Brooklyn, NY – New York City leaders boast about how they aggressively crack down on “quality of life issues.” But Fox 5 uncovered an interesting controversy in one Brooklyn neighborhood. Some residents in Borough Park say the city is simply afraid to deal with a nuisance that is ruining their lives.
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The catering hall in question is the Ohr Hachaim Vishnitz Hall in Boro Park on 18th Ave.
Residents have complained about parking and noise nuisances. But the case has a religious twist.
Indeed, if you take religion out of this one and make pretend this is a nightclub that opened in the Upper East Side, most people would agree it would be shut down in a few days. The religious element brings all types of sensitivities into play and city leaders are tiptoeing through a minefield of opinions. I’d love to hear yours.
As Fox 5’s John Deutzman reports, a situation with a catering hall seems to revolve around religion.
Watch below report
The only nuisiances are the inconsiderate drivers that double park and don’t care for the people behind them!
we all know what is going on their who cares what this duezhead reports!
What a chiul Hashem.
The neighbors are not wrong
ask evrey one on the block nobody cares including me thier is one goiy wo dos not whant to sell his house o the alta faerd stein” he like the others love to be concted to the gioyem
Fox has nothing else to report? Why is a catering hall news? Sonay yisroel, what else! Why isn’t there any media attention to the large church on Ave O and E12? They regularly have events and shut down Ave 0 a few times a day! Yet fox has no problems non jews who have needs.
I don’t live on the block, but I would also complain about it if I lived there.
I have young children and would not want them, or myself woken up by the noise.
I live in the neighborhood and that catering hall has destroyed the block. it should have been shut down a long time ago. In no other area would a catering hall be acceptable on avresidential block. shut it down!!
this isnt the first time this hall made the news. there was story recently in that was initiated by frum jews who are neighbors who are complanining
Mr. Steinberg is 100% right. If you LISTENED to the report he is not demanding so much that the hall closes down. What Mr. Steinberg is DEMANDING from VISNITZ is that the people DO NOT DOUBLE Park, Do not BLOCK driveways, DO NOT USE OTHER peoples driveways, DO NOT HONK, DO NOT MAKE NOISE all NIGHT OUTSIDE.
How would YOU Like it if you lived ont he block? It’s very easy to say things about other people when your not in the siuation but I guarantee that anyone reading this blog that if someone blocked your driveway every night f the week you would slash the tires.
Why can’t 53 St just have peace and quiet?
Why do boro parkers think they can do whatever the hell they want all the time?
The chilul hashem that is caused by some people is a total disgrace and people who can’t consider other people who live on the block are outright disgusting.
I do not live on the block but I know from sometimes driving down the block that it’s a 24 hour chilul hashem. With the grabage, honking, double parking and chupahs on the street all the time there is no resale value to the homes on the block.
I do not know how anyone can side with Visnitz.
From watching this report I must add that the Visnitz spokespeople sound like idiots. If Visnits really cared about the block they would have said we agree and we are trying and then list 5 concrete list of things to the fox 5 reporter as to how they will assure that there is peace and quiet and quality of life on the block but VISNITZ decided to tell the reporter nothing and wave their hand at the microphone which is typical of stupid people when confronted with REAL issues.
Visnitz looked real bad in the report and all you people can say it’s the media fault.
Everytime there is anyhting negative about us all i hear and see is idiots screaming media anti semites………
We should correct our ways and stop thinking we are above everything.
In Summary: STOP blocking peoples driveways
DO NOT BLOCK driveways that do not belong to you.
DO NOT HONK unless it’s to warn of danger.
DO NOT HONK to alert someone your there. USE a cell phone.
DO NOT BLOCK FIRE HYDRANTS
Is this asking to much?
This is a tough one to call. The greater Boro Park community, Bli Ayin Hara, is growing. Even on a typical block it is very hard to find parking. Add to that a busy wedding hall and you see what inconveniences it produces. I certainly would not want a hall opening on my block.
On the other hand, this hall is run by a moised and many people don’t want to disrupt the weddings and the yeshiva’s money generating business.
Why doesnt Aters Chayah have this problem?
its a bala gan
This is Simcha Felder and co’s. fault. The zoning laws should be rewritten to allow catering halls to be built ONLY with parking lots!
