Spring Valley, NY – Village officials are working with the rabbi to enable him to make his matzo in a makeshift bakery in his back yard without violating village code, but some of the violations will be resolved just after the Passover holiday.
Village Deputy Building Inspector Manny Carmona ordered Rabbi Aaron Winternitz to stop baking the matzo last week after he found several code violations related to the operation as was reported here on Vos Iz Neias.
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Since then, the rabbi has capped gas lines and removed wiring that connected the oven to his house, the most serious safety violation, Carmona said. The rabbi is endeavoring to provide the village with an engineering certification that the oven was safely constructed, Carmona said.
A third issue – the proximity of the oven to the house – can be resolved after the Passover holiday, Carmona said.
The rabbi estimated his congregation, Yeshiva Mivtzar Hatorah, had less than 50 people. He said they baked about 100 pounds of the round bread a year. [LoHud]
U/D: 03/30/07
Manny Carmona, the deputy building inspector, said Rabbi Winternitz had been given a temporary reprieve because Passover, which begins Monday at sundown, and is almost here. [NY Times]
U/D: 03/31/07
One day after giving a rabbi permission to use a school bus retrofitted as an oven to bake matzo for the Passover holiday, a village official reversed himself late on Friday, saying the oven could be a safety hazard.
Manny Carmona, Spring Valley’s deputy building inspector, issued a letter Friday afternoon forbidding the rabbi, Aaron Winternitz, from using the bus.
“My department is not satisfied this oven is safe to use,” Mr. Carmona said. “He did as much as he could.”
On Thursday, Mr. Carmona said Rabbi Winternitz was given a temporary reprieve. But in the end, Mr. Carmona said, any changes made were insufficient, and he issued the letter. [AP]
Not a bad idea, he could move it to New Square. As far I see here they don’t have any fire rules for safety, and it isn’t far.
maybe he can move his oven to a different village? its on wheels anyway?
No reprieve for Rabbi Winternitz. Building Department today issued hima written order stating he cannot use the bus-oven. The rabbi tried but didnt provide certification on the oven’s safety or the design plans.