persons.

2010-09-04T18:11:00.002-04:00

Bid For An Eruv
Is Back On Table
BY WILL JAMES
Plans to. create a mostly inyisible
Jewish religious boundary
in Westhampton Beach are alive
and kicking, though a new nonprofit
group is behind the latest
endeavor, and this time around
petitioners are looking to expand
beyond the village's boundaries.
The East End Eruv Association
has taken initial steps to create
the boundary, known as an eruv,
that would not only encircle almost
all of Westhampton Beach
Village but also the entire hamlet
of Quiogue, as well as parts
of Quogue Village and the hamlet
of Westhampton, according
to Westhampton Beach Mayor
Conrad Teller.
The Village Board held a special
See ERUV, Page A16

editorial from the independent

2010-09-04T18:01:00.002-04:00

Editorials
September 01, 2010
Eruv Again & WLIU/Peconic Broadcasting

By Rick MurphyEruv Again

A so far unidentified group has filed an application to create an eruv in the Westhampton Beach area.

An eruv is a symbolic boundary that allows Orthodox Jews to carry children and belongings on the Jewish Sabbath within its borders. Those opposed believe that Rabbi Marc Schneier and the Hampton Synagogue, who originally broached the idea, are behind the latest proposal as well.

What it would do is bring Orthodox Jews from outside the village into Westhampton Beach, which would be fine except the community opposes the concept.

We suspect Schneier, whose outlandish and expensive lifestyle has drawn the ire of some of the synagogue's congregation. Bringing in new members by attracting Orthodox Jews would have the effect of enriching the synagogue coffers, and Schneier probably hopes, his already generous annual salary.

This isn't about anti-Semitism; it's about common sense. An eruv wouldn't benefit anyone locally, so it is pointless to even debate it. It's not for Westhampton Beach, despite the Rabbi's insistence. Schneier, meanwhile, has provided plenty of fodder for the gossip columns; he reportedly is being sued by his third wife, recently left his fourth wife, and has taken up with a younger woman. While his personal life shouldn't come into play here, it has, unfortunately. He needs to put his own house in order before embarking on a path that will surely split the community – as it did the last time. The eruv debate will put the Hampton Synagogue under a microscope when its rabbi certainly doesn't need any further scrutiny.

Letter from arnold scheiffer

2010-09-04T17:13:00.002-04:00

ent: Wed, Aug 25, 2010 23:26:06 GMT+00:00
Subject: New Attempt at an Eruv

Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv(JPOE)
AKA Jewish People For the Betterment of Westhampton Beach

To: Our Members and Supporters

We have just been advised that at a special meeting of the Trustees of the Village of Westhampton Beach it was said that the public utilities were contacted about constructing an eruv boundary which will encompass part of the Village of Quogue, Quiogue, Westhampton Beach and part of Westhampton.

While an application has not been made formally to the Village, the Mayor and the Trustees of Westhampton
made a decision to make the following statement to the press:

"The Board has just found out that a group has contacted the public utilities about creating an eruv boundary which includes part of the Village of Quogue, Quiogue, Westhampton Beach and part of Westhampton. It is the Board understanding that the establishment of an eruv that includes the Village would require the approval of the Board since it has exclusive jurisdiction over streets and public areas of the Village and has agreed to retain an attorney to represent Board to review that matter and to advise the Board whether the Board has any obligation to act on an application to establish an eruv."

We will closely watch this situation and intend to vigorously oppose any installation of an eruv in our area.
In the past you have been strong supporters of our cause. We will need you to step forward again.

We will keep you posted as information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Arnold Sheiffer
Chairman

AN ARTICLE FROM THE INDEPENDENT SEPT 2010 ABOUT THE ERUV

2010-09-04T12:28:00.002-04:00

Residents Irate Over Eruv Re-Emergence

By Lisa FinnA firestorm of controversy is set to reignite in Westhampton Beach.

In recent years, the issue of an eruv, or symbolic religious boundary, has sharply divided residents of Westhampton Beach. And now, word that a new application for an eruv has residents seeing red – and ready to galvanize against the proposal.

Tensions escalated beginning in 2008 when an application was submitted by Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Hampton Synagogue for the creation of an eruv in the village. An eruv is an invisible boundary that allows Torah-observant Orthodox Jews to carry children and belongings on the Jewish Sabbath.

The eruv issue ripped apart the community, as many, including a group called Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv said they believed the boundary would create division that does not currently exist in the community.

A meeting organized by JPOE, led by the group's founder, Arnold Sheiffer, outlined examples of other communities, where drastic changes to the area's fabric occurred after an Orthodox influx. "This whole town will change. It's not just the eruv, but what comes with the eruv," said resident Myrna Tarnover at the time.

Westhampton Beach Village Mayor Conrad Teller confirmed an applicaton has been made to either Verizon of LIPA. Utility poles would be utilized for the creation of the boundary. Teller said the application "encompassed part of Westhampton, Westhampton Beach, Quiogue, and a very small part of Quogue."

The application, he added, is "more extensive than the last application," and presented by an organization called the East End Eruv Association. When asked if the association was in any way affiliated with the Hampton Synagogue or Schneier, Teller responded, "I don't know."

The mayor added that the applicant has not yet approached the village board with an application, but Teller said the village might "possibly" hire an attorney to handle the issue.

The eruv fired up campaign debate as Trustee Hank Tucker challenged Teller on his alleged support of the initial application. Teller said he had "listened to the people," and heard the voices of opposition in the village – no eruv, he vowed, would be given the green light.

