Coney Island, NY – A judge has signed an injunction to stop the music for a Brooklyn concert series, but the show may still go on.
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The court ordered the city to comply with a law that bans outdoor sound amplification within 500 feet of a house of worship during religious services.
The Sea Breeze Jewish center and Temple Beth Abraham filed a lawsuit against the “Seaside Concert Series” in Coney Island.
The City Council passed an amendment to the law that makes an exception for amphitheaters and parks with a permit for performances.
Earlier today as was reported here on VIN News, the Brooklyn borough president was so upset about the threat of a lawsuit to stop his Coney Island concert series, he threatened to name and shame the synagogues behind the challenge, the Daily News has learned.
Markowitz also told synagogue officials that if they don’t back down, they could end up getting blasted with music “10 times” as loud.
“‘Wait ‘til the concerts start. When I get up on stage, I’m going to announce that they tried to stop the concerts,’” Markowitz vowed, Sea Breeze Jewish Center President Mendy Sontag said.
“You don’t know what hatred that creates in the community,” Sontag said.
Sontag and others behind the suit say the concerts violate a law banning amplified sound within 500 feet of a house of worship holding services. They’re also battling to stop a $64 million amphitheater planned for Asser Levy Park.
The City Council voted yesterday to change the 500-foot rule, allowing the concerts to go on. The case is due to be heard in court today.
Markowitz didn’t deny playing hardball.
“Mendy Sontag should also tell you that he was asking for VIP seating [at the concerts] and has never complained about sound in the past,” he said.
He confirmed that he told Sontag the legal challenge could force him to move his band shell to the other side of Asser Levy Park – upping the volume for the synagogues.
“I’m going to move it to the other side of the park and then the music is really going to blast,” he said, according to Sontag.
Now Markowitz says he is confident Mayor Michael Bloomberg will sign the new law before the first show of the season on July 15th.
A city lawyer said Mayer Bloomberg plans to sign the new rule July 12, in time for Markowitz’s first concert July 15 by Neil Sedaka and Brenda Lee.
“The show will go on!” Markowitz vowed.
Shame on you marty I thought that you’re better then that
A piece of human garbage that Markowitz is.
Making the concert ten times as loud just to get back at those opposed ? A bit childish, Mr Borough President. Plus, will you be paying for the concert goers hearing aids as well?
so bloomberg is still not the only dictature in NYC…
Marty should go to shul more often.
Good News!!!!
marty hasnt changed; still threatens people/
If people were taught to have just a pinch more respect for one another, a lot of the world’s nonsense would just disappear.
I live in Brooklyn and I’ll rush , not walk to the voting booth election time and help throw this bum out of office. Fellow B’klynites unite! Don’t allow this chazer to make nice to Chassidic rebbes with phony photo-ops.
When it comes to arrogance, there are none better than Marty Markowitz. I wonder, what was the City Council vote in favor of eliminating the 500 foot rule? Were the City Council members offered first row seats, introductions to the stars that perform, glasses of free wine that Marty offers the attendees and of course a few minutes of fame by having them get on the stage to promote themselves. Talk about buying votes. I wonder, when the synagogues demonstare in front of Marty’s home as loud as, as often as and as close as the law permits, will the 500 foot distance rule be reinserted. Will the Daily News be there to report the Happening. Let your readers know.
Markowitz is not a mentch. He is a person, who only thinks of Marty Markowitz. I hope that the lawsuit of the various Synagogues are successful. If it was a number of churches filing suit, Markowitz would act more deferential.
If this was a white person doing the same thing can you imagine the coverage and fallout. Reverse racism by this administration at its finest.
He doesn’t need to increase the volume….all he needs is to get the chazan from our shul to be the first soloist….he will clear the neighborhood even at lower decibel settings
he does nothing with his job, easiest job ever. Guy can’t even run a concert series. what a putz.
we should all drop marty an email saying he lost/will be losing our votes
Some things never change! Once a low life always a low life.
