Tuesday, July 07, 2020
Orthodox Jewish camps won’t open as judge sides with Cuomo
A last-ditch effort by Orthodox Jews in New York to clear the way for overnight camps this summer fell short on July 6 as a federal judge declined to intervene against Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to keep the camps closed.
The judge was responding to a lawsuit brought last month by the Association of Jewish Camp Operators, which represents Orthodox camps. By banning overnight camps while allowing day camps and protests, the suit argued, Cuomo was privileging some activities over others — a potential violation of the Constitution's First Amendment.
The camp organization, represented by the prominent Orthodox lawyer Avi Schick, sought a restraining order that would allow camps to operate while that legal question made its way through the courts.
But Judge Glenn Suddaby of the U.S. District Court in upstate New York said the suit's religious liberty argument was not immediately compelling.
"Overall, Plaintiffs have failed to show that Defendant's executive orders were taken because of, not merely in spite of, their religious practice," he wrote in his decision.
Cuomo has allowed day camps to open with restrictions, while other states have allowed overnight camps. Some Orthodox camps have opened outside of New York, with some even relocating because of the rule.
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