On Monday, Teller said that it was "correct" to say he stands by that statement.

According to Sheiffer, although no facts have been confirmed about the application, a sea of opposition is already swelling. "Most of the calls I get are from people that are extraordinarily upset," he said. "The feelings are even greater than the first time, when it was obvious people didn't want anything like this at all – now, it's even more so." Sheiffer said while the only information he's gleaned has been what he's heard from others, the word on the street is that the eruv would be "significantly more extensive than the original" one proposed and would require the approval of a number of municipalities.

Public outrage, he added, is exacerbated, "coupled with what's happened at the Synagogue."

In recent weeks, Schneier has been in the hot seat after being publicly caught in an act of marital infidelity that has supporters disillusioned. "People are really upset," said Sheiffer. "Particularly Jewish people. I can't say they've had enough – but they've had too much. It's a very, very unfortunate thing that's happening here, there's no question about it."

At the first JPOE meeting, rumors circulated that Schneier might own the Hampton Synagogue itself and thus would benefit from a swell of incomers on the Sabbath. If he did own it, asked one individual, how would it be possible for the synagogue to receive tax exemptions and other benefits received by houses of worship?

This week, Sheiffer said questions remain about "what are the actual facts here," and added no utility company will act to define boundaries on poles without approval of local municipalities.

After the heated debate first emerged, Schneier announced in a letter to the Westhampton Village Board and the community that the synagogue was suspending the application in order to educate the public. Later, a public meeting held at the synagogue dissolved into dissention after anti-Semitic letters were read, sparking anger in the crowd and causing many of the hundreds in attendance to storm out.

Members of the Hamptons Interfaith Council met to discuss the issue but talks were inconclusive.

Later, JPOE announced a legal memorandum to the village prepared by Yeshiva University constitutional scholar Marci Hamilton and attorney Bruce Rosen, submitted to the Westhampton Village Trustees. The document stated that not only is the village in no legal obligation to approve a petition by the Hampton Synagogue for an eruv, but by doing so, the village would violate the establishment clause of the United States Constitution.

The legal memorandum was commissioned by the Alliance for the Separation of Church and State for the Greater Westhampton Area. Mark Williams, president of the Alliance, questioned whether or not an eruv is constitutional.

At the time, Teller said an eruv "is not unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of the United States is in an eruv."

In light of growing concerns, Sheiffer said another meeting of JPOE to vet the issue will likely be organized soon.

Schneier did not return a request for comment by press time.

lfinn@indyeastend.com

PLEASE READ AND VOTE JUNE 18 FOR VILLAGE MAYOR AND TRUSTEE

2010-06-11T15:02:00.000-04:00

JEWISH PEOPLE FOR THE BETTERMENT
OF WESTHAMPTON BEACH
(AKA-Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv – JPOE)
P.O.Box 1741,Westhampton Beach, NY 11978
www.jpoewhb.com

June 9, 2010

Dear Resident of Westhampton Beach,

We now have an opportunity to preserve and protect our Village. On June 18th there will be an election for Mayor and 2 Trustees.

Who will represent YOU!

Hank Tucker stood up for you!
As a Trustee He protected our Village when
Mayor Teller was ready to proclaim an ERUV
and change the open ecumenical character of our Village

Now we need him in the Mayor’s Office

The Eruv is NOT a “dead issue”
We need a Mayor and Trustees in office who will represent the will of the voters of the Village regarding this issue.
Here are the facts:
June 3, 2010: in a letter to the Southampton Press, Mayor Teller proclaims the Eruv “a dead issue”, and also states that he has never signed or issued a proclamation nor will he ever do it. How can you believe him when the facts are as follows:
April 16, 2008: Mayor Teller called a special meeting of the Trustees and had a
Resolution ready to be passed approving the Eruv. This was done prior to
most Village residents even knowing about the eruv petition. The over 400
emails and letters started to come into Village Hall. On April 25th Hank
Tucker and 2 other Trustees stopped him from doing it!
May 1, 2008: After the Board passed a resolution to hold a public meeting, Mayor
Teller made a motion to pass the Eruv, and it was voted down. (He voted
Yes). When two audience members urged him to just pass it, he tried again
with another motion, and was again voted down. (He again voted Yes).
His past support of the Eruv is a matter of record, and cannot be disputed. Following are important quotes:
Rabbi Schneier: in an open letter to the Village residents: “we find cause for gratitude and thus express our heartfelt appreciation for the vibrant support of Mayor Conrad Teller”.
Conrad Teller: in an interview with Newsday after seeing an ad run by the Alliance against the Eruv: “First, I have the election to get through, Teller said. I’m so angry with these suckers (who took out the ad) that what I’d really like to do is hand a proclamation to the Rabbi and let them sue me”.
As to Mayor Teller’s recent actions: He appoints as Village Attorney the lawyer who drew up the original Eruv petition. In addition, he appoints Vic Levy as Chairman of the Village Zoning Board. Mr Levy is on record as making an impassioned plea for passage of the Eruv at a Village Trustee Meeting.
WHO DO YOU TRUST?
We need a Mayor who stands for the will of his constituents –that is Hank Tucker
The Jewish People for the Betterment of Westhampton Beach(formerly Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv(JPOE) want you to join them in supporting:
Hank Tucker for Mayor –Row C
Michele Bugge* for Trustee -Write In Candidate*
Charles Palmer for Trustee - Row A
They will fight to make Westhampton Beach the Village that we love for our families.
*Be sure to write in Michele Bugge in the Trustee column or she will lose your vote!
All of these candidates have reached out to our organization and clearly stated their support for our position. No others have done so.
With the election of:
Hank Tucker - Michele Bugge - Charles Palmer
We will have a Mayor and Trustees who we can count on to stand up for us and our Village.
Respectfully, Arnold Sheiffer, Chairman
Jewish People for the Betterment of Westhampton

PLEASE READ THE ERUV ISSUE IS STILL ALIVE

2009-09-08T07:54:00.001-04:00

JEWISH PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE ERUV (JPOE)-9/07/09

OUR FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SEVERAL RESPECTS.

