Building's landlord says ruling violates civil rights laws (illustration)
Photo: Shutterstock
NYC tenants in dispute over Shabbat lift
Elderly residents of six-story Manhattan building want one of two elevators slowed down on Jewish day of rest, while rent-stabilized tenants say loss of 83 seconds is unacceptable
Residents of a six-story Manhattan building are in a fight over a slow elevator.
Going Up?
Associated Press
Jewish day becomes a bit more labor-intensive for Orthodox Jews, who no longer use lifts custom-built for Shabbat since they were outlawed by rabbi
The New York Post says elderly Orthodox Jewish residents want one of two elevators slowed down on Friday nights and Saturday to help them comply with rules of not operating machinery on Shabbat.
But rent-stabilized tenants in 33 of the 86 apartments at 10 W. 65th Street say the loss of 83 seconds is not acceptable.
The state authority that regulates rents sided with the elderly tenants in April. But the building's landlord, Touro College, says that ruling violates civil rights laws and has sued the agency.
Touro rents about half of the units to observant Jewish students.
The Division of Housing and Community Renewal declined to comment.
