This week, the Village of Atlantic Beach in Nassau County, Long Island, approved an 87% increase in property taxes for homeowners. When asked for an explanation by the New York Post, the village board of trustees stated that the sharp hike aligned with local tax assessments but declined to provide additional details.
Some residents are saying the rate hike is intended to cover more than $500,000 in legal fees tied to an ongoing lawsuit with Chabad of the Beaches, which alleges the village discriminated against it.
The case centers on a long-vacant property on Park Street, located less than a block from Village Hall, and marks the latest chapter in a three-year legal struggle.
In 2021, Chabad of the Beaches purchased the property with plans to establish a Jewish center for prayer, education, and outreach. In response, village officials took repeated steps to block Chabad from carrying out its plan.
The property had been vacant for at least three years and had been listed for sale for over a year. During that time, the village made no attempt to acquire it. Only after it was purchased by Jewish residents did village officials express interest, announcing within days of the purchase plans to seize the site, citing the need for a community center and a lifeguard operations facility.
Chabad applied for a special permit to use the property in accordance with its plan. But the village zoning board rejected the application, including a request to use the building for prayer services. Chabad of the Beaches sued, and Federal Judge Joanna Seybert issued a preliminary injunction in their favor, blocking the Village of Atlantic Beach from proceeding with its eminent domain efforts to seize the property.
Despite efforts to resolve the matter through negotiation in the three years since that court decision, the village’s refusal left Chabad with no option but to terminate settlement discussions and return to federal court.
The Village of Atlantic Beach is facing significant financial consequences from the ongoing legal battle against Chabad. Legal fees have already totaled at least $375,000, and the village could also be ordered to pay Chabad approximately $400,000 in damages for violating the organization’s constitutional rights.
The legal dispute between Chabad of the Beaches and the Village of Atlantic Beach escalated further with an amended complaint filed last December in US District Court in Central Islip.
The lawsuit names the Village of Atlantic Beach, its zoning board of appeals, Mayor George Pappas, and the board of trustees as defendants. It alleges that the village carried out a sustained campaign of religious discrimination against Chabad, pointing to newly revealed texts and emails exchanged among village officials that the plaintiffs describe as “antisemitic.”
Private communications among Village of Atlantic Beach officials reveal a disturbing pattern of antisemitic sentiment, expressed with alarming frequency and candor. Internal messages include offensive stereotypes, with remarks suggesting that Jews are “buying the world,” “procreate” excessively, and “don’t tip.”
In one particularly revealing text exchange, a village judge told Mayor George Pappas, “Most people don’t want the Chabad and just don’t want to say it. Any secular Jew doesn’t want them,” to which the mayor replied, “Very true.”
Several officials expressed their hostility toward Chabad of the Beaches in even more explicit terms. In an email to the mayor, one trustee wrote, “There is a pending contract by Habbad [sic] of LB to buy the property. We cannot [expletive] around anymore. We need to move fast.”
Other trustees described Chabad’s presence as a “nightmare,” and one warned against the influence of Hasidic groups, stating that they must be stopped from “buying the world—a town by town, city by city… they have the numbers—they procreate.”
First Liberty Institute, the legal organization representing Chabad of the Beaches, sharply criticized the Village of Atlantic Beach for its actions.
“It’s time for Village officials to stop targeting Chabad of the Beaches and leave this community alone so they can worship in peace,” First Liberty said in a statement.
