Florida Congressman Randy Fine (R) says he is looking into allegations made by the Orlando Torah Center (OTC) after the Orthodox synagogue filed a federal lawsuit accusing Orange County and its County Commissioners of rejecting the synagogue’s application to expand. Rep. Fine is one of the few Jewish Republicans in Congress and an outspoken supporter of the Jewish State.
"I find the claims being made by the OTC very troubling and will look into it further," Fine said to The Floridian. "It is sad that given the world we live in and the rise of Muslim terror, it is entirely possible the claims are true."
According to a press release from OTC's counsel, Storzer and Associates, the lawsuit centers around the synagogue's faith-based right, and not other standards, to religious freedom under the First Amendment, the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), and Florida’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“Religious freedom is not optional; it is a constitutional guarantee,” Counsel Roman Storzer of Storzer and Associates said. “OTC has every legal and moral right to exist, expand, and serve its community without undue burden or discrimination.”
Located in an area of Orlando known as "Church Row," the release claimed OTC's request to expand faced intense public backlash, including antisemitic remarks during public hearings.
Even with the antisemitism, as well as other churches receiving similar zoning approvals in similar zoning districts, OTC was denied by the Orange County Commission of their request on July 1, according to the legal complaint.
OTC was hoping, before the denial, to accommodate added attendance, kids' programs, and enhanced safety protocols at the facility. The release noted that a rise in anti-Semitic attacks on Jewish institutions also contributed to their zoning request.
“Individuals of all faiths have a right to worship without outside interference,” Storzer added. “OTC members have been part of their neighborhood for more than a decade. They have operated peacefully and built lasting relationships with families of all faiths. Disappointedly, they were denied the same rights routinely granted to others.”
