More Matzo Troubles on Kent Avenue
Less than a month since hazardous conditions in an illegal basement-level matzo factory at 475 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg led to the mass evacuation of a couple of hundred tenants, a fire broke out early yesterday morning at another underground facility just down the road at 799 Kent Avenue. When we went by at around…
Less than a month since hazardous conditions in an illegal basement-level matzo factory at 475 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg led to the mass evacuation of a couple of hundred tenants, a fire broke out early yesterday morning at another underground facility just down the road at 799 Kent Avenue. When we went by at around lunchtime, the fire had been put out but a few firemen were still hanging around. None of them were particularly forthcoming with details about how the fire started.
Fire Erupts in W’burg Building with Matzo Bakery [1010 Wins] GMAP
Glimmers of Hope for 475 Kent Residents [Brownstoner]
if any city agencies start wit hasidim it will end up in big lawsuits of religious freedom in the courts
Often when there is a story about the Hasidim, the fact that the community votes as a block is trotted out as significant. I work for the city; I’ve worked for elected officials; I’ve worked with the Satmar and even had the opportunity–no thanks–to work at United Jewish Organizations. That is who is making the following observation:
If people think that elected officials call, say, the borough commander or a captain at a firehouse and tell them, ‘gee, can’t you go easy on the matzo-makers,’ you’re crazy. I don’t even believe that, for example, a cocktail party conversation between a council member and the fire commissioner (‘Commish, you know what’s killing some of the businessmen in my district….’) filters down to influence middle-management and staff decisions.
To insinuate otherwise is anti-Semitic and insulting to agency staff. If you’re a fire captain, your advancement is more secure doing your job, including inspections, than by doing the bidding of some elected official. I can be as critical of the Satmar as anybody–you know what familiarity breeds–but the fact that they vote as a block has little impact at city agencies.
there are number of matzo “factories” throughout williamsburg. from the looks of them, I don’t think any would pass muster with the buildings department and whichever agency oversees food making facilities (not to mention, OSHA). the hasidic community votes as a block, so they have an absurd amount of political clout. it’ll have to get pretty bad before they’re forced to adhere to the same rules as everyone else, e.g., massive fire, building collapse, widespread food poisoning. in other words, nothing’s gonna happen until some people start dying, accompanied by a big NYTimes investigative report…
12:52, Whats your point many neighborhoods have Private Ambulances and neighborhood watches….The ones from Williamsburg were some of the first responders at 9/11 and lost many ambulances.
>Any questions?
Yea, why all the Matzo baking in February?
Passover is in April.
Private Ambulances, neighborhood watches, and an insular population… I don’t think anyone is paying anybody off. The City just looks the other way. The Hasidic Community is a big player in NYC politics. Any questions?
Clearly, there is a flourishing underground matzo-baking ring operating in Williamsburg. Unbelievable.
were the owners of these matzo factories paying someone off until now?
Hmmm, ‘picto-browser’ looks like a neat toy but I’m not so sure what the six photographs above really convey. A picture is worth a thousand words, except when it’s not.