Unauthorized Orthodox School In Brick To Stay Closed 2 More Weeks

BRICK, NJ — An unauthorized school for Orthodox Jewish boys will remain closed until at least Oct. 27 under a consent order accepted Thursday by an Ocean County Superior Court judge.

In a status hearing, Brick Township Planning Board attorney Robert Cucchiaro told Judge Craig Wellerson that the township and Adam Pfeffer, attorney for Congregation Kehilos Yisroel, had agreed to a two-week extension for the congregation to file for permits for work to bring the building up to federal and state safety codes.

The extension, Cucchiaro said, was due to difficulties that arose with the electrical service over the last two weeks.

At Tuesday's Brick Township Council meeting, Mayor John Ducey said the congregation had not filed any permits for work at the property, which had been ordered by Wellerson at the Oct. 5 hearing on Brick Township's lawsuit.

Ducey and township attorney Kevin Starkey said electrical service to the main building at the property had been turned off by Jersey Central Power & Light because of safety concerns with work at the building not having been inspected.

"JCP&L turned off the power after it determined the building was unsafe," Starkey said. Initially, JCP&L turned off the power to all three buildings at the site, but electrical service was restored to two of them that were deemed to be safe, he said.

Congregation Kehilos Yisroel still has not submitted a site plan that the township says is required for the change of use, he said.

Wellerson said a hearing on the site plan and change of use issue could be held Nov. 4.

Congregation Kehilos Yisroel contends the former synagogue was used as a school previously and as such does not need site plan approval.

Starkey addressed that Tuesday night, saying the township's contention is that the synagogue held limited religious classes that were akin to CCD classes in the Catholic Church, and were not the primary use of the building.

Brick Township filed suit against Congregation Kehilos Yisrael on Aug. 20, seeking an injunction to force it to stop operating the school at the former Temple Beth Or property at 200 Van Zile Road.

The lawsuit was filed after weeks of notifications to the congregation that it needed to get permits and approval from the Brick Township Planning Board to convert the former synagogue to a school.

In addition to the school hearings, the township is addressing problems with overcrowding in a home nearby, where officials have issued summonses for exceeding the allowable capacity.

The next hearing on that matter is set for Oct. 18 before Municipal Court Judge Joseph Grisanti.

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