Kerestirer Shteibel Gets Settlement From City of Miami Beach for $1.3 Million

by JewishMiami.info

Congregation Bais Yeshaya D’Kerestir in Miami Beach, known as the “Keristier Shteible”, has allegedly come to an agreement with the city for a settlement of $1.3 Million in a lawsuit alleging the city harassed them and violated their First amendment rights.

According to claims made in court, the city installed a Police Camera outside the home used for the Shul to monitor traffic and made claims that an excess of hundreds of people allegedly entered the home.

In court however, it became apparent after the City of Miami Beach “lost the video” and only presented still shots of “Jewish looking people” and families on the street at all hours of the day during Pesach, that they had in fact been making ridiculous and false claims.

According to reports, The City of Miami Beach Code Enforcement, which testified in court, claimed that every “Jewish-looking person” on the street walked into the Keristier Shteibel. These ridiculous claims were the fuel that allowed the city to harass the shul, sending code enforcers to video inside the shul and making visits over 120 times in just two years.

The Miami Herald, which covered the story, reported that “under the terms of the settlement, the congregation must limit the number of cars parked in the swale along 34th Street and Prairie Avenue, according to a person familiar with the agreement. and that they may not use outdoor speakers for prayer sessions.”

After the clearly terrible actions taken by the City, the judge presiding over the case issued a Summary Judgement that found the city at fault in many of its assertions and actions, leading to the major settlement between the Shul and City.