Instead of kowtowing to Al Gore, Bloomy, Felder and all the enivromentalists and car-haters who wish everyone would just take bikes and segways, let’s get used to it. Cars are a part of life. Let’s do whatever we can to make this city car-friendly. And if that means building more lots, or rewriting the zoning laws (instead of kissing up to the people giving you money under the table), it’s time for our elected officials to do what’s best for the majority.
How about some common midos on the the part of the celebrants. Keep the party inside and midos outside. Also, they could offer the neighbors some money for the tircha.
there is a simple and wise solution to the whole huge wedding situation.
It is time to curtail the size and cost of weddings. Rabbis should have put a stop to the ridiculous spending and size of weddings long long ago. .
This is all part of a bigger problem. B’chal people do tend to be selfish and some actually do not even understand what it means to be mentshlich. I too live on a street that was once upon a time quiet and residential – now it has become no different than the Avenues and Boulevards. I do not like it one bit and wish to get out of the city altogether. The taxes are going up the quality of life is deteriorating – the mayor thinks he is G-d and can continue to tax and ticket us from every possible angle. Nevertheless, while people are living on a street that was meant to be residential they most certainly have a right to attempt to get their street back.
The problem here is this Yeshiva and wedding hall fall under “community service”. And there are shades of gray that needs to be defined by the courts. I wish they would do this once and for all and it should apply to all of NYC. Excessive traffic in general due to any service or business that can be termed “community service”
should not be allowed. It is totally unfair and simply wrong to allow one to gain on another’s genuine pain.
When a neighborhood’s quality of life is disturbed it is totally wrong!!!!!
Excessive deliveries, buses, taxies etc are all disturbances and should help the court decide what is permissible.
built halls in commercial area , just like in lakewood or other areas , where zoning allows them , and dont use a fake ” assmebly hall ” for renting a wedding hall
I agree with the neighbors to a point.
One thing that should help would be if cars which were parked blocking pumps and driveways were immediatly towed. Do that a few times and word will get out not to block driveways. A former Rebbe of mine lives across the street and his Hatzola driveway is usually blocked by some shoyta on most nights. They should be towed and let these people go find their cars in the pound.
I am wondering if th neighbors knew this was going to be a catering hall too. I believe they did know, in which case this should have been dealt with 10 years ago.
The other thing I would suggest is moving the chuppa inside. Granted they dont have an open roof except in one small room but too bad.
Personally, I am rooting for the neighbors!
Never get on the wrong side of a disgruntled individual with time to spare.
I am a driving instructor. The DANGER alone presented by people walking into the street in front of cars every night on 53rd Street makes me avoid that street after dark.
It seems to me:
You can not stop your guests from honking.
You CAN build a parking lot, and pay for it.
You can not force your guests to walk to the chasuna.
You CAN offer valet parking, and pay for it.
You can not force the neighbors to be happy about this major infringement on their normal personal lives.
You CAN move midarkei shalom.
You can not do whatever you want, wherever you want, just because you are in an economic position to do so.
You CAN encourage those in power to care about the yidden on your block who are not part of your personal family, Clan, or Shtiebel.
You can not be responsible for what others do on the night of your child’s wedding.
You CAN be held accountable for lifnei iver lo sitein michshol.
You CAN not be considered a rasha, or a malshin, or a sonei yisrael for protesting an invasion of your space, robbing of your sleep, reduction of your menuchas hanefesh by selfish people.
You CAN have an ayin tova – but it gets more and more difficult.
Kol Yisrael Areivim zeh bazeh.
If you cause a Yid or an Aino Yehudi to resent Yidden, Or Yiddishkeit because of your actions… then what they do with that resentment is not called anti-semitism. If you want shem shomayim to be misahev because of you, become a baki in Mishnayos Avos, before learning Hilchos Eruvin.
May we all be zoche to see Klal Yisroel get smarter, and do the right thing!
Not only is the Yeshiva/Wedding Hall ownership & management to blame, but really anyone who makes a wedding there is to blame as well. It takes two to tango.
