Why did the Alliance Form?
The Alliance was prompted by the Hampton Synagogue’s petition for an eruv that would proclaim an area of one square mile, or one third of Westhampton Beach, an Orthodox Jewish “community” for purpose of religious observation.
We are concerned that our Village government was asked to act on a religious matter by “Proclaiming” an eruv.
Why do we oppose the eruv?
Our opposition to the eruv is based entirely on the United States Constitution and the body of Federal Court decisions mandating the Separation of Church and State.
We hold that the Hampton Synagogues’ request for the Eruv Proclamation is, at its essence, a request that will promote, propagate and implement religious law. The constitution expressly prohibits this kind of governmental action or any related activity that promotes the establishment of any individual religion or religious sect.
In addition we believe that the request for the Proclamation requires Civil Authorities to take a position on a doctrinal dispute among Jewish groups. The courts have been clear in excluding governmental action of this kind.
The framers of the Constitution had direct experience with the perils of mixing the power of government and religion and sought to protect future generations of Americans from the risk.
Is Opposition to the eruv Anti-Semitic?
Absolutely not. As noted earlier Eruvin has been a continuing area of dispute between members of the Jewish Faith. Rabbi Marc Schneier has been quoted as saying; he expected the greatest opposition to come from other Jewish groups.
We are not anti-Semites. Much to the contrary, we are committed to defending the rights of all religions, Jew or Gentile and also the rights of non-believers.
Is the Alliance concerned about code violations, busing and illegal housing?
This is not the focus of the Alliance. To be sure, many of our members as individuals take exception to the apparent disregard for the community. They have seen the evidence of broken covenants, and the support of illegal housing. They have heard music played long into the night. They have documented the glut of traffic drawn to advertised events. As individuals, they can be expected to continue to call community attention to these issues.
The Alliance will remain focused on the legal issues that led to our formation. At the same time we will offer support and encouragement to all who fight to maintain the open, secular mixture of our community.
Tell us what you think.
We would love to have you join the discussion. Send us an email. If you prefer, you can just send along your email or postal address. We look forward to hearing from you.
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