Friday, April 06, 2007

On your doorposts and on your gates...

(photo: Candace West/Miami Herald)

My boss comes over to my desk every morning to check in and see how things are going. This morning instead of his usual work banter, he asked me if I have a mezuzah on my front door at home. Despite the fact that I was puzzled by why he was asking this question, I explained that not only did I have one on my front door but that I have one on the entry to every room in my home except for the closets and the bathrooms. He went on to explain that he was asking because he had read an article in the Miami Herald today about a woman who fought her condo association when they asked her to take her mezuzah down. (You can read the full article here.) The article states that Laurie Richter said, ''I figured it was going to be OK in light of the fact that there were wreaths hung all over the building when I moved in." Not surprisingly, she has won the battle against the condo association.

I am shocked that things like this happen in this day and age. And while I believe this should have never happened, good has come out of it because Florida State Representive Julio Robaina is now sponsoring a bill that includes a provision to ensure that residents will have the right to hang a mezuzah.

May we all always find the strength that Ms. Richter has displayed to stand up for what is right and always be unwavering in our faith.

Shabbat Shalom.

3 comments:

Another meshugannah mommy said...

The same thng happened in Chcago - the Chicgo City Council eventually intervened.

Anonymous said...

Well I don't think we need to make such a law. This type of thing clearly falls under the First Amendment and hence the ruling was in favor or the mezuzah hangin' yiden.

This is a place where case-law should reign supreme, kinda like Bobby Flay in Kitchen Stadium.

Jack Steiner said...

I am in favor of the law. Sometimes there is a need to more clearly define boundaries.