Court Upholds Mezuzah Ban,Leah Rothstein

Mezuzot are not legally sacred, according to a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The court ruled that a condo association's rule against objects outside the resident's doors applied to religious items as well.

Lynne Bloch and her children, Helen and Nathan, sued Shoreline Towers Condo Association in Chicago after building managers repeatedly removed their mezuzahs. The condo changed their rules to permit mezuzahs, but the Blochs sought damages and an injunction against future discrimination. In a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that the condo had not violated the Federal Fair Housing Act, which, the court declared, does not require special accommodations for religion.

The dissenting judge, Diane Wood, criticized the reference in the condo's brief to the Jews demanding "a pound of flesh", saying the anti-Semitic reference to Shylock was a poor choice. She argued that the court's ruling amounted to a "constructive eviction" of Orthodox Jews.

Read Comments (1)

Unfair!
Date 01:07, 07-20, 08

Ms Rothstein, thanks for shedding light on the actions of the condo owners' actions, which in our opinion are unfair! You did an excellent job!

~ Nili and Renee