WE CREATED AN ORGANIZATION WHICH BROUGHT OUR VILLAGE TOGETHER TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT ITS TRADITIONS AND ITS SECULARISM.

MANY OF YOU SIGNED A PETITION TO VERIZON AND THROUGH YOUR EFFORTS VERIZON WENT ON RECORD IN A LETTER TO ARNOLD SHEIFFER, CHAIRMAN OF THE JPOE, THAT VERIZON WOULD NOT INSTALL THE ATTACHMENTS FOR AN ERUV ON THEIR POLES WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE VILLAGE OF WHB. THE LETTER WAS READ INTO THE RECORD OF A MEETING OF THE VILLAGE TRUSTEES.

THE JUNE 2009 ELECTION IN WHB FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEES PROVED THAT THE ERUV IS INDEED A BIG ISSUE IN THE VILLAGE. THERE WAS AN OVERWHELMING TURNOUT AND A LANDSIDE WIN WHEREBY 70% OF THE VOTES WERE CAST FOR TUCKER AND LEVAN, CANDIDATES WHO SUPPORT THE VILLAGE RESIDENTS’ RIGHT TO STAND UP AGAINST ISSUES THAT CHANGE THE DIVERSE TRANQUILITY OF THEIR VILLAGE. THE JPOE WAS EXTREMELY ACTIVE IN SUCCESSFULLY SHOWCASING OUR POSTION AND BELIEVED BY MANY TO BE A DOMINANT FACTOR IN THE OUTCOME.

NO FURTHER APPLICATION HAS BEEN MADE TO THE VILLAGE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF AN ERUV AT THIS TIME.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY IT IS OVER, BUT WE CANNOT IGNORE THE INCENTIVES FOR THE SMALL GROUP WHO WOULD IMPOSE AN ERUV ON AN UNWILLING COMMUNITY.

IT APPEARS THAT EFFORTS TO FORCE AN ERUV WILL CONTINUE AMONG ELECTED OFFICIALS.

SO HERE IS WHAT LIES AHEAD:

NOVEMBER 3, 2009 THE SOUTHAMPTON TOWN ELECTIONS FOR TOWN SUPERVISOR AND TRUSTEES

WHAT ARE THE POSITIONS OF THE CANDIDATES WITH RESPECT TO THE ERUV? WE INTEND TO MEET WITH THEM AND ADVISE YOU OF OUR FINDINGS.

REMEMBER ALL REGISTERED VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF SOUTHAMPTON ARE ENTITLED TO VOTE – REMSENBURG, QUOGUE, WESTHAMPTON, EAST QUOGUE. GET READY TO VOTE ABSENTEE IF YOU WILL NOT BE HERE ON ELECTION DAY. WE WILL BE POSTING INFORMATION ON ABSENTEE VOTING AND VOTER REGISTRATION FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE A TOWN RESIDENT AND NOT CURRENTLY REGISTERED.

JUNE 2010 VILLAGE OF WHB ELECTIONS FOR MAYOR AND 2 TRUSTEES

THIS WILL BE A CRUCIAL ELECTION BECAUSE IT IS FOR A MAJORITY ON THE VILLAGE BOARD.

IT IS VITAL THAT THE VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WHB CONTINUE TO BE ONE THAT UPHOLDS THE RIGHTS OF RESIDENTS TO DECIDE VILLAGE ISSUES.

THUS FAR WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN OUR ENDEAVORS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PAST SUPPORT.

IN ANCITIPATION OF THE NEED FOR MORE RESOURCES, BOTH PEOPLE AND FINANCIAL IN THE MONTHS AHEAD, WE ASK FOR YOUR HELP. THE COSTS OF MAILINGS, NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING, ETC. ARE HEAVY.

DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO:

JPOE

PO BOX 1741

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY 11978

CLERICAL AND COMPUTER ASSISTANCE ARE NEEDED: EMAIL- JPOEWHB@GMAIL.COM

LASTLY, OUR FORMAL NAME HAS BEEN APPROVED AS JEWISH PEOPLE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF WESTHAMPTON BEACH – CURRENTLY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS AS THE JEWISH PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE ERUV.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PAST SUPPORT AND LOOK FOR YOUR CONTINUING ASSISTENCE.

SEND US YOUR COMMENTS VIA EMAIL: JPOEWHB@GMAIL.COM AND WATCH OUR WEBSITE WWW.JPOEWHB.COM FOR UPDATES.

