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Letters to the editor
(Times Herald-Record, September 25, 2004)
KJ criticism deserved
In response to Ethel Scher's letter of Sept. 5 charging the "good citizens of Orange County" with discrimination against the residents of Kiryas Joel, exactly who is discriminating against whom, Ms. Scher? All the municipalities that make up Orange County , be they towns, villages or cities, are free and open to any people regardless of religion, race or ethnicity. The lone exception is Kiryas Joel, a village created exclusively for people belonging to a specific sect of Hasidic Judaism.
Imagine the response of the residents of Kiryas Joel, or its government, if a Christian, Hindu or Reform Jew were to attempt to purchase a home in their village? May a non-Hasidic buy land in Kiryas Joel and develop it for housing as many Kiryas Joel businessmen are doing in other Orange County municipalities? Are the available properties in that village listed in any resource that is easily accessible to non-Hasidic people?
The criticism of Kiryas Joel is well-deserved, and its residents have no one to blame but themselves for the divisive, hypocritical and opportunistic manner in which they behave toward their Orange County neighbors.
William J. Cataldo
Blooming Grove
Webmaster's Response:
Dear William:
You were led to believe that the Village of Kiryas Joel is discriminating against members of other religions and races. If that were so I would stand shoulder to shoulder with you to protest such un-American policies. But it simply is not the case.
Please take the time to read Table DP-1 of the United States Census Bureau 2000 report on Kiryas Joel and you’ll learn that your letter was based on an entirely false premise. The report will tell you that while most of Kiryas Joel’s residents are Chasidic many other minorities have also made Kiryas Joel their home. Whether people live inside or outside of Kiryas Joel is a matter of pure choice on their part not of ethnic profiling by the village!
The second myth you wrote was about “ a Christian, Hindu or Reform Jew” attempting to purchase a home in Kiryas Joel. William, the village government cannot control who purchases property in Kiryas Joel. That the Census Bureau lists many minority-Kiryas-Joel residents as homeowners is all the proof one can ask for. It is however not a myth that a certain association outside Kiryas Joel openly tells its members not to sell land or homes to Chasidic Jews. Finally, to set the record straight, when Kiryas Joel was created 27 years ago its proposed bounds included many non-Jewish homeowners. Some protested saying that they did not want to live in a “Jewish Village” and Kiryas Joel redrew its bounds to exclude them. You see William, it wasn’t that Kiryas Joel excluded non-Jews but the other way around. As such, KJ does NOT deserve criticism. I thank you for providing me the opportunity to clear up this matter for you.
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