A series of leaked text messages and emails have exposed troubling communications between Village of Atlantic Beach officials regarding a local Jewish congregation, adding new dimension to an ongoing federal discrimination case in New York.
Chabad of the Beaches has filed an amended federal complaint against the village, represented by First Liberty Institute, alleging antisemitic discrimination in blocking the congregation's attempts to use its property for religious purposes. The case traces back to 2021, when the congregation purchased a property that had stood vacant for over three years.
The property dispute took an immediate turn when village officials moved to seize the site through eminent domain just days after Chabad's purchase, claiming it was needed for a community center and lifeguard operations facility. This came despite the property having been on the market for more than a year with no prior interest from the village.
While Chabad secured an initial victory in late 2023 when a federal district court halted the village's eminent domain claim, leading to a settlement, the congregation faced another setback. After submitting a special permit application for religious use of the property, the village zoning board rejected the request in November.
The newly uncovered private communications appear to support Chabad's claims of discriminatory intent. In one exchange, a village judge told the mayor, "Most people don't want the Chabad and just don't want to say it. Any secular Jew doesn't want them." The mayor replied, "Very true."
Other messages revealed similarly concerning attitudes. A village trustee urged the mayor in an email: "There is a pending contract by Habbad [sic] of LB to buy the property. We cannot d*** around anymore. We need to move fast."
Perhaps most troubling was another trustee's characterization of Chabad's presence as a "nightmare," writing that "Hassidic groups like Chabad of the Beaches must be stopped from 'buying the world—a town by town, city by city...they have the numbers—they procreate.'"
First Liberty Institute, representing the congregation, points to these communications as clear evidence of antisemitic bias.
The congregation is now seeking legal relief to pursue its religious mission on the property and end what it describes as targeted harassment by village officials. The village has not yet publicly responded to the amended complaint.
Ynet contributed to this article.
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