THE EXECUTUVE COMMITTEE

JEWISH PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE ERUV

ARNOLD SHEIFFER

CHAIRMAN

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

verizon letter in response to our request

2009-03-16T08:14:00.000-04:00

Mar 13 09 04:07p p.1
WlU'am J. 8aJeecski
A.'\5I3to:i: Genera. COUIlIOel
~ver.•zgn
One Vumon Way
VC5'N070A
Baslting Ridge, NJ 0792001097
?hone 908-559·5560
Fax 908-766-82610
WiDiam.J.9alcers\(j@Ve,izor ..ODIl"
March 10.2009
Arnold Sheiffer, Chairman
Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv
P.O. Box 1741
Westhampton Beach. New York 11978
Dear Mr. Sheiffer:
This wiU acknowledge receipt of YOUT March 6 letter objecting to the attachment of
symbol ic "markers" to utility poles. Verizon is aware that this issue has been a matter of local
concern, Verizon's position remains that if the Village approves the attachments, Verizon will
allow the attachments to be made to the poles subject to the execution of an appropriate
attachment agreement. However, it is my understanding that the Village has not approved the
attachments at this time, Thus. no agreements have been signed and no attachments have been
made.
Very tru1y yours,

THE RABBI WILL SAY AND DO ANYTHING

2008-11-26T16:01:00.000-05:00

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Home > News > New York
Jewish Group Turns Up Heat In Eruv Fight
Tensions ran high at a meeting in August on the controversial eruv issue. Hampton
Syngagogue Rabbi Marc Schneier, far right, says the anti-eruv effort “has gone to a different
level; it has crossed the line.” Photos Kelly, Carroll Hamptons.com
by Stewart Ain
Staff Writer
The controversy over a proposed eruv for observant Jews in Westhampton Beach, L.I.,
heated up this week when eruv opponents sent a letter to residents that the American
Jewish Congress labeled “racist.”
“It’s pretty close to sheer bigotry,” said Marc Stern, the AJC’s acting co-executive
director.
The opponents, members of a group calling itself the Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv
(JPOE), said in their letter that they were seeking to “preserve and protect this secular
community.”
“We are concerned that the erection of an eruv, a symbolic Orthodox Jewish barrier
enclosing more than one-third of Westhampton Beach, will forever alter the character of
our village, change its economy and challenge the religious tolerance that has long been
integral to Westhampton Beach,” the letter said.
It was unsigned.
“You can imagine if this was said
about blacks, what an uproar
there would be,” Stern said.
“This reads like a racist letter
about some group you want to
keep out of the community to
preserve it. ... That is the sort of
language of bigots. What are
they preserving it from?”
The letter was sent despite the
fact that the Hampton
Synagogue withdrew in May its
application to the trustees of the
Village of Westhampton Beach
seeking their approval to erect
the eruv. A decision on how next
to proceed was postponed this
week, but synagogue leaders made it clear that they still planned to erect the eruv.
“In the face of anti-Semitism, religious bigotry, religious intolerance, walking away is not
an option,” said Rabbi Marc Schneier, the congregation’s spiritual leader. “The opponents
of the eruv are desperate people who will say desperate things, but we are moving
ahead.”
Along with the JPOE letter residents were asked to sign a petition to the Long Island
11/25/2008
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http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a14127/News/New_York.html 11/26/2008
Power Authority and Verizon asking that they not permit the eruv to use their utility poles.
Rabbi Schneier said he was “saddened by the tone [the opposition] has taken. ... The
anti-Semitism and anti-Orthodox rhetoric and diatribe has gone to a different level; it has
crossed the line.”
His synagogue withdrew its eruv application when opposition surfaced and it was
believed time was needed to explain to the community the historic importance of an eruv.
An eruv allows observant congregants to push baby carriages and carry necessities on
the Sabbath and Yom Kippur.
The congregation’s president, Morris Tuchman, said it is now “clear that there is no need
to educate anyone” any longer about the purpose of an eruv. The only question being
raised by opponents, he said, is: “How we can avoid another Lawrence and avoid more
Orthodox Jews [moving in]?”
“They don’t want this to be another Orthodox Jewish enclave,” he said.
“I’m Orthodox and I don’t have a beard or a shtreimel and I’m being told we don’t want
your kind. ... A non-Jew said to me that he would have thought that at this stage of the
world those kind of comments would be so repugnant that they would not be repeated.”
Asked about the group that claims to represent 300 Jews opposed to the eruv, Tuchman
said he had not heard any Jewish opposition until after an Aug. 13 community meeting
about the eruv attracted about 500 opponents.
“The Jews who were there and those who had not attended the meeting had the heebiejeebies
scared out of them,” he said. “Someone wrote a letter to the editor in the
Southhampton Press in which he said the Jews [against the eruv] are afraid of the non-
Jews being anti-Semitic, and the non-Jews [opposed to the eruv] are anti-Semitic. He
said it so well.”
Tuchman pointed out that the synagogue leadership has “made efforts to reach out to
people [opposed to the eruv] and we didn’t get a hand back. ... They will not meet. That is
sad.”
Arnold Sheiffer, founder of Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv, said he didn’t
“understand how we could be racists. We’re Jewish people. ... I’ve lived here over 30
years and nobody’s going to call me a bigot just because I’m Jewish.”
