by Jayla Ward • 4 minutes
When I was a kid, my dad joined our homeowners association board. It was always funny to me, because as a 10-year-old, they were always talking about the most boring stuff. There were meetings about a 15-foot-tall shed a resident wanted to build in their backyard, and how it might impact the aesthetic of the neighborhood.
But at the end of the day, the HOA’s main objective was to foster community, as well as how to make the neighborhood a better, safer and more welcoming place.
There was never a time when my HOA became so hostile to one specific family that they ostracized them. It’s almost unheard of.
Almost…
For Rabbi Naftaly Hertzel and his family, hostility quickly became their reality. When they first moved to Logger’s Run in West Boca Raton, Florida in 2015, it was normal. Your usual run-of-the-mill neighborhood. Peaceful. They found a community. But looks can be deceiving.
The rabbi lives in this neighborhood with his wife, Henya, and their kids. They are very involved in the local Orthodox Jewish community in the area, providing the only religious services for Jewish residents in a six-mile radius.
For the Orthodox Jewish community, being able to walk to a synagogue is essential. Their sincerely held beliefs prevent them from driving on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays.
Their congregation typically met either in a storefront nearby or in their home, but they have been growing and simply have no more space. So, in 2017, they decided to submit a proposal to build a synagogue near other churches in the neighborhood.
Then, everything went south.
When the HOA learned about their new endeavor, they began to harass them and even incite disdain from other residents, attempting to push them out of the community.
The then-president of the HOA sent emails to the residents and went door-to-door saying, “the Jews are trying to take over.” Another HOA manager told the Hertzels outside their home that they “should have ended (the Jews)” back during the time of the Nazis.
Someone even vandalized the Hertzel’s home and property with anti-Semitic slurs and insults.
Stop for a moment and imagine that. You’ve moved to a neighborhood, brought your wife and children, and settled down. You’ve found your people and decided it’s time to expand, because things are going well. So, you take the logical next step, buy property near you, and you submit a proposal.
Out of nowhere, what seemed like a welcoming community became openly anti-Semitic. I don’t mean a couple of mean words and sour faces. I mean, your home has become a target.
As you walk your dog, take your children to the park, or walk to meet with your friends, you have to constantly look over your shoulder, wondering if someone will hurl insults at you or your family.
Most people would’ve just moved. But not Rabbi Hertzel. Instead of running away, he stayed and showed courage.
The Courage to Stay—and Fight Back
It would have been much easier to find somewhere else to live. Maybe a fresh start? Maybe a chance at putting all the pain behind you and being treated better?
But, deep down, Rabbi Hertzel knew he couldn’t let the HOA get away with such brazen anti-Semitism.
So, he opts to file a lawsuit against the association—the people in charge of where he lives and the place his family calls home.
It takes courage to take your HOA to court, not knowing if it will sour the relationships with your neighbors or with the people in charge of maintaining your homes.
Why do it? Because he knows anti-Semitism is wrong and has no place in America. Not in our neighborhoods, homes or anywhere.
And that’s why you make the tough decision—because discrimination is against the law and against everything religious freedom is about.
Bottom line, it takes guts to stay.
It takes courage and resilience to endure this horrible backlash for years and years. It is one thing to face discrimination and bias; it’s another to experience pure hatred based on who you are.
And yet, in a country where we should all be free to worship peacefully, you are continually persecuted.
We’ve all seen movies and read books where the hero endures the hard things because it is right. We feel inspired and emboldened, thinking to ourselves, “I would do that.” But would we? Could we?
What do you do when the place you are supposed to feel at peace is now jeopardized?
It is not easy to sit around the dining room table asking: Did we do the right thing? Is this worth it? How much longer?
For Rabbi Hertzel and his family, this is much more than a legal battle. Behind their lawsuit is a desire to make where they live—where their children play—a place free from anti-Semitism.
A place where they and every member of their Chabad congregation can walk without having to worry, look over their shoulder or feel ashamed. A place that lives up to the American ideal—that original American dream—that everyone, no matter their faith or denomination, should be free to gather in a home for prayer and worship.
That’s why Rabbi Hertzel is fighting. And that’s why First Liberty is fighting this legal battle right by his side.
In the book of Joshua, we find one of Scripture’s most powerful declarations: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
I can’t think of a better verse to describe Rabbi Hertzel’s story—a story of courage and faithfulness. A story of someone with the fortitude to call out anti-Semitism on its face. A story of someone brave enough to say, “I will fight to make sure my home and my community are free to serve and honor God.”
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