Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on April 15, 2020

CHESTNUT RIDGEChaim Rosehas been appointed to the Board of Trustees, becoming the first Hasidic Jewish residentto serve on the governing body since the village formed in 1986.

Rose's appointment March 26by Mayor Rosario Presti reflects the growing Orthodox Jewish influence in the Ramapo village and comes more than a year after the board adopted a zoning law permitting houses of worship in residential areas. The law has drawn three pendinglawsuits.

Rose, 39, a married father of three children and village resident since 2017, succeeds Howard Cohen, who joined the board in October 1993. Cohen recently moved to Florida.

Chaim Rose, 39, was appointed to the Chestnut Ridge Board of Trustees in March 2020, succeeding Howard Cohen(Photo: Submitted)

The four-year seat is up for reelection in March 2021. Rose said he plans to run on the "Committee for Chestnut Ridge" line. Presti also is up for reelection.

"I love this neighborhood and want to see it thrive," Rosesaid in a statement. "I believe that all residents want our village to preserve its charm while working to accommodate residents' needs with a reasonable framework. I am eager to assist and work with residents of the entire village in the years to come."

Roseserved on the village's Architectural Review Board and is a member of the Comprehensive Plans Committee. The panel is developing a comprehensive zoning plan, a demand made by appointments of the board's three-tier zoning for residential houses of worship. Prior to the zoning, a house of worship only only be built on five acres, which essentially is non-existent in the village.

He's not the first Hasidic or Orthodox Jewto serve on governing board in Rockland.

CHESTNUT RIDGE: Village Boardadopts hotly debated zoning law for houses of worship

Rosesaid he has a background in real estate and is a residential manager certifiedby the Institute for Real Estate Management. He said those credentials have provided him with the necessary background and has gone a long way towardhelping him learn the ins-and-outs of what his village positions entail.

Jerry Liebelson, a civic activistwho also puts out the email letter called Chestnut Ridge Communications, said he supportedRose, having served with him on the village committee.Liebelson has been critical of the way the board handled the houses of worship zoning issueand the board, at times.

"I serve with Chaim on the village's Comprehensive Plan committee and have gotten to know him quite a bit," Liebelson said."I think he's an excellent and appropriate choice for trustee, especially given the village's rapidly changing demographics."

Presti met Rosea few years ago at one of his Sundays With the Mayor" when Rose said he wanted to getmore involved in the community.

"I saw a family man exhibiting a conscientious interest in wanting to be part of the Chestnut Ridge community," Presti said, adding he asked Roseto serve on the Architectural Review Board.

Chestnut Ridge Mayor Rosario Sam Presti(Photo: Steve Lieberman/The Journal News)

"Again, having a gentleman like Chaim asking to contribute more and observing how he was on the ARB, I thought appointing him to the Village Board as a trustee would be a natural progression for someone like him," Presti said.

Rosejoins the board as trustees work on a tentativebudget, which Presti estimates will raise village property taxes 5 percent or about $25 a year on a bill of $500. A public hearing via Zoom will be held April 23 with the village website providing details on how residents can participate.

The village, within the town of Ramapo, also is dealing with the fallout from the zoning law allowing houses of worship the board approval in February 2019 afternearly two years fromdrafting anda handful of public hearings, a few of which drew up to 700 people.

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The zoning approval became a campaign issue in March 2019, when Presti and his two running mates, trustee Grant Valentine andPaul VanAlstyne,also supported the zoning. They won largely with support from the Orthodox Jewish voters.

The zoning led to federal and state lawsuits from Chestnut Ridge's CUPON, a local group claiming in state court thatthe village violated state environmental regulations and in federal court discriminated by

A third lawsuit came from acoalition of ultra-Orthodox Jews who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit as the board weighed the new zoning law.

Steve Lieberman coversgovernment, breaking news, courts, police and investigations.Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal.Read more articlesandbio.Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.Sign up today for a digital subscription.

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Chestnut Ridge: First Hasidic Jewish resident named to the village's top governing board - Lohud

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