Sheiffer insisted that his organization is “not trying to keep anybody out. We’re the people
who let everybody in. We just don’t want to segregate it [the village].”
He contended that “this is a tiny village” of 2.9 square miles and that the proposed eruv
would cover 1.1 square miles and benefit only six families. Village officials have told him,
Sheiffer said, that 85 percent of the residents oppose the eruv.
“You don’t tear the village asunder for a few people,” he added. “You should honor the
customs of those in the area in which you live. Some guy says this is racist. Nonsense.”
Tuchman, the shul’s president, met Monday with Rabbi Schneier and the shul’s lawyer,
Robert Sugarman, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League’s Religion Anti-Bias Task
Force. He said that by late January they would decide their next step.
As they consider their options, two newspapers in the community have written editorials
supportive of the eruv and one has come out squarely against. In its Oct. 22 edition, The
Independent, a free paper, wrote that the debate over the issue “has turned ugly, and
those opposed aren’t just anti-Semites — there are a growing number of Jews who
oppose Rabbi Marc Schneier’s plan.”
The paper said that although an eruv “seems harmless enough,” the rabbi’s “ferocity” in
answering those who questioned him “revealed a much darker side. ... Is he empire
building? Does he have a financial stake in making an eruv happen? From where we sit,
only a handful of local people would benefit from the eruv, Schneier among them. That
pales to the scores who feel it is intrusive. ... Westhampton Beach, because of its sparsity
[sic] of Orthodox Jews, isn’t the right place for an eruv.”
An editorial the next day in the Southampton Press also pointed out how a “simple
disagreement” over whether the village should accommodate its request had turned into
a “truly venomous spectacle.”
It put the blame squarely on the village trustees and the mayor, saying that by allowing
the issue to fester without resolution “they have permitted the ugliness to continue to rise,
filling the vacuum left by lack of leadership.”
The paper noted that at a recent meeting of Jews to discuss the eruv, “the specter of
Orthodox Jews overrunning and destroying the `secular community’” was raised. But
instead of saying “Orthodox Jews,” the editorial said “they” and “them” and “other
dehumanizing and xenophobic terms were deployed to cement the image of an invading
enemy. ... The eruv debate has peeled the veneer of civility off Westhampton Beach and
exposed an ugliness beneath.”
Meanwhile, attorneys for the Alliance for the Separation of Church and State for the
Greater Westhampton Area have sent three letters to the village attorney and its trustees
spelling out their concerns that the sanctioning of an eruv would be unconstitutional.
The attorneys, Bruce Rosen and Marci Hamilton, argued that by issuing a proclamation
to create an eruv, “the government is being asked to publicly and officially recognize a
boundary line solely according to religious identity.”
“The reasonable observer who is not part of that religious community would reasonably
believe that the government has endorsed encouraging a particular religious group to
occupy a certain portion of the village,” they wrote. “It would also be an impermissible
advancement of religion....”
They pointed out that there are “active controversies between sects of Orthodox Jews
over whether eruvim are permitted by Jewish law. Some believe that an eruv does not
alleviate the burdens imposed by Jewish law, but rather leads believers to violate Jewish
law. The government has no business taking a position on either side of the eruv
Rabbi Jay
Weinstein
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Jewish Group Turns Up Heat In Eruv Fight Page 2 of 3
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a14127/News/New_York.html 11/26/2008
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controversy....”
Noting that other municipalities have granted approval for eruvs, the lawyers argued that
such acts “offer no assurance of constitutionality.”
The lawyers warned that should the village endorse the eruv, it “would be liable for
attorneys’ fees and damages. The only means of avoiding such fees is to obey the
Constitution’s dictates.”
In his response letter to the village, Sugarman said he was dismayed that the lawyers for
the Alliance devoted “a significant portion of their letter to what appears to be a
transparent appeal to fear and prejudice...”
He wrote that it is “crystal clear” that the issuance of a ceremonial proclamation to
validate an eruv is not unconstitutional. In fact, Sugarman wrote, the denial of such a
proclamation would be unconstitutional and violate the civil rights laws.
He also enclosed an affidavit from Rabbi Hershel Schachter of Yeshiva University saying
that the Jewish people have used eruvs for more than 2,000 years.
He also enclosed proclamations sanctioning eruvs from the mayors of Washington, D.C.,
Baltimore and Cincinnati, as well as a letter of greeting from then-President George H.W.
Bush on the occasion of the erection of the eruv in the nation’s capital.
Sugarman pointed out that there are more than 30 eruvim in the tri-state area. He said
that for an eruv to be valid the physical construction must comply with the Jewish law. In
addition, there needs to be a proclamation from a public official — including a county
executive or the governor of the state — delineating and “renting” the area for use as an
eruv.
During a visit to the Hamptons Synagogue this summer, Gov. David Paterson spoke out
in favor of the eruv.
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Jewish Group Turns Up Heat In Eruv Fight Page 3 of 3
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a14127/News/New_York.html 11/26/2008

