PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rabbi Baruch Yehudah, Rabbi of B'nai Adath Kol Beth Yisrael
4:23:06
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122 sec
Rabbi Baruch Yehudah testifies in support of the City of Yes legislation, highlighting how it would help his congregation rebuild after a fire and provide affordable housing. He emphasizes the challenges faced by religious institutions under current zoning laws and the potential benefits of the proposed changes.
- The congregation's rebuilding efforts have been hindered by zoning restrictions, forcing them to potentially reduce their building size by two-thirds
- Current zoning laws make it difficult for developers to create viable plans that include both the congregation's needs and affordable housing
- The City of Yes legislation would enable religious institutions and non-profits to better utilize their real estate assets for their missions and provide new homes and services to the community
Baruch Yehudah
4:23:06
Good afternoon, everyone.
4:23:08
I'm rabbi Baruque Huda representing Benaiadot Cobay Yucera, one of those congregations that she was just talking about.
4:23:14
We have a 710 Jewish congregation primarily made of Jews of African descent low catered in Bedford Stavess in Brooklyn.
4:23:21
I stand in support of the city of Yesla's legislation.
4:23:25
Unfortunately, our congregation suffered a devastating fire in November of 2017.
4:23:29
Since then, we tried to rebill rebuild only to run into obstacle after obstacle, the largest which is the way our congregation is zoned.
4:23:37
The bottom line is we need to develop and work with us to rebuild with helping to provide affordable housing to the city, its sins of New York City.
4:23:46
Developers are in it for their profit margins.
4:23:49
Which means they need to have a certain number of square footage to make the plan viable.
4:23:53
And under the current zoning laws, no set of mathematics work without cutting our congregational building size by two thirds.
4:24:02
This will inhabit inhibit our community work, which in the past has included free space for youth of the area clothing, kosher soup kitchens, teenage program, and provide a shelter for families who had no way to go.
4:24:15
We do not, for the most part, have the means to handle all of the varied obstacles associated with the building.
4:24:21
The 7 year rebuilding delayed caused by an inability to close a deal with the current zoning has resulted in a needed demolition of the building by the city.
4:24:30
Accordingly, we now owe the city 100 of 1000 of dollars.
4:24:33
Only because we have an architect, attorneys, and consultants who have rendered services pro bono and use their networks for us, we've been able to maintain and keep the building.
4:24:44
The city of yes will enable synagogues, mosques, churches, and not for prophets to reduce the timing needed to realize the full potential of their real estate assets to fulfill their varied mission statements thereby making the city more inhabitable and less stressed.
4:25:00
City of yes impacts on those houses worship and other congregations will enable them to provide to the citizens of the city new homes and services.
4:25:08
Thank you very much.