Would he be doing this if this was a nice black church??? We have to demonstrat en masse in front of city hall!! Take the kids from day camp and bring them to Marty!! Let them teach Marty what a shul is!!
is it legal to change the law to accomodate a group going against the current law when a challenge has already been filed based on the old law.
I suggest that the 8,000 people who will have no place to park in the 8,000 seat amphitheater proposed for Asher Levy Park, drive up Oriental Blvd. and park on Marty’s block in nearby Manhattan Beach.
Marty, retire already.
And if the shul was a mosque would he be threatening? I think not
Marty, Marty, why are you resorting to childish bullying tactics? Behave like a man, sit down and come to a compromise like an adult.
you have what you voted for he has so much with yidden like bloomberg but what about r.duvid greenfeld sheim reshuim yirkav
lets think about this – I can’t imagine that the concert speakers are pumping out less than 80 decibels (prob over 100).. I’m sure a few minutes of 800 decibel music will clear everyone’s sinuses. Just make sure Marty gets a front row seat – it’ll be the last time anyone ‘hears’ from him again!
His office is downtown in the municipal building near Cadman Plaza. Let’s show up with bull horns by the thousands. That piece of trash !
Wait, the synagogues are afraid to be named because they don’t want a bad publicity? What a bunch of cowards and weasels. If you are maliciously pursuing legal actions to stop the concerts and spoil the summer for hundreds of thousands of Brooklynaties, you should not be as cowardly to hide behind the curtain. Morkowitz is right. Either put up or shut up. They are acting like spoiled children who don’t want to compromise on anything. Boo Hoo, there will be music playing in a park. Make your hazan say the kaddish louder if you can’t hear it.
Marty, the law is the law, even when you don’t like it. You’re going to play hardball? Well we voters will play hardball back when it comes to going to the polls!
We will see Marty Markashvitz in prison for threatening a Rabbi. Then he will be banned from office and voting due to his FELONY CONVICTION.
Hmmm. and after he is done “telling” on the Seabreeze Synogogue, will he also try to tell everyone that his father was bigger than theirs are and throw a tantrum when someone else gets a bigger ice cream cone? 😉
Why is there a reycled preschooler in office again?
“Mendy Sontag should also tell you that he was asking for VIP seating [at the concerts] and has never complained about sound in the past,” he said.
if there where concerts there before why the issue now?
\
Marty is a lowlife clown who should not be in office.
He makes a concert for all these different groups, but stopped the Jewish one years ago.
He took the initiative to fly toeivah flag over Brooklyn borough Hall.
Don’t be fooled by the lowlife Marty, throw him out.
Maybe a demonstration in front of his house in Windsor terrace is in order.
Marty just moved to Windsor terrace recently, it was reported in the local press, find out where he lives and protest in front of his house. Let him have the copncerts there.
Marty is a self-hating Jew.
Self hating jews I hope the singer losses his voice at the start of the concert.
I don’t understand. These concerts only take place during the summer maybe once a week. Why would the shuls not have their windows closed and their air conditioning on during this time and therefore not be able to hear the music. Also don’t these shuls make early Shabbos during the summer which makes the davening end before the concerts even begin?.
marty you lost?
oiy vay
In my school as well as in Marty’s school the only way to teach him a lesson is we know where Marty lives, lets drive by every night at 9:55 PM and honk the car horn as loud as you could.
If you are stopped by a cop, tell him its your trumpet from the concert.
Also lets follow his car if he drives with lights and sirens
the synagogue is conservative dont forget
Compromise : move the timeframe up 45 minutes .
I don’t understand why they don’t just daven a bit earlier on those nights that concerts are scheduled so the music doesn’t interfere with the tefillot.
Too bad this didnt happen in Boro Park. Dov Hikind would’ve taken care of this problem in a heartbeat!
The music is heard throughout the shuls, from the front of the buildings to the back, with the windows and doors closed. Then there are the rehearsals all afternoon long. You can’t daven, you can’t learn, you can’t think, the music is deafening. The leaders of the shuls, along with other members of the community, met with Markowitz over a year ago in an effort to come to a compromise. But Markowitz wouldn’t budge on a single point.