interesting article please read

2008-11-25T07:49:00.000-05:00

Publication: The Southampton Press
By Jessica DiNapoli
Group opposed to religious boundary is
circulating petitions
A group opposed to the creation of a religious boundary in Westhampton Beach is circulating an informational
pamphlet, two blank petitions, and a copy of an editorial that supports its stance on the issue to homeowners in
the village.
Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv, a group opposed to the creation of a largely invisible religious boundary,
called an eruv, that is being proposed by the Hampton Synagogue, sent out the mailing to approximately 2,000
addresses in Westhampton Beach last week.
The proposed boundary, which would be demarcated with between 30 and 40 strips of black plastic piping
affixed to utility poles, would allow Orthodox Jews to push and carry objects on the Sabbath. The pamphlet
states that the group objects to the eruv because it will “forever alter the character of our village, change its
economy and challenge the religious tolerance that has long been integral to Westhampton Beach.”
The two petitions, both of which object to the boundary, are blank and encourage homeowners to collect
signatures. The petitions—which are identical to the ones circulated at the group’s last meeting in mid-
October—are addressed to LIPA and Verizon, and the Westhampton Beach Village Board. The editorial
enclosed in the mailing is from a late October edition of The Independent.
The Hampton Synagogue has not yet re-filed its application for the eruv with the Westhampton Beach Village
Board. The synagogue first presented its plans to the village in February, before withdrawing its formal
application that asks the board to approve the boundary’s creation in May, after community members raised
concerns about the proposal. At the time, synagogue leaders said they would re-file the application in the fall.
They have yet to do so.
Hampton Synagogue President Morris Tuchman did not return calls this week.
Arnold Sheiffer, the president of Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv, noted this week that he has already
received positive responses from the mass mailing. “We’ve mainly gotten phone calls,” Mr. Sheiffer said.
He added that he hopes to secure at least 500 signatures on the petitions, matching the number that his group
had already collected last month. He said that the petitions can be mailed to: “Jewish People Opposed to the
Eruv,” PO Box 1741, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.
“There are no open meetings planned at the present time or in the foreseeable future,” Mr. Sheiffer said,
referring to his 300-plus member strong organization. “We’re taking other actions,” he added, declining to
elaborate further.
Last Updated Nov 24, 08 4:07 PM
mailbag @ 27east.com ©2008, 27east.com / The Press News Group Ph: 631-287-1500
27east - Southampton News = Group opposed to religious boundary is circulating petitions Page 1 of 1

alliance response to synagogues lawyers response to mayor

2008-11-15T11:43:00.001-05:00

Westhampton Beach - In what is starting to become a constitutional he said-she said debate over the
designation of a Jewish eruv in the Village of Westhampton Beach, representatives for the Westhampton
Beach Alliance for the Separation of Church and State have issued a rebuttal to the "Sugarman" memo
circulated by the Hamptons Synagogue in October arguing for government support of the religious
boundary.
“The Sugarman memo uses selective citations and misrepresentation of Supreme Court cases to argue
that the Constitution permits, and would even require, the Village of Westhampton Beach to approve
both a proclamation and a geographically defined boundary and zone specific to one religious
congregation,” writes co-authors Marci Hamilton and Bruce Rosen. The duo also penned the Alliance’s
first report on the constitutionality of the eruv, dated Oct. 6, charging “Mr. Sugarman’s reasoning should
not be taken as a sound guide to the law in this arena.”
Under Jewish law, an eruv allows carrying, a form of labor, on the Sabbath, an activity that can’t be
engaged in outside of the home without this designation. According to Rabbi Marc Schneier, leader of
the Hamptons Synagogue, an eruv would allow for his Orthodox congregation to arrive at the synagogue
Constitutionality Of Proposed Eruv Pits Proponents Of Religious And Civic
Law
Kelly Carroll
The Alliance for the Separation of Church and State sent a rebuttal letter to the synagogue's October report to the mayor of the
Village of Westhampton Beach and village trustees. Photos by Kelly Carroll
Hamptons.com Article Page 1 of 3
https://www.hamptons.com/print.ihtml?id=5443&apid=0&sid=35&cid=0&hm=1&iv=1 11/10/2008
on Sunset Avenue to worship, pushing strollers or wheelchairs of family members. He submitted an
application for this religious boundary designation last Spring, sparking a debate that has since divided
the community.
By early summer Rabbi Schneier withdrew his application with an aim to educate the community on the
historic and religious import of an eruv and his estimation of what it would accomplish for his
congregation. Public outcry opposing the eruv has since grown, resulting in the Alliance’s first report and
the synagogue’s response, written by Robert Sugarman, a lawyer obtained by the synagogue for that
specific purpose.
Civil Versus Religious Law
The rebuttal to Sugarman’s report, dated Nov. 5, goes on to contend that he inadvertently makes a case
against the religious designation. Sugarman states that an eruv requires a proclamation by a public
figure that has jurisdiction over the area the eruv would encompass. According to Hamilton, the Paul R.
Verkuil Chair in Public Law at the Cardozo School of Law, and Rosen, who specializes in first
amendment law, this description specifically asks the village government to issue an opinion on religious
law, for the drawing of boundaries defined by religious identity.
“None of the cases touted by Mr. Sugarman address either the constitutionality of the proclamation itself
or the theory advanced by the memo that a governmental entity has an affirmative constitutional
obligation to provide such a religious proclamation,” the rebuttal states.
The Alliance also takes exception to Sugarman’s statements that an eruv is constitutional on the grounds
that there are many eruvium in place in other areas. Hamilton and Rosen argue that Supreme Court
precedent makes it clear that no one can gain a protected right that violates the Constitution simply
under long use. “The presence of eruvium elsewhere is testimony to a lack of relevant case law,” they
write, “but it offers no assurance of constitutionality.”
Division Among Jewish Sects
In an interview Thursday, Bruce Cohen, spokesperson for the Alliance, added that civic law is the only
way to determine whether or not an eruv should be granted. For Cohen, who is Jewish, the fact that
sects within the Jewish religion disagree among themselves on the need for an eruv only adds to the
argument that an eruv should not be permitted. For Reform and Reconstructionist Jews, who do not
follow the traditional rules of carrying on the Sabbath, the eruv debate is not an issue. Conservative,
Orthodox and Hasidic sects do require an eruv, although there is still debate among these communities
whether an eruv is actually a valid way to allow carrying on the Sabbath.
“There are so many interpretations in Jewish law,” Cohen asserted. “The only thing that belongs to us is
our civil law. What makes America great is that we do separate religious law and civil law. That’s what
protects us.”
According to Cohen, the most relevant court case to the situation in Westhampton Beach is the Tenafly
Eruv Association vs. the Borough of Tenafly (NJ). In Oct. 2002, courts ruled that since the Borough of
Tenafly did not consistently enforce its codes prohibiting use of the telephone and electric poles by other
residents, it could not prohibit the association from designating the boundary using these poles. Cohen
asserted that the Village of Westhampton Beach keeps its poles and lamp posts free of signage, and that
its ordinances are very clear about this.
“They say the government is restricting us,” he offered. “The only thing restricting you is your own
religion. Government shouldn’t get involved in the strictures in Jewish law.”
Currently, the Westhampton Beach Village Board is armed with two reports - one from the Alliance
denying the constitutionality of the eruv and one from the synagogue supporting it - and this rebuttal, but
no application for an eruv, since it was withdrawn in the spring. Despite promises that he would resubmit
the application in the fall, Rabbi Schneier has yet to do so. While the report put forth by the synagogue
threatens a lawsuit against the village for not designating an eruv, Cohen said that the Alliance currently
has no plans to sue the village if the government does allow it, yet added, “all options are open.”
Hamptons.com Article Page 2 of 3
https://www.hamptons.com/print.ihtml?id=5443&apid=0&sid=35&cid=0&hm=1&iv=1 11/10/2008
“If the Village violates its residents’ constitutional rights by endorsing and validating religious law, beliefs,
and practices, and choosing sides in a debate over religious theology, the Village would be liable for
attorneys’ fees and damages,” the rebuttal states. “The only means of avoiding such fees is to obey the
Constitution’s dictates.”
View Past Articles from this Section
Copyright

