Source: The Boston Globe
On January 6, 2004 The Boston Globe reported that Orthodox congregants at Beth Menachem Chabad in Newton, Mass. have been holding Jewish services four, sometimes five times a week for the past three weeks in defiance of city officials' orders. "Spurred by neighbors' complaints of traffic and parking congestion, the Newton Board of Aldermen decided on Dec. 15 that the synagogue needs 47 parking spaces to operate safely... Some specialists say the standoff mirrors disputes that have played out in several US cities after new Orthodox congregations moved in, eliciting a backlash from less observant Jewish neighbors. The conflict in Newton, as in other cities, has centered on parking and zoning issues. But some neighbors acknowledge they are more concerned that the Hasidic synagogue might grow and change the character of their community. Many Chabad congregants do not educate their children in public schools, patronize non-kosher restaurants, or participate in many secular activities...Yesterday the synagogue filed a lawsuit against the city, contending that the aldermen's decision was unconstitutional and that it impinged on individuals' freedom to worship."