Burdick Hosts Rabbi, Mayor; Dialogue Opens, Leonard Park Permit Dispute Continues

By Adam Stone

Assemblyman Chris Burdick convened a high-stakes meeting in his Mount Kisco office yesterday, bringing Rabbi Arik Wolf of Chabad of Bedford and Mayor Michael Cindrich together for the first time since controversy erupted over Chabad’s request to again hold its annual High Holiday ceremony at Leonard Park — a request some village officials appear to believe may conflict with decades-old deed restrictions.

Both Wolf and Cindrich told The Examiner in separate interviews that the meeting was productive in creating dialogue, though no resolution was reached.

Burdick said the immediate goal of the meeting was to help cool tensions, start a face-to-face dialogue, reduce speculation, and ensure the conflict wasn’t waged through social media or innuendo.

“I wanted to see if the temperature could be turned down and if we could get people talking to one another,” Burdick told The Examiner earlier today. “I do need to credit the mayor, who approached me asking if I would be willing to host such a meeting.”

All parties said details of the meeting remain private but granted interviews to discuss the issue in broad strokes. Uncertainties around how the Recreation Commission handled Chabad’s application seemed to be part of the discussion that could not yet be addressed in specific detail.

“I have to be careful with this because the minutes don’t reflect any action either permitting or denying any application,” Cindrich told The Examiner today, noting he wanted to avoid publicly casting blame. “That’s something that will be part of the charge of the outside counsel — to really investigate what transpired.”

Outside Counsel

Cindrich stressed that the village’s handling of the issue is guided by legal caution. At a board meeting earlier this week, officials voted to retain outside counsel to help guide the process. Counsel will examine all historical documents, including the original deed, subsequent amendments, and any relevant Recreation Commission actions, to clarify what the park’s regulations actually allow.

“I’d like this resolved as soon as possible, but we have to get it right,” Cindrich remarked.

The mayor said he has been stung by accusations of discrimination, detailing his history of heartfelt support for the Jewish community. He also noted the volume of emails he has received over the past week, many of which he described as “insensitive, derogatory, and humiliating.”

“This has nothing to do with discrimination or antisemitism,” he said. “It has to do with the rules and regulations and deed restrictions that have been followed for the last 80 years.”

Cindrich drew a parallel to Jewish teachings he encountered at a Catholic college, noting that they were discussed and interpreted in varied ways throughout history. 

“Whether it was 2,000 years ago or 5,000 years ago, different people interpreted the scriptures differently, following what they believed to be the law,” he said. “Right now, we are faced with the same situation, with different interpretations of legal documents.”

Chabad Seeks Clarity

Chabad of Bedford is represented by congregant Lauren Israelovitch, a civil rights attorney. In a formal letter to the village, Israelovitch argued that any denial of the Tashlich service was unlawful, noting the deed does not bar open-air religious ceremonies and that the denial violates federal and state constitutional protections against religious discrimination.

“The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly and unequivocally held that excluding religious speech from public property otherwise open to secular expression constitutes impermissible viewpoint discrimination,” her Aug. 18 letter states.

Wolf said Chabad tried for weeks to obtain clarity from village officials, hoping to avoid a public or legal confrontation. But in an Aug. 29 Facebook post, Chabad pushed back publicly, noting that Leonard Park has hosted events like the Easter Egg Hunt, highlighting what the congregation views as inconsistency in the municipality’s rationale.

As for yesterday’s meeting in Burdick’s office, Wolf praised Cindrich’s character and good faith but said the substantive issue remains unresolved.

“He’s a great leader in the Mount Kisco community, a great public servant, and honestly, I enjoyed spending time with him,” the rabbi told The Examiner. “But on the substance of the issue, it doesn’t seem like the village itself has any clarity as to what the deed does or does not allow. This was very disappointing for our community because the village would break precedent and deny our permit based on what may or may not be in the deed, the contents of which they themselves are not sure.”

Wolf stressed that a priority at this point is obtaining clear guidance from the village’s outside counsel, whether it aligns with Chabad’s legal interpretation or not.

“If you don’t have clarity about what the deed says, then why deny it?” the rabbi observed. “This ambiguity and lack of communication only inflames doubts and suspicions. Our community stands for unity, mutual respect, and bringing people together — especially during the High Holidays.”

Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora, for her part, noted how volunteer commissions often make decisions without micromanagement from elected officials.

“The way it’s set up, the commission takes care of their business,” she said in a phone interview today. “It only comes before us if they need something approved, money-wise or otherwise. They are really the keepers of whatever happens in the park and the keepers of the deed.”

Flora also said how Cindrich didn’t become fully aware of the issue until controversy erupted, noting how process can often be opaque even to village leadership.

“I know Mike doesn’t like to throw anybody under the bus that works for the village,” she said. “We tend to be protective of the boards and commissions. I get mad sometimes at the planning board and the zoning board, but I keep it to myself.”

Wolf said he was grateful for the two-hour meeting with the mayor yesterday but “didn’t walk out any wiser as to why Mount Kisco denied this permit and why they are choosing to divide the community.”

Because Chabad’s legal counsel believes the village should not have denied the application, Wolf said the congregation is eager for a clear explanation of the decision.

“[Our attorney] is eagerly waiting to talk to somebody in the village so that they can discuss this and discuss the law,” he said. “If for some reason the village counsel explains satisfactorily why there was a denial, then we will go somewhere else, I guess. I would never be so arrogant to think that I am right all of the time. But the only way to know this is if somebody presents a counterargument. And so far, nobody has.”

Even with all that, Burdick said that while a resolution is not yet in hand, establishing communication was a key first step.

“Both parties went away saying we want to continue to talk and see if we can reach a resolution,” the assemblyman concluded. “That, in itself, is important for the community to know.”