petition against the eruv

2008-10-13T16:38:00.003-04:00

PLEASE FILL OUT AND SEND TO JPOE BOX 1741 WESTHAMPTON BEACH NY 11978

I SUPPORT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR EVERYONE

AS A BASIC AMERICAN RIGHT

I BELIEVE IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL OF RlGHTS.

I BELIEVE IN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT

ACCOMODATION OF RELIGION WHEN THE BURDEN PLACED BY SECULAR, CIVIL

LAW IS UNREASONABLE.

CONSISTENT WITH DECISIONS OF THE UNITES STATES SUPREME COURT, I

BELIEVE THAT NO GOVERNMENT SHOULD CARRY OUT RELIGIOUS LAWS OF ANY

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION. ALL GOVERNMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES SHOULD

REMAIN NEUTRAL AS BETWEEN RELIGION AND IRRELIGION

I ALSO BELIEVE THAT NO GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENDORSE A GEOGRAPHIC ZONE

DRAWN ACCORDING TO RELIGIOUS IDENTITY. I THEREFORE OPPOSE THE

REQUEST OF THE HAMPTON SYNAGOGUE FOR GOVERNMENT ENDORSEMENT AND

VALIDATION OF AN ERUV BOUNDRY AND ZONE IN THE VILLAGE OF
WESTHAMPTON BEACH.

