Monsey, NY – The Hasidic Community Needs A Better Dialogue.

Monsey, NY – It could not come at a worse time. A fire Sunday destroyed the synagogue of Neturei Karta, the Hasidic sect that courts controversy by its loud anti-Zionist pronouncements.

As Passover approached, the furious blaze brought area firefighters to the shul-residence. Crowds impeded their progress and the firefighters discovered what seemed to be an illegal dormitory in a building around back. Meanwhile, Monsey Rabbi Dovid Weiss screamed arson as investigators had yet to begin their probe.

Over in Spring Valley, a rabbi ordered to stop baking matzo in a converted school bus-oven contraption apparently fired up the ovens again. Rabbi Aaron Winternitz insisted he was just warming up the oven so, if he could obtain village permission, he’d be ready to go with his matzo making. Yet, he had already been told he lacked proper certification for the oven, despite his protestations that his invention was perfectly safe.
While it is instructive to note the diversity among Ramapo’s religious community, the real concerns are communitywide issues that simmer in Ramapo.

What can town or county officials do? Let’s begin with more communication among members of all communities represented in Ramapo. That’s started from within East Ramapo. A diverse group, from a pastor to elected officials to a school board member, has demanded more openness from the board and more responsibility from the public to ask for that. For New Square, efforts are starting from above, with County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef pushing fire, state, county, town and village officials to meet and discuss safety issues in the Hasidic village.[Journalnews]