A group of Jewish summer camps have filed a second lawsuit against the town of Wawarsing, New York, in an attempt to undo newly enacted zoning rules they say will make it difficult for their camps to operate and nearly impossible to expand. This lawsuit comes after a group of 8 camps sued Wawarsing in federal court arguing that regulations enacted by the town concerning camps were done out of religious animosity. Two other camps filed suit in state court, saying the the town had skipped required steps before passing the law. The new laws say that camps cannot house more than 400 children and adults, banned loudspeakers, limited cabins to 10 people, prohibits structures or any activities within 250 feet of property lines, and requires campers to be surrounded by a fence. Attorneys for the Jewish camps wrote in a court filing that the laws make it “nearly impossible” for them “to continue to function and expand their facilities to ensure that they can satisfy the religious mission they serve to educate and train the next generation of Jewish leaders.” Town attorneys have not yet responded to the new lawsuit, but they argued in the previously filed federal lawsuit that the rules don’t discriminate against Jews because they apply evenly to both Jewish and non-Jewish camps alike. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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