I drive down this block frequently and I feel for the residents. It must be extremely frustrating. Not only the typical traffic problems of a catering hall with no parking, which would be frustrating enough, but the incredible arrogance of the double-parking. The drivers simply stop their vehicles whereever they want. Even if there is a spot next to the curb just one car-length in front of them, they will double-park right behind the empty space. And since so many vehicles are vans or SUV’s, it only takes about 30 seconds for a traffic blockage to begin, when a vehicle driving by can’t bypass the double-parked car.
I have never understood that particular level of chutzpa. If you have to pull over to let someone in or out, drive a few feet forward and pull up next to the curb so as not to inconvenience all the other drivers behind you. It seems like common sense and common courtesy, but it is almost non-existent in Boro Park. Since I am on 53rd St so frequently, and vehicles so frequently double-park there during events, I feel the nuisance there more than elsewhere.
The residents have every right to be annoyed. I’d be at the forefront of the protest if I lived there.
Sorry, but I live near Ateres Chaya and it’s no better. There’s an apartment house on the block too= never a parking spot. If people wouldn’t honk lie maniacs at midnight, quality of life would instantly improve.
The Visnitz hall is one of the cheapest halls in BP. Where do you want the non-wealthy to make simchos once Ateres Shlomo and Torah Vyirah are booked???
I send my children to that mpsed , so I personally know most of the people there (I’m not a viznitzer chusid) and I can’t emphasize enough how wonderfull they all are, they cany be responsible for everybody’s actions. They don’t charge high tuition so they really need this to help with running the mosed. Its important we all do our part in Behaving like the am hanivchar
to #29 what you say has nothing to do with this subject…what has the melamed,cook, kindergaten teacher office secretary etc etc got to do with this?? of course they are nice people..een the adminitratr is nice personbut he has to make $$ for the school and that is not yoisher to rattle peoples lives..
It’s a chillul Hashem, plain and simple. It’s too bad the neighborhood people can’t simply vandalize the cars that are parked in their driveways. That would take care of the problem very quickly.
What I don’t understand, is the people on the block who claim that cars are blocking their driveways why don’t they call towing company to come and tow the cars away all they need to do is get the Police to ticket the vehicles and the towing company’s will be glad to tow the cars Hay…its a great business…
the neighbors are 100% right!!!!!!
if you think the neighbors are wrong, just try to imagine 4 nights a week having 300 men singin to newlyweds outside your bedroom window
they need to close that place down……PERIOD.
First of all lets begin that no one said the yeshiva should move , we all understand that everyone wants yeshivas closeby as difficult as it is it’s needed ..but the Catering Hall IS A BUSSINESS that part is a gevaldigeh chutzpah from the yeshivas part ,not just viznits but Ateres Chaya is just as guilty they provide no parking no noise control they COMPLETLY disregarded the community when they built it ..and they knew that full well..they DON’T give a damn (pardon the language) about the anyone ,,because who is going to start up with viznitz or satmar ,but the truth is ,it completely ruins and destroys the neighbors lives for blocks around, just knock on any one of those neighbors doors they will tell you ,,I know I was one of them ..all in the name of making a few bucks..shame on them
WHY CANT THE ROSH YESHIVAAH LEARN THE FIRST PEREK OF BAVA BASRA
Somehow in the name of a mokoim kodosh or a beis hakneses, the liberty is taken to step on neighbors rights Just because you protray yourself to be heilige yidden and of course leshem shomayim,does not give you the right to be metzaar your neighbors who have been there way before you. This is nothing less then gezeilah in the name of a moised.Moisdes are not exempt from conducting themselves mentchlech unlike midas sedoim,the same applies to shuls that open catering facilities in their basements under the guise that it is exclusively for their mispalelim and then rent it every night to whoever desires and make a commercial business out of it. G-d forbid if you’re opinion is against a Rov’s initiative who chooses to build a shul and catering facility and you disagree. The hipocracy is incredible and that’s why you set an example to the rest of us. If the higher ups behave like chayes and distort the truth,how should the simple yid behave.Why don’t you behave the way you dress and respect others.these actions are nothing less than a chilul hashem and gezeilah from the surrounding neighbors that live there.It doesn’t matter how many blatt gemoroh you learn or many shiurim you give or how many times you went to the mikveh.When you act selfishly you are a sedoimnik and shame on you for playing that frumkeit game.Start by the leoilom yehai odom, and treat others the way you want to be treated yourself,you wouldn’t like it if it was done on your block or if you were mistreated. Think about it.
