Jackson sued by Orthodox Jewish family over garage renovation denial
JACKSON - Township officials are accused of discriminating against an Orthodox Jewish family that planned to renovate their garage and hold prayer services there, according to a new lawsuit filed in federal court.
Abraham and Hana Matzliach filed a federal lawsuit against the township and zoning board on Jan. 5, alleging the board's denial of their plans to convert a detached garage on their Ashford Road property into a living space was due solely to one particular activity the family planned for the space: Orthodox Jewish prayers.
The complaint comes more than eight months after the zoning board denied the Matzliachs' application, with board member James Hurley stating that the worship services went beyond the scope of typical in-home worship.
In the complaint, attorney Sieglinde Rath argues that the Matzliachs were only denied because the prayer services — which could include up to 25 people, excluding the family itself — were proposed by an Orthodox Jewish family.
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"If the Matzliachs' use of the garage involved nonreligious gatherings that were part of their daily home life, their zoning permit would not have been denied," Rath wrote in the complaint. "Such non-religious gatherings could include Boy Scout meetings, book clubs, barbecue parties or other similar activities that would not have been prohibited at a residential home."
Jackson Township Administrator Terence Wall did not immediately return a request for comment.
The new lawsuit comes just as Jackson has emerged from a nearly decade-long litigation, settling numerous lawsuits by plaintiffs — from an Orthodox Jewish school and advocacy group all the way to the U.S. Department of Justice — who said officials caved to an antisemitic animus and passed ordinances targeting the Orthodox community.
To settle those cases, the township agreed to pay over $5 million in damages, restitution and penalties.
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The Matzliachs' complaint makes similar claims but only cites a single comment from the zoning hearing on their application. Instead, it cites a litany of public comments, emails and social media posts related to other issues, including the township council's Dec. 12 hearing on ordinances rewriting township code on new religious developments, a key part of the various settlements.
Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering New Jersey local news, marijuana legalization, transportation and a little bit of everything else. He's won a few awards that make his parents very proud. Contact him at mdavis@gannettnj.com or @byMikeDavis on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jackson NJ family sues after Orthodox Jewish prayers cited in denial
