Two things non-frum Jews and Gentiles are most afraid of - A string that surrounds a neighborhood and a bathhouse. The beginning of the end. The "colonialists" then take over. כן ירבו!!!!!!!!!!!!
NY Times
August 19th 1979
2 Ritual Bathhouses Get Mixed Reception
TO serve a changing, more observant Orthodox Jewish community, the first ritual bathhouse in the southern part of Nassau County is nearing completion in the basement of a Colonial house in West Hempstead. But another bathhouse, to be constructed in Hewlett, has run into opposition from some neighbors of the proposed facility, which is designed to serve residents of the Five Towns.
In West Hempstead, the project has met no opposition, but in the Five Towns — which comprise the Villages of Woodmere, Hewlett, Cedarhurst, Lawrence and Inwood — there have been objections. The Hempstead Town Board of Zoning Appeals, at a meeting attended by about 100 people, last week reserved decision on the matter.
Bernard A. Kesselman, president of the Mikvah Association of Nassau County, said the West Hempstead bath was already under construction “at a central location on Hempstead Ave nue.”
“We had a united community supporting it, and things went smoothly in getting all the necessary permits,” Mr. Kesselman said.
David Schreiber of Woodmere, president of the Mikvah South Shore Congregation, said that he had expected the same kind of positive response in his community but that he was “shaken” by the intense opposition registered by the nearby residents and the HewlettWoodmere School Board.
“I am greatly disturbed that there are objections to a place that will provide a necessary service to a religious group,” Mr. Schreiber said.
Rabbi Benjamin Kamenetzky, dean of the Yeshiva of the South Shore and a member of a rabbinical committee supporting the mikvah, also expressed surprise at the opposition. “I would certainly think that this community has matured enough to accept a project for a traditional ritual observance,” Rabbi Kamenetzky said.
Opponents told the zoning‐appeal board that they had no objection to the concept of a ritual bath, that they objected only to the site. The site is a home that adjoins the Woodmere North Junior High School, on Peninsula Boulevard at the Hewlett‐Woodmere border. It was damaged by fire two years ago, has been vacant for some time and was acquired by the Mikvah South Shore Congregation six months ago.
The plan is to spend $180,000 to repair it and convert it to serve women who are members of Young Israel of Woodmere, Young Israel of Cedarhurst and Congregation Beth Sholom of Lawrence. Seven bathrooms are to be installed, along with two ritual bathing pools. Women first take their baths, then proceed to a special bath in the ritual pool.
A variance from the Hempstead Town Board of Zoning Appeals is necessary to permit a nonresidential use of this property because it is in a residentially zoned neighborhood. Lawrence Franklin, the president of the Hewlett Woodmere School Board, opposes the variance because “we object to changing the residential character of our community,” he said. “We also feel there is inadequate parking and we are concerned about them using the school parking lot at night.”
Mr. Schreiber said that about 120 women would use the facility each month, but that there would be no great increase in the volume of traffic because only two or three women at a time would be coming to the baths.
Mr. Franklin said, “We question that claim in view of the plan to install seven baths, large dressing rooms and a large waiting room.”
“The mikvah belongs in a commercial place, not a residential area,” said Beverly Koopersmith, one of the neigh burs who is objecting to the proposed variance. “We feel that we get too much traffic as it is, and to add to would be unfair to those of us who live nearby.”
Mrs. Koopersmith added, “We don't want to add to the problems of the police around here.” As a result of a rash of crimes, principally burglaries, the residents have special stickers on their autos so that when the police patrol they can identify them as belonging to the local homeowners.
“The cars belonging to outsiders who would be coming here at night would not have stickers on them, and so the police would not know whether they belonged to the women coming to the ritual bath or by somebody who was coming to pull off a burglary or robbery,” Mrs. Koopersmith said.
Leonard Spector, the chairman of the Concerned Jewish Youth of Nassau County, said: “We feel that the Five Towns have a large enough Jewish community and the presence of a mikvah is essential. The opposition claims that parking is one of the issues.” He said that in actuality fewer women would be using the facility at any one time than the opponents had anticipated.
“We, the Concerned Jewish Youth,” he added, “are ashamed that members of our own community would try to deny this important religious service to its fellow members.”
Mr. Kesselman said: “Some people lack the understanding of the concept of such a facility. With the growth in the Orthodox population, there is greater need for mikvahs.”
An offer to settle the controversy was made before the zoning appeals board by Ira J. Raab, a Woodmere lawyer representing the Woodmere Merchants Association. Mr. Raab said he agreed with the residents who contend that mikvah belongs in a commercial place and said he had found an ideal spot. He is a member of Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere, and contends that number of homes near his synagogue are already being used for commercial purposes. One large home houses travel agency and another is used as an American Legion hall.
“I have learned that the house next to the travel agency is up for sale,” Mr. Raab said. “The mikvah congregation could sell the house near the junior high and purchase this one for its ritual bath. That would make everybody happy” ■
