Westhampton Beach Residents Embroiled In Religious Boundary Debate

August 18, 2008

Author: Kelly Carroll

Source: Hamptons.com

http://www.hamptons.com/detail.ihtml?id=4599&apid=9275&sid=27&cid=54&hm=1&iv=1&townflag=

Not an hour into the public information session regarding the Hampton Synagogue’s desire for an Eruv to be designated in the village of Westhampton Beach, one-third of the overflowing crowd stood up and walked out, angered over the reading of anti-Semitic e-mails sent to the synagogue.

“This was supposed to be an informative meeting,” yelled Jim Going, an attorney in the village. “You have made this something about Christians versus Jews.”

Only minutes before, the synagogue on Sunset Avenue was inundated with people, spilling out on to the extra chairs set up on the patio or standing out on the lawn, stretching to hear. When Joel Cohen, one of the panelists for Wednesday's information session, began to read from the “hateful e-mails,” the once peaceful crowd took turns yelling out “moron,” and “filibuster,” accosting Cohen and other members of the panel before eventually deciding to leave the premises altogether.

While it may sound like this scene was initiated simply by the reading of e-mails, it is actually a microcosm of the religious tension that has seemingly been brewing in the village of Westhampton Beach all summer long.

See also: Judaism, Civic, Zoning