Its funny there is a mosque in manhattan on 72nd street. every friday yellow taxi triple park blocking the entire street. the police are afraid to do anything about it. why arent they reporting about that?
I live nearby and as much as i love the convenience of attending weddings at this location I hate the terrible disturbances that go on to the neighbors. even if this is just one activist’s work he has hundreds of silent supporters.
If, under my window, a group of men would sing the melodys associated with the awesome kedusah of chupah, I would never CLOSE my window.
I am a neighbor. The complainer here is on a mission to destroy Viznitz. He is as mad at the yeshiva as he is about the catering hall. It is just that he doesn’t have any basis to challenge the beis hamedrash or the yeshiva, otherwise he would be taking them to court also. How do I know that? He told me so.
As a neighbor, I am also set back by the parking issue, and the traffic on the block is a major nuisance. But, as in other areas of life, learn to cope. I may circle several times before parking, which sometimes happens because of other reasons, and I sometimes look to drive through another block instead of 53 if there is a jam there. I graciously accept these nuisances, as long as we have places where our children can get married. I agree that one should be required to build parking lots if building a catering hall, but we are dealing with this issue after the fact. All my neighbors signed the petition to keep Viznitz hall, and for basically the same reasons.
It would be a Kiddush Hashem to devise ways to live with this.
put the hall on a commercial block. property values are down. have an appeal and buy a new hall. bp has the money
No matter who’s right it’s a Chilul Hashem to be Mefarsim to Goyim and to the Media.
Yom Kippur is not mechaper for such aveiros.
EVEN IF HE IS RIGHT, HE IS WRONG WRONG WRONG,
CHILLUL HASHEM
What a chillul Hashem. You don’t like the fact that yiddishe kinder are getting married and bringing in new generations, so MOVE. Noone is forcing anyone to stay. They already did so much to help the neighbors. You barely hear the music outside, there is a guard directing traffic so noone parks nearby and makes a lot of noise. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT??? I can’t get over this huge aveirah. I hope all those kind neighbors who gave the interview will not get punished by Hashem for causing such a chillul Hashem. I’m in disbelief.
I am not from Boro Park but I am a Jew like yourselves. Just looking at this report without knowing the reporter or station gives me great concern. First of all there is major Chillul Hashem happening here. When I do visit Boro Park the disregard to other people in regards to parking is disgusting. This is a FACT!! Also, there is absolutely NO heter for Gezel Sheyna even if you are so-called “allowed” to do it. American law does NOT allow us to disregard the Halacha which says that you cannot do Gezel Sheyna. Like I said I do not live in New York but I am a frum Jew and can understand if Mr. Steinberg felt it was neccesary to let the problems be told. I am sure (and you must be Dan L’caf Zechus also) that he asked Daas Torah before letting the proper authorities know what problems are happening.
This property was said to be sold either to the Viznitz or to a lumber yard. Who in the world would ever want a lumber yard with trailers and tractors on their street. In my opinion a wedding hall is quieter.
“ou CAN not be considered a rasha, or a malshin, or a sonei yisrael for protesting an invasion of your space, robbing of your sleep, reduction of your menuchas hanefesh by selfish people.”
Actually you CAN – when the “protest” takes the form of Mesirah. I do have sympathy for the neighbors; a parking lot SHOULD have been part of the Building plans from the get go. But, you can’t really claim that it’s a matter of pikuahc nefesh, so mesira (the police) and erko’os (secular courts) are a problem (unless they had already gone to Beis Din, who then allowed them to go to court. I have no doubt that this would have been mentioned, had it been the case.)
