Orangetown NY Reaches Settlement with Vizhnitz Yeshiva

By Hamodia Staff

Orangetown reached a settlement last week with a Chassidic community who were barred from building a yeshiva at the site of a closed Christian college, Lohud reports.

Plans to build a Vizhnitz yeshiva at the site of Nyack College were blocked by the now-dissolved village of South Nyack in 2020, when board members said that the building had safety code violations. The yeshiva responded with a lawsuit, alleging antisemitic discrimination, stating that the building had the same issues when it was used by a Christian college, and the village did not interfere. In the lawsuit filed by the yeshiva, attorneys stated: “The village acknowledges that violations pre-dating the purchase of the property by the yeshiva existed, and it is clear from the record that the village took no enforcement actions until the yeshiva purchased the properties to continue using them as a school.” The yeshiva also cited antisemitic social media posts by residents.

Orangetown assumed responsibility of the issue when South Nyack was dissolved in 2022, along with the lawsuit. A state judge ruled that the two sides must enter mediation.

As part of the settlement, the yeshiva must obtain approvals, building permits and certificates of occupancy, and present them to the judge.

“This is being settled because the yeshiva has undergone extensive inspections and has completed the necessary requirements to obtain certificates of occupancy for approximately 25 buildings that are now occupied,” Orangetown Town Attorney Robert Magrino told Lohud.