LAKEWOOD — An Ocean County Superior Court judge has given Rabbi Chaim Abadi 30 days to remove materials from a Vermont Avenue dump site or pay $1,000 for each day the religious items remain buried there.
For two years, Abadi of Miller Road and the state Department of Environmental Protection have been battling over the dump site. The DEP has ordered the rabbi to remove the buried religious items because the agency contends it could contaminate a nearby township drinking well.
Thousands of bags are buried in two sites, one in Lakewood and another in Jackson, and Abadi was ordered by Judge Craig L. Wellerson to relocate them to an appropriate dump site. Abadi’s 30 days began as of July 27.
“This is a completely secular issue,” said Larry Ragonese, spokesman for the DEP. “It is not a cemetery, it is a landfill.”
The articles buried are known as “shaimos,” an Orthodox Jewish ritual in which religious items are not thrown away but must be laid to rest in a proper burial under a rabbi’s blessing. Abadi provided the shaimos service, accepting the sacred articles such as texts and religious garments, but he buried the articles in places not suited for dumping.
The Jackson site is located on Frank Applegate Road, according to the Ocean County tax map.
Abadi had applied for a local zoning variance to declare the property a cemetery while he was under court order to remove the articles from both sites. The variance request hearing was postponed from June 4 to Aug. 27.
Abadi, reached by phone Wednesday, said he could not make a statement on the matter until after he has a consultation with his attorney.
Wellerson’s decision states Abadi must provide 48-hour notice to the township before he begins remediation of the site. When the rabbi is finished, he is ordered to tell the judge that the job is complete.
The materials were buried in Jackson in 2009 and in Lakewood in 2010. The Lakewood site is near an active water well.
“The possibility of decaying materials making their way down into a water source is the greatest risk with burying materials without the proper preparations for materials,” Ragonese said. “Environmentally the rules are clear. You cannot create a landfill on your own without permission. You need approval to create a landfill.”
Lakewood Township Committeeman Steven Langert said he hopes to see the “matter resolved once and for all.”
“Let’s not forget the bottom line is that if there is even an outside chance any drinking water wells could be tainted, that is the last thing that anybody wants,” Langert said.
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Thank you for this story. Evidentally the Scoop was too timid to print it on their website, even though they had a scoop on mulch at the entrances to tent city for all to read.
why thank you for this story? who cares about it?
A few days ago the APP.com had pictures of the bags, some of which were ripped open. I saw a lot of stuff that would not be considered "religious", like a headboard for a crib, etc.
Chaim Abadi does so much for lakewood. It is a shame this happened and we all know it was accidental. We all need to ask him how we can help him, not ch'v criticize him.
Disgusting, two things not brought out in this article, the property that this stuf was dumped on was not owned by Rabbi Chaim Abadi , two ~ their was a $15 charge per bag and also a good portion of this stuf was brought in from NY . There is a Video that show many of the items were not religious stuf but just plain junk cinderblock, old soffas ,etc. I hope this judge keeps his word if its not cleaned up.
Go here to see what "religious" stuff is buried there---
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYQugGuyXEI&feature=relmfu
Rabbi G gave the Hashgocha
We are a Republic. That means that the rule of law reigns supreme. Abadi had an obligation to find a permitted site to bury the articles. Had he complied with this simple need, there would not have been an issue, and he would have performed a service.
However, this "in your face" affront to the residents of Lakewood, the county of Ocean, and the DEP cannot stand. Now he has a mess to clean up, at great expense. What about the residents that live on Vermont Ave? Have they no rights?
The $15.00 per bag fee that Abadi charged should have also been seized. That would put a stop to this careless, and dangerous practice of illegal dumping.
obeying laws written by goat hearders again
Quote "we all know it was accidental."
OK get serious ,accidental digging a huge hole in ground ,collecting $15 per bag, dumping garbage & other debri NOTHING accidental about this crime
doesnt abadi call the shots in the lkwd twp inspection dept.?
dont think he'll sweat too much taking care of lkwd's dumping problem.
woah 9:12 and 6:48 are real haters. i hope they never need any help from anyone in the abadi family.
Chaim is a Tzaddik and one of the few real people in Lakewood Rabbi Abadi actually uses whatever influance or positions he has to help other people he is a Leshiem Shomayim Yid unlike the rest of the lakewood establishment mafia who just use their power to amass more money kovod and power and to squash whoever gets in their way of attaining more money kovod and power
Quote "woah 9:12 and 6:48 are real haters. i hope they never need any help from anyone in the abadi family."
you are sick !
Vinnie Mettee said some pretty nasty things about Orthodox Jews, he also had no right to do what he did, so I am glad he is held to task and forced to clean the mess he made.