CLAIM: HOA, Property Management Company Conspired Against Jewish Family, Chabad.
HOA BOARD ALLEGEDLY SAID: “JEWS TRYING TO TAKE OVER.”
BY: LITIGATION DESK | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Loggers’ Run homeowners association and Campbell Property Management allegedly conspired in acts of Antisemitism to prevent a Jewish family from opening a Chabad in the community and from sharing Jewish education with others in their home. The federal discrimination lawsuit alleges violations of the Fair Housing Act.
BocaNewsNow.com is publishing the complete lawsuit, and what the Plaintiff’s claim are supporting documents, below. For the quick read, here are key claims made in the suit:
EXCERPT: The campaign began when the Hertzels began exploring the possibility of constructing a synagogue within Loggers’ Run, which they proposed locating near multiple similarly situated churches attended by HOA board members and residents. This synagogue is essential to the growth of the Orthodox Jewish community within Loggers’ Run because central tenets of that faith prohibit driving to religious services on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. Members of the HOA Board intervened to prevent the HOA from even considering the Hertzels’ proposal to construct a synagogue within the community. Although the HOA would eventually muster pretextual reasons for the rejection, individual members of the HOA and its agents were shockingly honest, explaining that the HOA “didn’t want Jews” in Loggers’ Run and, more recently, that a synagogue would be constructed over then-HOA Board President Harp’s “dead body.”
EXCERPT: When the Hertzels and Jewish community of Loggers’ Run pivoted to seeking election to the HOA Board, the HOA, Harp, and others responded by consistently acting to prevent their election. When the Jewish candidates arrived at the election meeting with enough proxy votes to secure seats on the HOA Board, the HOA and incumbents on the Board, including Harp, functionally cancelled the election by leaving the meeting and denying a quorum, leading the HOA’s representative to declare the election postponed until the next year. In later elections, Harp and other HOA Board members whipped residents of Loggers’ Run into an antisemitic frenzy by openly campaigning against electing Jews, sending letters asking residents to “read between the lines,” and warning residents that the “Jews are trying to take over.”
EXCERPT: The HOA’s campaign and these incidents have only amplified since the horrific massacre of over 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023. This exacerbation tracks a global and national spike in antisemitic attacks throughout the country over the past year. Like many Jews, the Hertzels are not newcomers to antisemitic hate. But Defendants’ campaign against them has left them and their children afraid in their own home. Their children are afraid to play outside and fear when cars drive past their home. Their youngest daughter cannot sleep alone.
EXCERPT: The conditions in the community have rapidly deteriorated in recent months, and the Hertzels fear that the environment in Loggers’ Run will continue to deteriorate in the current climate without court intervention or a change of heart by the HOA. Federal and Florida civil rights law do not tolerate Defendants’ brazen campaign against Plaintiffs.
Neither the Loggers’ Run HOA nor Campbell Property Manager filed responses to the suit processed by the federal PACER court management system as of 8 a.m. Friday, May 31st. The Plaintiffs are represented by First Liberty Institute and Jones Day. Read the complete lawsuit here.
I’m their neighbor and have moved into the community a year ago. I respect their religion but I do not appreciate a residential community be treated as a commercial plaza with hundreds of cars parked on our lawns and I believe they should look for a large building elsewhere to rent for their members to meet. Trying to turn a residential home into a temple is not fair for the other residents.
It’s also illegal to operate a religious institution from a residence under the county’s zoning code, unless approved based on the size of the temple and type of street it’s on and accessible from.
Ms. Salisbury’s concerns are otherwise legitimate except for one “dis-connect.” A Chabad synagogue’s membership is Orthodox by practice. Orthodox Jews don’t drive on the Sabbath — they don’t need a parking lot of any meaningful size — they need good sidewalks.
I was born and raised seventh day Adventist, I understand and respect the Sabbath. But just this past week there were over a hundred cars parked on our otherwise quiet dead end street. Also, in a year here I’ve never seen any vandalism, people screaming by their house… those are all lies. Our community is a very safe and friendly community and I have amazing neighbors.
They wanted to put the Temple on one of Loggers run parks. Then they wanted to get on the Board of Governors to try to get the park zoning changed from a park to commercial so they could put the Temple on the park. The did not have enough votes to get on the board. Logger’s Run residents actually like having a park in the neighborhood. So now it’s anti-antisemitism? Ridiculous.
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