NAME LOCAL ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL

please read

2008-10-13T14:46:00.001-04:00

Interfaith dialogue: Have we gone mad?
by Isi LeiblerMarch 12, 2007
Last year I wrote an article warning that whereas we all support interfaith dialogue and creating alliances with other groups, we must never lose sight of the objective and recognize that dialogue can only succeed when both parties are committed to improving relationships. If we merely mouth platitudes and make concessions in order to curry favor, this may provide a façade of goodwill but ultimately it becomes a counter-productive exercise which our enemies will exploit to undermine us.
For example, at the height of the violent global upheavals relating to the Mohammed cartoons, the World Jewish Congress (WJC) condemned the Danish newspaper publishers and called on Western countries to display greater sensitivity towards the feelings of Moslems. One may have concerns about the merits of such an approach, but it is surely disconcerting when a Jewish body promotes such a policy without either alluding to the obscene threats and violent reactions emanating from virtually the entire Moslem world, or avoiding mention of the vile Nazi style cartoons and anti Semitic propaganda saturating the global Moslem media. Ignoring these issues amounts to groveling in order to ingratiate oneself with Moslems. This impression was confirmed when the WJC's Israel Singer stated that "the row over the caricatures of Mohammed showed how conflicts can be unnecessarily provoked" and made the bizarre observation that "99 percent of Moslems reject all forms of violence... and that is why we have to take actions against lunatics within our own ranks and look for common ground in dialogue."
Now, a year later, the newly appointed chairman of the American section of the WJC, Rabbi Marc Schneier, took a further step in compromising Jewish dignity in the name of interfaith dialogue. He endorsed a gathering headed by Louis Farrakhan, one of the most notorious African/America anti-Semites, whose strictures against Jews are reminiscent of Goebbels at his worst. For example, Farrakhan describes Judaism as "a gutter religion" and praises Adolf Hitler as "a great man."
Rabbi Schneier is himself a somewhat elusive personality. Some years ago he wrote a book on Martin Luther King which incorporated a speech by King purportedly praising Zionism which the highly respected US based pro research body "Camera," subsequently exposed as a fraud.
It is furthermore alleged that at the urging of WJC officials, Prime Minister Olmert appointed Rabbi Schneier as president and Mark Mishaan as vice president of Kadima in the United States . Mishaan was obliged to resign when it was disclosed that he was a convicted criminal felon, possibly facing a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to grand larceny. Additionally, sections of Kadima USA's website had to be withdrawn from the internet after the media disclosed that Kadima USA had plagiarized portions of the Texas Democrat Party's website into its policy program.
When the World Jewish Congress convened a small gathering of its American Section in order to appoint Rabbi Schneier as Chairman, the highly successful entrepreneur Russell Simmons, head of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, participated as guest of honor. Simmons is a major sponsor of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding founded by Schneier, from which he draws an annual salary of $250,000. Although Simmons is on record opposing anti Semitism and sponsors commercials to that effect, he has been condemned by the ADL for remaining a staunch and unqualified supporter and financial contributor to Farrakhan. Foxman asked Russell how he would respond to sponsorship of an event dedicated to tolerance organized by a white supremacist.
At the WJC meeting, Simmons called for an alliance against Islamophobia and urged that the Christian right, Islamic Fundamentalists and intolerant Jews all be marginalized.
This raises the question of the propriety of a body like the WJC providing a platform for a man who brackets the Christian right and "intolerant" Jews together with Islamic Fundamentalists, supports Farrakhan, and demonizes Israel's most important backers, the Christian evangelicals. To compound the problem, the New York WJC headquarters recently wrote to the Jerusalem Post dissociating themselves from their own Israeli Section which held constructive meetings with evangelicals in Jerusalem .
But the final straw was when the WJC American Section and Russell Simmons issued a public statement supporting an "interfaith" rally convened by Farrakhan.
The summit was attended by 50,000 people. In the course of his address in which he supported " Iran 's right to nuclear power", Farrakhan urged his followers to read a number of books including President Jimmy Carter's recent anti Israel book, as well as "The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews" which alleges that the slave trade was dominated by Jews, and other notorious anti Semitic tracts.
The President of Sudan, Omar-al-Bashir also addressed the audience via satellite and condemned those "putting pressure on Sudan" alleging that the "United States is exaggerating trouble in the Darfur region so that it can control the country as it has in Iraq."
After media exposure of Schneier's endorsement of Farrakhan, the WJC American section head explained that he had been unaware that Farrakhan would be promoting anti Semitic books at the rally.
The real question to be asked is how to question the responsibility of a person in such a position who can permit himself to endorse a notorious anti-Semite like Farrakhan. And setting that aside, what sort of interfaith alliances are Jews becoming involved in?
It is bad enough when fringe Jewish groups adopt policies inimical to the Jewish interests, but the situation becomes entirely intolerable when it applies to a body purporting to represent world Jewry.
There are lessons to be learnt from this debacle. Broad guidelines should be established in relation to interfaith dialogue. In the first instance, only responsible people sensitive to the interests of the Jewish people should be heading such activities. It is vital that a cordon sanitaire be imposed on dealings with unreconstructed anti-Semites of all political shades. There should also be a clear understanding that dialogue requires reciprocity and that groveling to extremists is counter productive and will inevitably result in Jewish dignity being demeaned. It is also important that Jewish agencies resist the temptations of engaging in hype and proclaiming false breakthroughs, recognizing that the objective of interfaith activities must be directed towards building genuine alliances.
Disclosure: The writer, a former Chairman of the Governing Board of the WJC, has been involved in an intense confrontation with certain leaders of the WJC. He stands by the facts quoted in this article but encourages readers to reach their independent conclusions.
Original article available at: http://www.leibler.com/article/153

eruv petition

2008-10-12T17:25:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ON AN ERUV

2008-10-07T10:01:00.001-04:00

PLEASE READ

2008-10-05T18:05:00.003-04:00

SUPPORT US, JOIN US. MEET WITH US - OCT 12TH 10AM - STARR BOGGS

2008-09-20T07:09:00.001-04:00

PLEASE JOIN US SAVE OUR COMMUNITY

2008-09-20T06:49:00.002-04:00

RULING ON THE ERUV

2008-09-19T06:47:00.002-04:00

WHY YOU MUST OPPOSE THE ERUV

2008-09-16T17:58:00.000-04:00

Jewish people opposed to the Eruv (JPOE) is an organization of those who are proud, committed and demonstrated women and men of the Jewish faith who are homeowners or reside in Westhampton Beach and its environs and are opposed to the Eruv being in established in their Village.

We all live in this community, some for decades, some jewish, many not. But we all love our open and diverse community that has always welcomed people with differing backgrounds, interests, lifestyles, political views and religious beliefs. All are invited to share in and be part of the pluralistic enviornment that prevails here. It is a community where no religious group receives either preferential or discriminatory treatment; and where people practice their faiths freely , privately and tolerantly, without interference by or imposition upon the community at large.

The overwhelming sentiment of both Jewish and non-Jewish people is strong opposition to the establishment of the Eruv that is being sought by one small but very vocal and connected group. It has been estimated that the sentiment of opposition runs as high as 85% of the residents of this Village.

Join us, protect your homes and love for this community. The rabbi, who has alot to gain financially from the Eruv by expanding his Orthodox congregation is trying to change this lovely town to a religious community. Join us and support us. We need financial help to hire lawyers and fight this legally. Don't wait for someone else to do this, because it might be too late. Send your contributions and checks made out to Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv PO Box 1741 Westhampton Beach, New York 11978.

Email us at JPOEWHB@GMAIL.COM