New York Village Would Rather Remove 9-Foot Menorah than Allow Nativity Scene

Life Site News ^ | 12.19.06 | JORGE FITZ-GIBBON

[Coleus]

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y., December 20, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Village of Briarcliff Manor officials have decided to remove their entire holiday display, including a 9-foot-tall menorah, from a public park rather than allow a resident to add a crèche after Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys won a temporary restraining order Friday from a federal judge. The lawsuit and TRO motion were filed Dec. 11 after the Briarcliff Manor Village's Board of Trustees refused to permit the display.

"The village's constitutional violations regarding religious expression in public make them look like the grinches who stole Christmas and Chanukah from the citizens of Briarcliff Manor," said ADF-allied attorney John Stepanovich. "It is truly sad that officials have chosen not only to thumb their noses at religion but at the justice system as well, since our client's request of equal access for a privately-funded crèche in addition to the menorah was entirely constitutional."

In place of where the holiday display once stood, village officials displayed a sign criticizing U.S. District Judge William C. Conner's decision to grant the temporary restraining order. The federal court judge's decision forced officials to either remove the menorah or grant resident Henry Ritell's request to display a nativity scene alongside it.

The sign read, "The Village erected a menorah and Christmas tree display in a spirit of inclusion. In response to a federal court order the entire display has been removed. We disagree with the court." Following outcry from the public, village officials removed the sign.

[Coleus]

Menorah, yes; crèche, no: New York village officials deny resident opportunity to display nativity

ADF and ADF-allied attorneys file suit, request temporary restraining order against Village of Briarcliff Manor

VILLAGE OF BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. — Acting on behalf of a local resident, Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys are seeking a temporary restraining order against officials in the Village of Briarcliff Manor who refuse to allow a crèche display in a public park.  The attorneys filed their TRO motion today after filing a complaint in federal court Friday against the village’s board of trustees and its manager.

“It is outrageous that a private citizen has been denied the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in a public park,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian W. Raum.  “The Village’s decision to purchase, maintain, and display secular seasonal elements and a menorah in the park while prohibiting a privately sponsored nativity scene is not only hypocritical, but unconstitutional.”

The village-sponsored “holiday display” includes a 9-foot-high menorah, bows, garland, and a “Peace on Earth” banner. Henry Ritell, a Catholic and a village resident, first attempted to display a creche in the park in December 2005.  In accordance with his Roman Catholic faith, Ritell requested that the display be permitted between Christmas and Epiphany, which takes place on  Jan. 8, 2006.  In a Jan. 13 letter from the village’s manager, Ritell’s request was denied.

Officials also rejected Ritell’s renewed request in two letters sent to the village on Oct. 30 and Nov. 14, 2006.   The complaint and request for a temporary restraining order filed in Ritell v. The Village of Briarcliff Manor in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York may be viewed at www.telladf.org/userdocs/RitellComplaint.pdf   ADF attorneys are co-counsel in the case along with lead counsel Feerick Lynch MacCartney and allied attorney John Stepanovich.

“Mr. Ritell’s request is entirely constitutional,” Raum explained.  “The Village’s claim that a  ‘public’ park is somehow not a public forum for free expression is unfounded.  More importantly, it is a blatant denial of Mr. Ritell’s First Amendment rights.”   ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.        www.telladf.org                www.saychristmas.org

[yochanan]

but a kwanzaa disply they would allow.

[Suzy Quzy]

Hannukkah is almost OVER for Pete's sake, so no big deal taking it down.

[taxesareforever]

Good for the judge. A menorah and a creche are religious symbols. A Christmas tree is a secular symbol.

[oyez]

If the Islams wanted to put something up, you can bet they would get first priority.

[dr_who_2]

Rush is right. This is getting real stupid. Let them have their friggin' menorah.

[antiRepublicrat]

Interesting to see Christians on the other side of this situation. Remember this the next time Jews or pagans want to put up their religious symbols along with a public nativity scene (OTOH, the pagans already have the Christmas tree, so you're kind of on the same side there).

[Chickensoup]

No. They shouldnt have a menorah. The equivelant Jewish symbol to a Christmas tree is a dreidel.

[Clemenza]

You mean there are actually Gentiles in Briarcliff Manor? ;-)

(For those of you in outerwhitelandia, Briarcliff Manor, along with Scarsdale, Chappaqua, and Larchmont, make up the "bagel belt" of Westchester County).

[avital2]

apparently these people are so stupid they didn't know that the original menorah stood in the Temple in Jerusalem pre-Jesus. speaking of religious symbols..........

[rmlew]

1. Where are the people who were annoyed with the Rabbi at the SEa-Tac case?
2. A Dreidl or spinning top would be a secular representation of Hanukkah, akin to a Tree. A Menorah is explicitly religious.

[RightOnline]

I'm so sick and tired of pu**ies in postitions of authority............

[muawiyah]

Actually, a Christmas tree is a religious symbol (whether or not it's your religion is the question), but a creche is hardly religious. It's simply a grouping of statues of Jews and animals.

I think that's what gets some folks up in arms about the creche scenes ~ they either don't like Jews, or they don't like animals.

[zarf]

Is a good looking Hooters girl secular or religious??

[Felis_irritable]

Cripes the muzzies must be laughing their butts off. Divide and conquer.

[Coleus]

Rush is right. This is getting real stupid. Let them have their friggin' menorah. >>>

obviously, you didn't read the article which had NOTHING to do with the menorah. It had to do with putting a Christian symbol up next to the menorah, a nativity scene, also called a crèche. No where was it written that he wanted the menorah down. He paid for the crèche with his own money and wanted to donate it to the town to be placed next to the menorah. Not take the menorah down.

[muawiyah]

The tree is not secular.

[SJackson]

1-They're on the multi thousand post Sea-Tac threads, though the Rabbi never asked for anyting to be taken down.

2-Given the, imo credible, history of the dreidl as a ploy against persecution, I think it's inappropriate.

3, mine-Even if it's a secular holiday season, the holiday's are religious. I think no displays on public property is a defensible position, but if you're going to have them, why not a Nativity Scene and a Menorah.

[SJackson]

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[yochanan]

It is both secular and religious. The menorah is also a national symbol of the Jewish people-religious and non religious.
Nevertheless as an Orthodox Jew I say let there be creches and/or Menorahs in every town that wants them and f-ck the JINO's and formerly Christian athiests that block them.
Please just have the heads covered on the Jewish characters in the nativity scenes.