As a neighbor of the hall, I would like to say “Shame on you Mr. Steinberg and shame on your son” it is a privilage to live on such a block with such zeesa kinder and such nice lebedige simchas, the area is constantly cleaned and maintained, I also know for a fact that viznitz had a private security guard and he was constantly being harrased by Steinberg and that chases away the guard, all I can say that “The grouchy unhappy creature Steinberg” causes much more pain and suffering to the neighbors then the beautiful hall that helps make chasuna for a reasonable price, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY NEEDS THE HALL! PLEASE POST YOUR COMMENTS AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
this building and the CATRING HALL was all built according to law, with permits, filing, co, and recordings, they followed the rolls of building and zoning codes 100 percent. After 6 years of operating the building dept with pressure from I. Steinberg the neighbor (btw he works in the building dept for over 20 yrs……) revoked the co with an accuse that they never used before. And since then it’s in court. and because viznitz followed the law that’s why all the judges said it could still operate till the end of the hearings and that’s why NO JUDGE till now said any thing wrong about that hall they all say for the building dept, hey if u have a problem u should have said that in the beginning
I am a neighbor of the Viznits Hall, and I often have difficulty parking in the neighborhood when there is a simcha there. As much as I am put off by the parking problem, I am also aware that there is a shortage of wedding and simcha halls. I was challenged by the protesting neighbor once that I signed the petition against him, and he only knew that because every single neighbor on the block signed on the side of the Hall. I will gladly accept the trouble to find parking, as long as we have more opportunities to have Yiddishe simchas. I personally find his mesira and court actions offensive.
I want you all to listen to me. You should know that it’s the only nice decent hall that has rock bottom prices! they are here to serve the community, and to make ends meet to finance that yiddishe kinder should be able to sit and learn in chaider.
This is not a money making business for someones pocket!
I understand some neighbors have problems with parking, but, hey, the community needs it. No body wants to live near a fish store, but every neighborhood needs it, so the ones living nearby have to bear with the smell. I can talk, because I used to live near viznitz hall, and now live near some other hall.
I do my share to the community by living next to Ateres Chaya. Just tonight it took me 13 minutes! (I times it) to go from 13 to 14th on 54th street, and another 5 to pass all double parked cars between 14th and 15. But you know what? I don’t run to call police, because I hope to one day marry off my kids and these will be the halls I will be using! so we are all in this together!
But sadly mr stienberg doesn’t have to worry about this with his bucher. I hope he finds a shidduch soon, maybe then will he stop harassing other people who are fortunate enough to marry off theirs…
As a side note you should know that he had costed viznitz already well over $200,000 dollars in lawyer and court fees! yes, Two Hundred thousand dollars!
Does anyone remember what was there before Vishnitz? It was a Commercial building zoned commercial. People were scared to go down that block because of the hangouts that were there. So a nice Yiddishe Moisad goes gets permits builds a nice Yeshiva with a hall that can help support the Moisad and this neighbor has problems with it. And to all those commeting that they should build with parking lots, as it is most people can not afford to make chasunas. Add the parking realestate cost and no one can afford it. Most people do walk to the hall since it is local. Those that cant (live to far) have to find parking. Yes it would be nice if everyone was considerate. However when you have 400-600 people coming to a chasuna there are always a certain percentage of people who are not considerate. Does that warrant a water balloon on the Choson Kallah? Steinberg go get a life!
a) We need these wedding halls as a community. Sure it’s a hardsship on those living on these blocks. It’s part of the cost of living in a heimish area. If it’s real bad, they can sell and move.
b) The noise is caused by the PEOPLE coming/going from these halls. they are the inconsiderate ones that make noise even though they know that they are bothering the people living there. These people are the cause of these problems.
c) Viznitz suffers from traffic of the Flatbush crowd, as 53rd is a conduit for that traffic coming to BP. So it’s not only the hall that creates the traffic and noise
c) He is a “mooser”, regardles of Viznitzer hall. Statements that he said in court would make you cringe.
d) Viznitz has offered to buy his house at $100,000 more than his best offer. he doesn’t want to move. This issue gives this Rasha and his nebech son what to do.
e) If we close all these heimish halls – you will be driving to Long Island to make chasuna – and no one will come – Good for you.
to all bloggers against viznitz, just to let u know the fact:
The current CEO clearly states “catering use”
the hall does have a valid CEO, this is one of the 100 things Fox news doesn’t want to say.
There are people on the block that moved because of steinberg, I live on the block and im here at night I dont have a driveway but in the many years that im here I never saw steinbergs driveway blocked, as a matter of fact he shouldnt complain because he has a driveway and has where to park,I never heard music on the street.