Shared by Deborah Goonan
Commentary: More evidence that condo and homeowners’ associations lack equal protection of First Amendment rights for residents. State and Federal governments actually have to pass piecemeal laws like this one, to restore rights to religious freedom. Why should we have to fight for basic First Amendment rights in the US, based upon where we live?
I can already see the condo association manager or overzealous Board member out in the hallway with a ruler and a calculator measuring a religious object to be certain it’s not larger than 25 square inches.
New RI Law Prohibits Condo Associations, Landlords from Restricting Mezuzahs on Doors
The bill guarantees Jews the right to observe their faith without interference from landlords or condo associations.
A new Rhode Island law prohibits landlords or condo associations from restricting Jewish residents from hanging a mezuzah on their doorways.
The Torah instructs all Jewish people to affix a mezuzah on their doorposts, outside the door or in the door frame. A mezuzah is a piece of parchment carrying the prayer Shema Yisrael in Hebrew and it usually is rolled and stored in a small case.
Some observant Jews see hanging the mezuzah as a requirement, not an option, said Rep. Aaron Regunberg (D-Dist. 4, Providence), the bill’s prime sponsor in the House of Representatives.
“For a condo association or a landlord to prohibit them is tantamount to housing discrimination,” he said. “It would force Jewish people to either look elsewhere for housing or violate their own religious beliefs.”
Preview, full article here:
http://patch.com/rhode-island/narragansett/new-ri-law-prohibits-condo-associations-landlord-restricting-mezuzahs-doors
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